Lahore Qalandars' wicket-keeper batsman Sam Billings heaps praise on skipper Shaheen Shah Afridi for his excellent leadership skills and the way he motivates the team. 

The 31-year-old Sam, who joined Lahore Qalandars this season of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), said that he was impressed by Afridi's ability to handle multiple responsibilities as a captain and bowler. 

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"What struck me is how quickly he picks up the game. Especially for a young captain and a bowler as well, he's got a lot on his plate, but how he's dealing with it. He's a very cool, calm, collected character. And he loves the challenge. It's fantastic, his skills that he's shown all throughout this tournament. Hopefully, he can lead us to another title," Billings said.

The right-hand batsman has also enjoyed his experience playing in the PSL, particularly in front of enthusiastic crowds at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore. He expressed his admiration for the quality of fast bowling in the league, with many pacers regularly clocking late 140s and even touching 150s.

"Playing in front of a home crowd, all our games at Lahore have been unbelievable, full crowds everywhere, obviously after the last few years with COVID and everything, it is so good to play in front of the crowd, and the support we've had has been incredible. For a foreign player coming over here, you realize how much cricket means to the people over here," the wicketkeeper said.

"Over here, you see a lot of bowlers bowling 140 plus 150. That's something that I see this the raw ability in terms of pace. I'd say it's right up there in terms of quality and in terms of enjoyment as well. I absolutely love it," he added. 

During practice, Billings prefers to do wicketkeeping drills when Afridi is bowling. He also praised his teammate Haris Rauf for being a great character full of energy and positivity, describing him as the life of the party.

“He's a great character full of energy, full of positivity. And now he's a great teammate, he's a great man and very much the life of the party,” said Billings.