Lahore Qalandars’ all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez is happy to see his side make a winning start in the ongoing HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) season six.

While speaking to Cricket Pakistan in an exclusive interview, Hafeez opened up about his side’s victories in the first two matches of HBL PSL 6.   

“We are really happy to start the season by winning our first couple of matches and continuing the momentum from last season,” said Hafeez. “The good thing about the Qalandars this season is that we retained our core players from last edition, which has helped us stay on the right track.” 

He also praised former Pakistan skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed while clarifying his stance on the recent Twitter row. 

“I was really disappointed. I’m senior player and if any junior player performs well for Pakistan, I acknowledge it and will continue to do so in the future as well,” he said. “I didn’t compare anyone through that tweet. It was an unfortunate scenario but I’m sure Sarfaraz [Ahmed] also knows that and I always pray for his success.” 

The 40-year-old was also disappointed to see people talk about his age despite good performance on the field.  

“Obviously it hurts me when people talk about my age. I respect their opinion but try to change it through my performance on the field. I thank Allah Almighty for helping me succeed, especially last year when I made the most of the opportunities I got,” he said.

He also opened up about his improved power-hitting in the recent past. 

“Power-hitting is a vital part of modern day cricket and failure to do that will mean that you will fall behind. I’m glad that the changes I made to my work ethic and playing style has enhanced my game. I’m able to execute my plan on the field with clarity of mind and confidence,” he said. 

He also revealed his conversation with Chris Gayle after the Qalandars won their match against Quetta Gladiators — with Hafeez scoring 73 runs off 33 balls. 

“I have always shared a good relationship with Chris Gayle on and off the field. Gayle was impressed with the quality of my bat so I told him that I need a good bat to score big shots because I don’t have muscles like him. He was happy on my success and praised me,” he said.

Hafeez also talked about missing recent T20I series against South Africa, due to participation in T10 League, and his future ambitions. 

“I was really hurt when I missed South Africa series but that’s in the past now and I hope that no such misunderstanding takes place in the future. I want to continue to serve for Pakistan for as long as possible,” he said. “I also want to be part of a World Cup winning side before I retire.”