Lahore Qalandars will start their HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2022 campaign on Saturday against defending champions Multan Sultans.

Ahead of the crucial match, Qalandars’ superstar batter Fakhar Zaman sat down with Cricket Pakistan and discussed some important details regarding the PSL, his own performances, and more.

Fakhar recently returned from Australia after a short stint in the Big Bash League (BBL). Speaking about how he will adjust to the different conditions and pitches, he said: “For me, it is not a problem because we have played enough to understand how to adjust. The quality of our pitches have improved too and the difference is not that much.”

Former captain and Qalandars’ teammate Mohammad Hafeez termed Fakhar as a “team player.”

“Whenever I play for Pakistan, my role is to play aggressive in T20Is. This approach also suits my gameplay. I have to take extra risk while playing and I am more than happy to do so for Pakistan.”

Addressing the appointment of Shaheen Afridi as the new captain of the franchise, Fakhar said: “Shaheen has quickly made a name for himself and I personally feel that under his captaincy, we will do well. For a long while I had been wanting a captain who is aggressive and Shaheen possesses that quality. He is mature enough to deal with any situation.”

The left-hander remains hopeful that the team can find their combination early on and backs the team which has been selected.

“Our bowling unit has always been pretty decent. Like before, our entire team is extremely good. We just need to click as a unit and ensure our combinations work out.”

Fakhar expressed his desire to open the innings for any team which he plays for but also added that Babar and Rizwan are currently irreplaceable.

“I am now comfortable playing as one-down because Babar and Rizwan have a remarkable opening combination. Having played all my career as an opener, I try to open for all the other teams I play for i.e., in the PSL and other leagues.”

Recalling the win against India in the Champions Trophy where Fakhar struck a magnificent century, he said: “I am lucky that I was there on both occasions when we beat India in Champions Trophy and World Cup. Our fans enjoyed the win and that is very close to my heart. I want to win all matches against India for the fans.”

Fakhar expressed his disappointment regarding the shock-defeat against Australia but added that the team learned a lot.