Advertisement
Advertisement
LAHORE: Hyderabad Kingsmen captain Marnus Labuschagne has clarified the absence of promising youngster Maaz Sadaqat from his side’s playing XI in their Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 opener, confirming the batter was ruled out due to injury.
The Kingsmen made their much-anticipated debut against defending champions Lahore Qalandars at the Gaddafi Stadium on Thursday but endured a difficult start, suffering a heavy 69-run defeat.
However, the omission of Maaz Sadaqat, one of Pakistan’s most talked-about emerging talents, drew significant attention even before the first ball was bowled.
The top-order batter, known for his aggressive stroke play and useful spin bowling, has been making headlines following his performances for Pakistan Shaheens and his recent ODI debut.
Addressing the situation in the post-match press conference, Labuschagne confirmed that the youngster was unavailable due to a side strain.
“Yeah, he was injured with… I don’t know if I’m meant to say what sort of injury that was,” Labuschagne said.
“A side. He had a side strain. I don’t know the severity, but hopefully we’ll have him back very soon.”
Hyderabad’s struggles on the field only amplified the impact of his absence, as their batting unit faltered in pursuit of a daunting 200-run target.
Labuschagne himself top-scored with a cautious 26 off 22 deliveries, while Riley Meredith contributed an unbeaten 19 from the lower order. Apart from them, only Saim Ayub (17), Hammad Azam (10) and Mohammad Ali (10) managed to reach double figures in an underwhelming chase, as the Kingsmen were bundled out for 130.
READ: Dominant Lahore Qalandars thump Hyderabad Kingsmen in PSL 11 opener
