ISLAMABAD: Islamabad Opener Luke Ronchi believes Pakistan cricket was a real powerhouse saying the skills of players were very high here.
“The pool of players here is amazing and there is a lot of skill. There are a lot of players who have not played much for international cricket but if they can work on their skills they can be really good and Pakistan cricket can be a real powerhouse,” he said at the post match conference at Pindi Stadium Rawalpindi.
Karachi Kings got their HBL Pakistan Super League 2020 campaign back on track with a resounding five wicket win over Islamabad United at the Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi on Sunday. This was their second win in four games which now leaves them with four points.
Kings chased down 184 runs for a win in the penultimate over the match. However Islamabad opener Luke Ronchi remained unbeaten with 85 off 58 balls. The wicketkeeper batsman struck nine fours and two sixes in his innings.
“The wicket wasn’t easy to start with. The 183 total we put on the board was good to defend but we could have done better in some parts of the game. Karachi bowled more slower balls and made it a lot harder for our timing when we were batting,” he said.
To a question, he said Shadab Khan was a good, young and passionate captain. “He is always willing to talk and that’s what you need from a captain. He has been batting and bowling well which is a good sign as he is leading from the front,” he said.
Karachi pacer Mohammad Amir said it was the need of the hour to make a comeback on the winning track for Karachi Kings.
“It doesn’t matter how strong the team is as whoever plays better on the day wins in T20 cricket,” he said.
To a question, he said teams of Peshawar and Quetta were strong but also praised Multan for currently standing on top on the PSL table.
Amir also lauded emerging player Umer Khan saying he was the discovery of PSL.
Speaking about the crowd in PSL, he said Pakistani people were missing cricket and they deserve to see the game at home.
Amir was also full of praise for Karachi Kings president Wasim Akram saying he makes the players mentally strong.