Multan Sultans a complete package, says head coach

LAHORE: Multan Sultans head coach Abdul Rehman on Monday said that his team is a “complete package” and he will try to get the best out of his charges in the HBL PSL 9.

“We have tried to keep such a balanced side which could deliver in all three departments of the game. Our team is a complete package,” Abdul Rehman told ‘The News’ in an exclusive interview from Multan.

“InshaAllah we will win the title,” he was quick to add. Multan Sultans on Sunday night took a bright start when they downed Karachi Kings by 55 runs at the Multan Cricket Stadium.

“We have not formed the team on the basis of big names. We have looked at the boys who play a role in their respective departments and we have picked such players,” said Rehman, who has served Pakistan team both as a head coach and assistant coach.

“In spin bowling, we have three options in Usama Mir, Khushdil Shah and Iftikhar Ahmed. In batting too we have Iftikhar, Khushdil, emerging Yasir Khan, Dawid Malan, Reeza Hendericks and Rizwan. Johnson Charles also will come to join us and so will Chris Jordan. So we have a balanced side,” Rehman elaborated.

He said that the weather also suits his batting line-up. “These days it’s cold and you can see seam and swing and such conditions suit our batting line-up,” he pointed out. Asked which players are more important in their brigade, Abdul Rahman said that on the top they want performance from their skipper Mohammad Rizwan.

“We want Rizwan to bat effectively. Our overseas players who have been picked in the platinum category are top players. There is Iftikhar and Khushdil. The teams with strong lower order get more advantage and we have two very good lower order batsmen who play for Pakistan. It’s a major point,” Rehman said.

“A leg-spinner always is a wicket-taking option and we have Usama Mir, who delivered top performance last year,” he said. “In bowling we have Abbas Afridi, who recently represented Pakistan and last year too he did well. And then we have David Willey, the world’s top white-ball bowler. We have picked Mohammad Ali; people say that he is not a white-ball player but he has the most consistent line and he is a very fine bowler. We have Olly Stone who bowls at 140 plus. In a nutshell I will say that we have the most in-form players,” Rehman said.

“In our last night game in Multan the weather was cloudy with the wind blowing and the ball was swinging. I hope in our remaining four home matches we will also get the same conditions here in Multan. In Lahore it looks a pure batting wicket and high-scoring games will be seen. In Pindi we know that batting pitches are there. In Karachi initially the pitch will support batting, then spinners will get assistance and the matches will not be that high-scoring. In Karachi if there is no spin in the wicket and it’s good for fast bowlers then our batsmen are ideal for such condictions,” the coach said. He said that players are really motivated to deliver as they eye Pakistan’s World Cup squad spots. “Players are motivated to get a place in Pakistan’s squad for the World Cup,” he said.