Fakhar targets hat-trick of titles for Qalandars

LAHORE: Lahore Qalandars’ seasoned batsman Fakhar Zaman has said that being defending champions pressure will be there but they will try their level best to repeat their last two seasons’ performance and complete hat-trick of titles.

“Yes it’s in our mind to complete hat-trick. Pressure will be there but we will try to play the way we put in our best during the last two seasons,” Fakhar told reporters here on Sunday.

Qalandars have begun their preparation here at their High Performance Centre with all their home-grown key players in attendance. They will be joined by their foreign players this week.

Qalandars emerged title winners in the last two seasons under their new skipper Shaheen Afridi who is known for his tremendous bowling exploits both at the PSL and international circuit.

His combination with Haris Rauf and Zaman Khan makes Qalandars’ pace battery the most lethal in the country’s marquee event. Qalandars will be direly missing their key leggie Rashid Khan who is missing the PSL due to fitness issues.

And Fakhar also said that he would be a huge miss. “It would be wrong if I say that Rashid’s absence will not hurt us. There is no substitute of Rashid as he is the world’s best bowler,” Fakhar said. “But we will try to minimise this huge loss as we have good bowlers who will be used in his place,” Fakhar was quick to add. Fakhar said that in T20 cricket openers give the team the momentum, adding he would like to open the innings for Qalandars.