LAHORE: South African batting all-rounder Dian Forrester, who is currently representing Rawalpindis in the 11th edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), has expressed his excitement about participating in the tournament.
During the post-match press conference, Forrester reflected on a memorable journey and shared his joy at finally making his debut in one of the most competitive T20 leagues in the world.
The young cricketer recalled his childhood dream of playing in the PSL and spoke about his emotions before the game.
“Yeah, at first, it was exciting. I’ve always wanted to play in the PSL. As a kid growing up, you watch this match and to know I’m going to make my debut – I was really excited,” Forrester said.
He further elaborated on the role played by his captain, praising Mohammad Rizwan for giving him simple but effective advice that allowed him to play with clarity and freedom.
“Rizwan came to me and said, ‘Clear your mind, get your options back’. The coaching staff also said, ‘Be yourself, give it some time, go and enjoy it’. Fortunately, that came tonight and I really enjoyed it,” he said.
Despite his side’s third straight defeat in the tournament, Forrester made an exceptional debut.
Batting down the order, he scored 44 runs off just 19 balls, including 2 fours and 4 sixes.
His innings, along with Kamran Ghulam’s 39-ball 50 (6 fours and 2 sixes) and contributions from Abdullah Fazal (23) and Daryl Mitchell (19), took the Bindis to a total of 156-7 in their 20 overs.
Openers Rizwan and Yasir Khan both failed miserably, scoring two runs each before being dismissed by Richard Gleeson. Sam Billings was dismissed for 7 runs off 11 balls, while Rishad Hossain managed just 3 runs.
In response, Islamabad United reached the target losing 3 wickets in the 15th over. Young opener Sameer Minhas scored 70 off 36 balls with 7 fours and 4 sixes to lead his team back to victory.
Haider Ali and Mark Chapman then crossed the winning mark – Haider was unbeaten on 26 off 16 balls (3 fours and a six) while Chapman smashed 24 off seven balls including 4 fours and a six.
For the uninitiated, Rawalpindis will play their next match against Multan Sultans on April 6 at the same venue.