Sarfraz Ahmed expresses concerns over foreign player's availability

Quetta Gladiators have had an erratic run in the third edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL). They managed to win five out of their 10 league matches and have been inconsistent. They also lost their last league game against the Islamabad United at the Sharjah Cricket Ground. However, despite the defeats, the franchise finished fourth in the table and has managed to qualify for the playoffs.

The Sarfraz Ahmed led team will now be pitted against Darren Sammy’s Peshawar Zalmi in the first Eliminator at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. However, their skipper has expressed concerns over the participation of foreign players, rightly so bearing in mind the political tensions and the recent terrorist attacks in the country.

The fear for Sarfraz

“There is certainly this fear that some of our foreign players might not go to Lahore. It’s certainly a concern for us,” Sarfraz mentioned after Quetta’s defeat against Misbah-ul-Haq’s Islamabad United. Meanwhile, Kevin Pietersen has cleared his views of not visiting the war-stricken country. Recently, a bomb-blast sparked in Lahore which injured 20 people, something which might have implanted fears in the mind of the foreigners.

The Pakistan skipper also mentioned that Shane Watson, one of their vital players, has also refused to make a commitment pertaining to travelling to Pakistan. Quetta have been the runners-up in the first couple of editions of the T20 tournament and Sarfraz was the captain on both occasions. This time around the team has a daunting task ahead of them as they have to win three successive games to lift the title.

However, Sarfraz has affirmed that his team will come out all guns blazing even if they are devoid of their key overseas stars. The first game of the playoffs (Qualifier) will be played between the Islamabad United and Imad Wasim’s Karachi Kings on March 18 at the Dubai International Stadium.

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