KARACHI: Flamboyant batsman, of Quetta Gladiators, Umar Akmal has announced his presence with a thumping batting performance in their opening game of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) against the former champions, Peshawar Zalmi and his team’s bowling coach Abdul Razzaq believes team’s atmosphere had a positive impact on the right-handed batsman.
“Cricket is a mind sport and no doubt, Umar (Akmal) played very sensibly. He is definitely feeling a lot more comfortable in the Quetta Gladiators’ camp”, Abdul Razzaq told this correspondent from Dubai.
In their opening game, Quetta Gladiators beat Peshawar Zalmi by six wickets with the help of an unbeaten 75-run knock by, the eventual man-of-the-match, Umar Akmal.
Umar Akmal was released by Lahore Qalandars before this season of the PSL. He has also had a fair share of controversies which kept him in the limelight for wrong reasons.
“I always say that here (in Quetta Gladiators) players are duly respected for which the management deserves credit especially head coach Moin Khan. Even if we lose the environment of our camp remains the same”, Abdul Razzaq emphasized.
The legendary former Test all-rounder also praised the bowling unit of Gladiators, adding that the overall team combination makes them a strong title contender this times around.
“It’s too early to say as the tournament has just begun but I believe our combination is apt. Ghulam Mudassir, Sohail Tanvir, Mohammad Nawaz and especially Irfan Junior, who is bowling accurate and with pace, are responding brilliantly. This is a hallmark of a good bowling unit. We definitely have a bright chance of winning the title this time around”, the Gladiators’ bowling coach concluded.