LAHORE: Quetta Gladiators captain Saud Shakeel insisted that this was only the first match following their 14-run loss to Karachi Kings in their Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 campaign opener at the Gaddafi Stadium on Friday.
The Gladiators, runners-up in the previous edition, failed to carry the momentum forward and their captain South admitted the 2019 champions were rusty, while the Kings played “excellent cricket” to win.
“I think our start was rusty. They played better cricket and we were second best,” South said in the post-match presentation.
“But this is the first match, we can improve,” he said.
Interestingly, after being set a target of 182 by Kings, the Gladiators got off to a luxurious start with a 21-ball half-century from their emerging opener Shamil Hussain, but the former champions stumbled in the middle stages and eventually fell 14 runs short.
Reflecting on their failed pursuit, South praised the youngster before insisting they tried to take the game too deep, while claiming his own dismissal was the turning point. He also emphasized that they could have been better in the fielding department.
“I have been watching Shamil for a long time, he is very good and his batting is powerful,” South said.
“We could have done better in the field, tried to take the game too deep and lost momentum in the middle. My wicket was a turning point.”
After a lackluster start to their PSL 11 campaign against the Kings, the Gladiators will take on debutants Hyderabad Kingsmen at the same venue on Sunday.