David Wiese excited for PSL restart, but says loaded Qalandars may not even need him

PSL 2020: Lahore Qalandars so loaded they may not even need me, says David Wiese

October 29, 2020
South African cricketer David Wiese says that he is ready to return to the PSL 2020. Photo: Reporter 

South African cricketer David Wiese is looking forward to returning to Pakistan to play for Lahore Qalandars in the remaining matches of Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2020 but has admitted that the amount of in-form talent on the franchise's roster means he may not even be needed in the final two matches.

In an exclusive interview with Geo Super, Wiese said that he was hoping to put up a good performance when the matches resume in Karachi next month.

"I don't think anybody thought that the playoffs were going to happen, with the pandemic and everything taking place. I'm looking forward to it, and hopefully, we can put in some good performances and make it all the way," he said.

The all-rounder, known for his last-ball six in Sharjah to help the Qalandars beat Multan Sultans in the 2019 edition of the PSL, did not impress much with the bat this season. 

Wiese said that him contributing for the team's cause was more important than achieving individual goals, and admitted that he may not get much game time as there are many other talented players on the Qalandars roster.

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"It's always nice to contribute towards the winning of the team but you know, on any given day, anything can happen. I'm just happy to be out there and do well for the team. There's so many other great players that Lahore has this year, so maybe I might not even be needed for those last couple of games,” he said.

"Fakhar Zaman, Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf look like they're all in form. So, hopefully they can do all the business and we can just go there and enjoy ourselves." 

The 35-year-old also spoke of the absence of fans and how that affects players. 

"As a cricketer, you always thrive on energy off the crowd. You always get excited because you know there's going to be tens of thousands of people cheering and there's going to be electric atmosphere in there but at this stage that's not going to happen," he said. 

"So, the next best thing for us is to put up a big performance as a way to say 'thank you' to supporters. It must be tough for them. Mostly not being able to come to the ground and to cheer."

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He also praised the Qalandars’ player development program and cited Haris Rauf’s growth of how providing an opportunity to youngsters can change their fortune.

"Qalandars has made that a mission of theirs to go out and find the local superstars while everybody else focuses on getting the international stars in the team. They give them opportunities to mix and interact with global superstars," he said.

"A lot of the times the fans might get a little bit frustrated because the performance is a little bit up and down, but that comes from the guys being a little bit inexperienced but they just need that opportunity just to learn and to grow."

He also praised the PSL saying that there is new local talent appearing in each edition of the league.

READ: Pindi Stadium to serve as backup venue for PSL 2020 playoffs

Faizan Lakhani is Deputy Editor (Sports) at Geo News.

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