LAHORE: Karachi Kings wicketkeeper batsman Azam Khan insisted that their ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 campaign has been derailed following a heavy defeat against leaders Peshawar Zalmi in the 32nd match of the tournament at the Gaddafi Stadium on Wednesday.
The Kings got their campaign off to a brilliant start as they won their first three matches against Quetta Gladiators, defending champions Lahore Qalandars and Rawalpindis.
But their winning run was halted by leaders Zalmi, while captain David Warner’s back injury added to their woes as he missed their next three matches, losing to slip to seventh in the table.
Kings suffered another injury setback in the recently concluded match against Zalmi as all-rounder Danish Aziz left the field clutching his shoulder after bowling just one over, during which he conceded just one run.
Meanwhile, Azam highlighted the issue during the match against Zalmi in the post-match press conference, stressing that the Kings have not been able to form a consistent line-up due to repeated injury setbacks.
“We faced a lot of injuries, so we couldn’t sustain our momentum, which was one of the reasons for the defeat. In the first three matches, our combination was good,” Azam said.
“Injuries have been the main problem. Even today, Shahid Aziz suffered a shoulder injury and with such setbacks, we couldn’t form a consistent combination,” he added.
The seven-wicket defeat against Zalmi significantly dented Kings’ chances of qualifying for the playoffs, as they now need to win their remaining two PSL 11 matches against Lahore Qalandars and Quetta Gladiators respectively, with a few more matches to go in their favour.
However, their wicketkeeper Batter Azam insisted that the team will fight even if they get a one per cent chance.
“Even if there is a one percent chance, we will all try to take the team forward,” Azam said.
“Unless the local players perform well, you cannot win,” he noted.