Veteran all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez on Saturday said Peshawar Zalmi needed to work really hard to ensure they lift the trophy for the second time in a row, advising them against complacency.

Zalmi earlier reached Dubai and had their first practice session on Saturday.

"I have always believed that whatever you have done — good or bad — has happened and we should not live in the past," Hafeez said while speaking to DawnNews. "Yes we were champions, but we have to work really hard to maintain it."

"The core of the team is the same and youngsters that have joined in bring a lot of flare with them," he added.

Lahore-born all-rounder Saad Nasim said that the players were gelling really well and that he, along with other juniors, were receiving important guidance from the more experienced members of the team.

Zalmi won the second edition of PSL under Darren Sammy's captaincy in front of a jam-packed crowd in Lahore last year. In the final, they cruised past Sarfraz Ahmed-led Quetta Gladiators which were lacking important international players including Kevin Pietersen who refused to visit Pakistan.

"We'll play selfless cricket, we'll play fearless cricket and we hope we can make our fans proud this year. We'll try and do our absolute best [to win]," Lahore Qalandars skipper Brendam McCullum said, earlier on Saturday about his team's strategy.

Meanwhile players and staff of Quetta Gladiators and Multan Sultans have also started reaching Dubai, where the first few matches of the league — including the opener on February 22 — will be played.