Mir Hamza praises team effort as Karachi Kings defeat Quetta Gladiators

KARACHI: In a post-match press conference following Karachi Kings stunning 56-run victory over Quetta Gladiators, left-arm fast bowler Mir Hamza expressed his satisfaction with the team’s performance in every department on Friday.

“Happy to win the match; good performance in every department”, he stated, detailing the collective effort that led to their success.

Read more: PSL 10: Karachi Kings crush Quetta Gladiators by 56 runs

“Today’s pitch was different from the previous two pitches. Our target was 170 to 180 runs, which we achieved”, he explained.

The fast bowler talked about the importance of adapting to the pitch, mentioning that the back-of-the-length delivers were challenging for the batters,  which ultimately benefitted the Karachi Kings.

“The back of the length ball was not playing well on the bat, which was beneficial”, he said. Mir Hamza also acknowledged the need to attract more fans to the stadium. “Currently trying to win to bring the crowd. Hopefully, the crowd will come to the next matches”.

Reflecting on the match dynamics, he noted, “When wickets keep falling, it becomes difficult to manage the match”, and praised Saud Shakeel for his efforts despite the team’s struggles. “Saud Shakeel tried his best but could not win the match”.

Hamza also spoke highly of Karachi King’s captain David Warner, stating, “David Warner is a good captain; after losing the previous match, he backed the bowlers and batters”.

The fast bowler concluded the press conference with “it takes time to form a team combination in franchise cricket. Hopefully, in the future, too, we will win”.

Karachi Kings vs Quetta Gladiators match

The match itself saw Karachi Kings scored a total of 175 runs, with James Vince leading the charge with a well-crafted 70 off 47 balls. The Kings got off to a brisk start, but the Gladiators managed to apply pressure during the middle overs, restricting the Kings to just 18 runs in four overs.

However, a later surge from Vince and Mohammad Nabi, who contributed heavily in the death overs, propelled the Kings to a defendable target.

In response, Quetta Gladiators struggled from the outset, losing their first five wickets for just 57 runs. The Kings’ bowlers, led by Hasan Ali and Mohammad Nabi, executed their plans effectively; Nabi conceded only seven runs in his four overs and took two critical wickets.

Read more: Qualifier recap: Pakistan punch their ticket to the women’s world cup

Meanwhile, Saud Shakeel, who remained not out at 33, was criticised for his slow approach, as the Gladiators never looked in contention to chase down the target.

The innings concluded with the Gladiators managing only 119 runs, marking their second consecutive heavy defeat in the tournament.