Quetta Gladiators captain, Sarfaraz Ahmed, is banking on his pace duo, Naseem Shah and Mohammad Hasnain, to come good for them in the upcoming edition of HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL).

While speaking in an exclusive interview with Cricket Pakistan, Sarfaraz said that his local players will play a vital role for him this season.

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“We are fortunate to have Mohammad Nawaz, Iftikhar Ahmed, Naseem Shah, and Mohammad Hasnain, who is an integral part of the Pakistan T20 team,” said Sarfaraz.

“Naseem has improved as a bowler, and his pace has also increased; his pace, combined with the swing, can be lethal. Whereas, Hasnain has also worked on his action and returned as an improved bowler so that the pace duo can do wonders for us. 

“We also have the services of Umar Akmal. We have full faith in his capability, which is why we have retained him,” he added.

Wicketkeeper-batsman also believes that Sri Lankan all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga’s availability for the whole season will be important for them.

“As far as foreigners are concerned, Hasaranga is an important addition to our side. He is the number one spinner in the world, so we selected him as our first pick. If he is available for us from the first game, then it will be really good for us,” he said.

“Will Smeed and Jason Roy have already been part of our setup? Roy is also back in form, which is good for us. We will step on the field with a good combination and play well,” he added.

The Gladiators captain is hoping to learn from his previous mistakes and come up with a better performance this season.

“We will try to learn from our mistakes in the previous season and not repeat them again. We are determined to give a better performance this season. We have selected a balanced squad this season, and we are hoping they will be available from the first match and for the entire tournament,” he said.

Sarfaraz also shed light on his comeback to the Pakistan national team.

“It was tough to stay out of the national side, but I had good support from my mentors like Nadeem Omar and Moin Khan. I just kept quiet and let my performance do the talking,” he concluded.