Karachi: Hasan Ali, the right hand of Karachi Kings, said on Monday that the national team’s performance would always have an impact on the popularity of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), urged the players to disappoint cricket fans through strong performance.
Speaking to reporters before the first practice session of Karachi Kings before the 10th edition of PSL, Hasan admitted that while Pakistan’s recent results were disappointing, the team’s new players need time to settle.
“When the national team does not perform well, it affects the franchise league like PSL,” Hasan said. “But when Pakistan does well, the graph of PSL also increases.”
Pakistan has struggled in recent months, including a poor performance in the ICC Champions Trophy and during the tour of New Zealand.
However, Hasan supported the new players saying: “The current results are not great, but we have new faces in the team and also in management which need time. The players know where they were wrong and where to improve.”
Experienced pacer insisted that senior players should demonstrate to rule the passion of fans in the upcoming tournament. “Our people love cricket, and fans are very emotional. We will try our best to make them happy with our performance.”
This year’s PSL struggles with the Indian Premier League (IPL), but Hassan remains optimistic, saying: “Fans watch tournaments where there is good cricket with entertainment. If we play well in PSL, the audience will leave the IPL to see us.”
He highlighted the league’s role in nurturing young talents, called it a “big platform” to share the dressing room with top stars for emerging players. “Performing in PSL attracts the attention of selectors and management – there is no doubt.”
Hasan, who had earlier made a strong comeback in domestic cricket, vowed to maintain his form. “I have recently performed well in the National T20 Cup and will try to maintain that speed. This PSL is important for me because my aim is to return to the national team and as the Karachi Kings team, we will try our best to bring back the Karachi cricket fans to the stadium.
PSL starts on the 11th of this month, in which Karachi Kings prepared their first match against Multan Sultans on 12th.
