Daily Times

LAHORE: Multan Sultans’ coach Andy Flower said that the team would try their best to qualify for the play-offs.

Responding to journalists in an online video conference, the Multan Sultans’ head coach said it is tough to qualify for the playoffs considering their position in the league. Still, the team is focused and will try to make the playoff.

“Shahid Afridi is an inspirational player. He has got tons of charisma and inspires all of the dressing room”. Andy said that any squad in the world without Shahid Afridi would be worse off, but we hope that someone else from the squad will step up for the team,” the coach said.

Regarding Shahid Afridi, Andy Flower said that he was a great guy to have around and would prefer to have in the squad.

Answering a question concerning an ageing squad Sultans have got, he said “that the older players need to make up for it in the field with their decision-making, cricket intelligence, and experience from the younger days. Youth like Gulbaz, Rizwan, Hetmyer, and Khushdil need to provide the speed and enthusiasm we are looking for.”

Talking about Imran Tahir, Andy said that “he loves Tahir’s enthusiasm and the fact that he is still playing. Imran Thair, at 41, is as hungry as a 20-year-old, and it is lovely to see. It is inspirational to be around. It inspires me as a coach.”

The Multan Sultans’ coach was of the view that “changing the captain suddenly did affect the team in some way or another, but we decided to make the change, and it did upset the equilibrium of the team.”

“But Rizwan has done a good job as a captain, and I like the way he approaches the game. Rizwan is brave and leads from the front,” Andy added. Rizwan will play a big role for Pakistan’s national side, and we hope that we are playing a role in not only his but other youngsters’ growth.

Andy said they would access the conditions and decide whether to go with both the leg spinners or one. So if the track plays in favour of the spinners and starts to spin more, we can think. But we want to see the conditions in today’s match before making a decision.

Also read: I always fight for the team instead of focusing on my Individual performances: Imad