LAHORE: Multan Sultans pacer Mohammad Ali, who is currently leading the fast bowling charts of the HBL Pakistan Super League with 13 wickets, has emphasised that he always strives to play his own game rather than comparing himself with others.
Speaking to reporters after a training session at the LCCA ground here on Monday, on the eve of their match against the struggling Lahore Qalandars, Ali stated that he doesn’t see his performance as a competition with other players.
Instead, he said, that he focused on playing his own game and fulfilling the role assigned to him by the team management.
Ali played a significant role in propelling Multan Sultans to the top of the points table with eight points from five matches. He expressed confidence in his team’s balance and readiness to face the Qalandars on their home ground.
Ali also dismissed the notion that transitioning from red-ball cricket to white-ball cricket was difficult, emphasising the importance of red-ball cricket in player development.
Meanwhile, Aaqib Javed, the head coach of Lahore Qalandars and a former Test bowler, expressed disappointment over losing the services of paceman Haris Rauf, who was ruled out of the remaining matches of the PSL due to a shoulder dislocation suffered in the match against Karachi Kings on Saturday.
Aaqib highlighted the absence of key players like Haris and spinner Rashid Khan due to injury but remained hopeful that the Qalandars, despite the setbacks, possessed a strong bowling line-up.
He expressed optimism that the team would bounce back from recent narrow defeats and perform better in upcoming matches to stay in contention for the playoff stage.
Multan Sultans’ skipper Mohammad Rizwan along with batter Reeza Hendricks are among the top-four batters of the tournament, reflecting the team’s strong performance across all departments.
Despite losing a match to Peshawar Zalmi, the Sultans managed victories against Islamabad United, Lahore Qalandars, and Karachi Kings at their home ground. The upcoming match will mark their first away game of the season.
For Lahore Qalandars, who have lost all five matches so far, a victory against the Sultans is crucial to stay in contention. Their batter Rassie van der Dussen’s century against Zalmi made him the top-scorer with a total of 270 runs, marking the first century of the current edition of the PSL. Additionally, Qalandars opener Sahibzada Farhan holds the fifth position among the top-scorers. The Qalandars, however, need opener Fakhar Zaman to regain form, with the Pakistan international having managed only 66 runs from five matches. Captain
Shaheen Shah Afridi, as the pace spearhead, also needs to lead by example.
Published in Dawn, February 27th, 2024
