Lahore Qalandars head coach Aqib Javed has expressed his wish to see his team competing against Karachi Kings in the final of the upcoming eighth edition of the Pakistan Super League, starting from February 13.
“That will be the icing on the cake,” said Aqib about the supposed Karachi Kings vs Lahore Qalandar final on the ARY News programme PSL Special.
Karachi Kings and Lahore Qalandars have been enjoying a healthy rivalry since the inception of the PSL in 2016. The contest always attracts a wide viewership across the country and a full house at the stadiums. The two sides had already met in the PSL final back in 2020 when Karachi King defeated Qalandars to lift their maiden PSL Trophy.
“Without this rivalry and excitement, the game will be worthless” Aqib expressed. “This (PSL) is a community-based competition where people from each city have deep attachment with their respective teams” he added.
Talking about the Lahore Qalandars’ quest to defend their title in the upcoming season, head coach Aqib said his side had a core group of around nine players which gave them an edge over other competitors.
“We faced severe criticism in the earlier seasons, but we always used to say this there will be no stopping once we get on winning ways”
“We have a core group of nine players – like Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Fakhar Zaman and others – who have been with us since the start. This is what gives us an already set combination”
It is pertinent to mention here that PSL season 8 will take place across four venues. The grand ceremony followed by the opening match between defending champions Lahore Qalandars and Multan Sultans will be held in Multan on February 13.
The final will be staged in Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium on March 19.
