Lahore Qalandars skipper Shaheen Shah Afridi has opened up about facing Peshawar Zalmi captain Babar Azam during their clash in the ongoing eighth edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) on Sunday.
The Shaheen-led Lahore will take on Peshawar in the first match of the Lahore-leg at the iconic Gaddafi Stadium.
In a press conference on Saturday, Shaheen said: "Babar is a world-class player and he is every Pakistanis favourite. I have previously said that I enjoy bowling to him in the nets. Babar and Rizwan are the players whom I enjoy bowling to, but it's a challenge too. It's not easy. Even coaches are giving an example of Babar's cover drive while teaching. Of course, we will plan for him and do well."
"As a player and a captain, I will try to give my team an early breakthrough. This is what I try to do, not only in franchise cricket but in the Pakistan team too. You will get to see a good competition," he added.
The pacer downplayed concerns related to Lahore Qalandars' batting lineup.
"I think in the last match, we scored 190+, but I don't think we are weak in that department. Of course, it's cricket, you have to improve a lot of things. We have played only three matches and trying to improve our performance. There are some newcomers to PSL, while some are emerging players so it's not easy to face the world-class bowlers. So everything comes with time," he said.
Abdullah Shafique, who was an integral part of the Qalandars' squad in PSL 7, has not yet made an appearance in the ongoing PSL 8.
"I personally like him [Abdullah Shafique]. He is the second classy batter after Babar Azam. He wasn't feeling well due to flu but he is feeling better now and batting in the nets. Our opening partnership is doing well, we will look at our combination before making a decision [about his inclusion in the squad]," he said.
The matches of the Lahore-leg will likely be shifted to Karachi because the Punjab government refused to waive the Rs500 million bill. The PCB and the PSL franchises have also decided not to pay the bill.
So there is a significant chance that the fixtures might be moved to Karachi.
"It's the decision of the PCB. But tomorrow we have a match so the fans will enjoy it," he stated.