KARACHI – Fast bowler Hasan Ali, who plays for Pakistan Super League (PSL) team Karachi Kings, said that if the Pakistan national team doesn’t perform well, it affects the PSL as well, and when the team plays well, the graph of the PSL also goes up.
Speaking to the media during Karachi Kings’ first practice session ahead of the 10th edition of the PSL in Karachi, Hasan Ali said that when the national team doesn’t perform, it has an impact on the franchise league.
However, supporting the national side, he said that although the recent results of the Pakistan team haven’t been great, it’s also a fact that there are new faces in the squad, and new players need time. The players are aware of the mistakes made and know where improvements are needed.
Hasan Ali further stated that when Pakistan performs well, the PSL benefits too.
He said, “We players also need to play good cricket in the PSL so that fans reconnect with the game. Our people love cricket and are very passionate fans. We’ll try our best to bring them joy with our performances,”.
He acknowledged that this year, the PSL clashes with the IPL but this was the only available window for the tournament.
“Fans watch the tournament where there are good performances,” he added.
The national fast bowler said, “If we play quality cricket in the PSL, viewers might choose PSL over IPL. It’s great that PSL has completed 10 years—this is our brand, and all of us strive to improve it.”
He added that many players emerged through the PSL.
“This tournament is a major platform for young players, where they get the opportunity to share the dressing room with top cricketers,”.
Hasan Ali further said there is no doubt that performing well in the PSL gets you noticed by the selectors and management. “I recently played the National T20 and performed well there. I will try to maintain that momentum.”
He added, “As a team, all we can do is produce good results. Personally, I’m hopeful for a strong performance. I played well last year too. This is my comeback, so I need to deliver a good performance and re-establish myself in the team. This PSL is important for me. We will aim to play great cricket and bring Karachi fans back to the stadium,”.
It may be mentioned here that the opening match of PSL 10 would be played on April 11 between defending champions Islamabad United and Lahore Qalandars at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
