United to play attacking cricket: Azhar Mahmood

KARACHI: The two-time PSL champions Islamabad United head coach Azhar Mahmood has said they have constituted a well-balanced team for the eighth edition of the country’s marquee event which will begin next week.

“Our side is very balanced,” Azhar said.

“You will see a lot of depth in it. You will see good replacements and you will see depth in all-rounders. We have covered every angle,” Azhar said.

“We have won the title two times and we desire to win it for the third time as well. During team formation and the retention we had made it was in our mind which brand of cricket we have to play and what type of formula should be utilized,” said Azhar, also a former international all-rounder.

“Definitely when you play this type of format and if you are to win so many things should go in your favour,” Azhar was quick to add.

“The first thing is to catch momentum at the right time, your injuries status and how you carry along your team,” Azhar said.

“Alex Hales will not be available for the first half so we got his replacement. Paul Sterling will be available. Gurbaz plays upfront but he will not be available due to national duty. And we have Munro and Moeen Ali, who are also not available for the entire league. We have made our team keeping in view the availability of the players at specific times,” Azhar said.

“In the start we have a chance to play Sterling, Munro, Moeen Ali, Curran and Gus Atkinson,” he said. “In all-rounders we have Shadab, Zafar Gohar, Moeen Ali, Mubasir Khan and Abrar Ahmed who also can bat as we have seen him in test matches. It’s a spin all-rounders depth,” he said.

“If we see the fast bowling all-rounders, we have Faheem Ashraf, Tom Curran, Gus Atkinson who has not been seen by any one so much but he has the ability. Hasan Ali and Mohammad Waseem are there and all these people can also bat,” he said. Azhar said that they have depth until number ten.

“In batting we have Azam Khan, Asif Ali and Sohaib Maqsood (replacement). If we go upfront we do not have Hales, so we have a young exciting batsman Hasan Nawaz who has done well in domestic,” he said.

“In merging talent we have Zeeshan Zameer. He is fully fit and now bowling again and hopefully he will deliver,” he said.

“If we talk of fast bowling, we have Rumman Raees. We will miss Fazal Haq Farooqui in the first two matches and towards the end we also have Tymil Mills,” he said.