LAHORE: Hyderabad Kingsmen captain Marnus Labuschagne has revealed the main reason why young opener Mas Sadaq was dropped from the opening game of Pakistan Super League (PSL) Season 11.
The Kingsmen suffered a 69-run defeat in their tournament opener against defending champions Lahore Qalandars at the Gaddafi Stadium on Thursday.
Speaking during the post-match press conference, Labuschagne responded to questions regarding Sadaqah’s absence, confirming that the player was sidelined due to a physical setback.
“Yes, he was injured… I don’t know if I want to say what kind of injury it was,” Labuschagne said. “One side. He had a side problem. I don’t know the severity, but I hope we get him back soon.”
The Australian captain addressed an unusual incident involving the white ball, which turned red after making contact with the Kingsmen’s kit.
He clarified that the color transfer may have been caused by the teammates’ clothing rather than a deliberate move.
“No, we didn’t talk about future matches or what the plans were. I mentioned to the umpires that the ball was red after the second over, obviously it must be the clothes or something like that,” Labuschagne explained.
“I’ve never seen anything like this before. I’ve seen something on someone’s bat transfer onto the ball a few times, or I’ve seen it hit the pad and get some paint off, but I’ve never seen it come off the clothes. We’ll fix that in the next few days before the next game on Sunday.”
Three-time champions Lahore Qalandars scored 199 runs for the loss of 6 wickets in 20 overs. Left-arm opener Faqar Zaman top-scored with 53 off 39 balls with 10 fours.
He received valuable support from fellow opener Mohammad Naeem, who scored a 19-ball 30, while wicketkeeper-batsman Haseebullah Khan (40 off 28) and Sikandar Raza (24 off 10) provided a strong finish.
In reply, the Kingsmen were bowled out for 130 runs in 20 overs.
A bowling attack of pacers Haris Rauf, Ubaid Shah, Shaheen Afridi and Mustafizur Rahman, supported by the spin of Sikandar Raza, ensured a comprehensive victory for the defending champions.