HBL PSL trophy unveiled in Dubai

DUBAI: The Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2019 trophy was unveiled during a grand ceremony here at the Dubai International Stadium on Tuesday.

“The HBL PSL 2019 is set to provide incredible excitement to cricket fans all over the world,” Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ehsan Mani said during the ceremony.

“We thank our sponsors, partners, the six franchises and all stakeholders who have contributed in putting together this cricket extravaganza. We look forward to seeing a competitive tournament with a galaxy of Pakistani and international stars showcasing their talent,” he added.

Islamabad United captain Mohammad Sami said he was excited to lead a young side. “We have a young side with full of talent. The guys have impressed everyone in the training sessions and we are carrying on with our tradition of promoting the emerging talent of Pakistan. I hope I can lead this group to another HBL PSL trophy,” he said.

“We are all working very hard. We will try to keep things simple, play good cricket and hopefully the results will come on their own,” the pacer added.Peshawar Zalmi skipper Daren Sammy was of the view that all six teams were very balanced. “All the teams have incredible talent and we will get to see quality cricket once again,” he said.

“I have had the great honour of leading a very talented Peshawar Zalmi side for two years and, this time we have even greater depth in our squad.“The experience that guys like Misbah and Pollard bring to our squad is invaluable. We always get great support from our Zalmi fans in the UAE but we are all very excited to experience the love and warmth of the crowds in Karachi once again,” the West Indian all-rounder added.

Speaking on the occasion, Karachi Kings captain Imad Wasim said his team was brimming with extraordinary talent. “The Karachi Kings squad has a balanced core of local and foreign players. We are keen to do well this year and get our hands on the magnificent HBL PSL trophy.

“It will be a dream come true for all of us to lift the trophy in front of our home crowd on March 17 and we will do our best to win it,” said Imad, who is fourth in the T20 International rankings for bowlers.

Pakistan skipper Sarfraz Ahmed, who is leading Quetta Gladiators for a fourth successive year, said they needed to do much better this time to get over the line.“We have come close in the past three years but we have not been able to get the desired results. The entire Quetta Gladiators squad is determined to change it this time around,” he said.

“We focused on our retention list this year since we wanted consistency in our squad. The return of senior professionals like Shane Watson and Rilee Rossouw will be a huge morale-booster for the young boys,” Sarfraz added.

Multan Sultans captain Shoaib Malik said they had a strong squad and they would be eyeing the HBL PSL trophy. “We have depth in our squad and to do better in the tournament we will have to go match-by-match,” he said.

Lahore Qalandars skipper Mohammad Hafeez said he was delighted to be leading a talented bunch of cricketers. “I am very happy with the talent we have. We have reworked our strategy this year and we are confident that if we play our natural game and enjoy each moment of the tournament, we will do well,” Hafeez, who has recently brought the curtain down on his Test career, said.

The HBL PSL 2019 will kick off with the opening match between defending champions Islamabad United and Lahore Qalandars here on Thursday (tomorrow).