'Pakistan Super League is the best franchise tournament in the world' - Shadab Khan

The fifth edition of the Pakistan Super League is set to be a magnanimous affair with the entire tournament set to take place across four cities- Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi, and Multan- of Pakistan for the very first time.

Pakistan Super League has grown by leaps and bounds since its inaugural season in 2016 and one of the things that have become its USP is the quality of bowling that is on offer across all the franchises. And, Islamabad United captain Shadab Khan feels that as the precise reason behind PSL being one of the prime franchise-based tournament of the world.

“I have played in many leagues around the world but standard wise I think PSL is the best especially because every team has bowlers who can bowl in excess of 140 kph, which is something that you don’t see in other leagues of the world,” said Shadab as quoted by cricketpakistan.com.pk.

Dale Steyn’s presence will help youngsters, feels Shadab Khan

The 21-year-old leg-spinner is the youngest skipper to lead his side in the franchise-based competition and the leggie revealed that it is an absolute honour for him to lead the two-time champions.

“It’s an honour for me to captain the two-time champions of PSL. I gained enough experience about captaincy during the last edition as well so I don’t feel the pressure of leadership,” he said.

Islamabad United have been bolstered by the addition of legendary fast bowler Dale Steyn in their set-up and Shadab feels that the likes of Musa Khan, Akif Javed and Faheem Ashraf will benefit a lot from Steyn’s presence.

“We are excited about having Dale Steyn in the squad. He is a legendary cricketer and our players like Faheem Ashraf, Akif Javed, and Musa Khan will learn a lot from his experience,” he said.

When asked about who he feels are the teams to beat this season, Shadab said: “I think every team has some good players but in my personal opinion I think Quetta Gladiators and Peshawar Zalmi are the strongest teams on paper.”

Islamabad United will kickstart its 2020 campaign when they take on defending champions Quetta Gladiators in Karachi on February 20.

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