PCB Podcast | Pakistan Cricket Board

With the HBL PSL 8 now just six days away, the Pakistan Cricket Board today released the 44th edition of the PCB Podcast, which features Imad Wasim, Mohammad Rizwan and Shadab Khan. The PCB Podcast released last week included Babar Azam, Sarfaraz Ahmed and Shaheen Shah Afridi. Both the podcasts are available here for free viewing, downloading and editorial use.

Imad Wasim, who has played 58 T20Is for Pakistan, will captain 2020 champions Karachi Kings, Mohammad Rizwan will hope to inspire Multan Sultans to their third successive final, while Shadab Khan will attempt to make Islamabad United the most successful HBL PSL franchise by winning the title for the third time.

Rizwan will feature in the opening match of the HBL PSL 8 when his side will take on defending champions Lahore Qalandars in Multan on 13 February, Imad will be in action on 14 February when he will go head to head with Babar Azam-captained Peshawar Zalmi in Karachi, while Shadab will walk out for the toss for the first time in 2023 with Imad in Karachi on 16 February.

The three champion cricketers spoke candidly with PCB Digital on wide-ranging cricket-related matters and also previewed the tournament, which will culminate in Lahore on 19 March.

Imad Wasim: “HBL PSL is one of the best leagues in the world, which is very close to our hearts. We wait for this league for 10 months during which we prepare, plan and set goals. Then, we enter into this great event to achieve our collective objectives, help our sides win and this cycle continues.

“Last year, Karachi Kings were hampered with injuries, but for 2023, we have all bases covered with high-quality players who all are match-winners. The most important thing for us is to play T20 the way it should be played, which is with a positive attitude and aggressive intent.

“We will go step-by-step and match-by-match in this tournament with our first target being to secure a place in the play-offs. One of the best things about this HBL PSL is we will have home matches. So, we are aiming to make the best use of our first five matches at home and build the momentum that can carry us into the play-offs.

“This year, every side is equally balanced and it is difficult to predict an outright winner. All sides boast some outstanding talent and they will enter the event with different combinations and strengths. This clearly reflects how the HBL PSL has evolved and why it has now become an extremely challenging and exciting league.”

Mohammad Rizwan: “I missed few matches in the early part of the HBL PSL, but I will not blame anyone. It is all part of the game as each side has its own strategy and game plan, but I am now giving importance to each match I play so that I can make up for the lost time. Captaincy and batting can be challenging, but we have a good group of people who have not only empowered me but also back and support me so that I can strike the right balance and continue to give my best.

“The philosophy of Multan Sultans is simple: play as champions irrespective of the opposition or the outcome. Consequently, we are not afraid of the results. We have been able to induce this approach in the side because we are a closely-knit side and the credit for this cohesion must be given to the team management. Also, we have a good mix and combination of coaches, which also helps me to captain the side.

Shadab Khan: “What I am today is solely due to HBL PSL. I entered in this competition as an Emerging Category player, but this tournament gave me the opportunity, belief and confidence to grow and develop as a cricketer and I am pleased that I am now a Platinum Category player.

The 45th episode of the PCB Podcast is now available here for viewing and free downloading for editorial purposes.

The Podcast includes:

Pakistan captain Babar Azam has had an illustrious career since he made his debut for Pakistan in a One-Day International against Zimbabwe in Lahore almost eight years ago. The prolific batter has transformed himself into one of the most successful batters in recent history. He has been the number-one batter on the ICC ODI Rankings since 2 April 2022 and currently holds the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year and ICC Men’s ODI Cricketer of the Year award, the last being his second in as many years.

When Pakistan and New Zealand will walk out for their final meeting of the five-match ODI series at the National Bank Stadium on Sunday afternoon, Babar, the fastest batter to 5,000 runs, will complete the century of matches in the format.

Ahead of the landmark match, the 28-year-old exquisite stroke-maker, spoke to the PCB Digital at the team hotel in Karachi on his ODI journey. His interview makes the 46th edition of the PCB Podcast a special one.

4️⃣7️⃣th edition of the PCB Podcast is out now featuring interviews with Pakistan men's team head coach Grant Bradburn, team manager Rehan Ul Haq, men's team director Mickey Arthur and batter Fakhar Zaman

The 47th edition of the PCB Podcast has been released and is available here for free listening and downloading for editorial purposes.

In this edition:

Cricketing chronicles 📝🎥 The year 2023 in review for Pakistan cricket 🏏 Buy official Pakistan Cricket merchandise:https://shop.pcb.com.pk/

Jason Gillespie and Gary Kirsten, the newly-appointed Pakistan men’s cricket team red and white-ball head coaches, respectively are the special guests in the 48th edition of the PCB Podcast.

The two well-sought-after, and highly regarded and respected coaches with distinguished cricketing careers have joined the Pakistan sides on two-year contracts. Kirsten will join the side after finishing his current assignment with Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League, while Gillespie will assume charge in July for August’s home Test series against Bangladesh.

The 49th edition of the PCB Podcast has been released and is available here for viewing and downloading for editorial purposes.

In the latest edition:

In this latest episode, the lanky left-arm speedster candidly discusses his cricket journey, including:

Shaheen had a stellar series against Ireland, finishing as the standout bowler with seven wickets. During the second T20I on Sunday, Shaheen reached a milestone of 300 wickets in international cricket, becoming the 12th Pakistan bowler to achieve this feat. The other 11 are: Wasim Akram (916), Waqar Younis (789), Imran Khan (544), Shahid Afridi (538), Saqlain Mushtaq (496), Saeed Ajmal (447), Shoaib Akhtar (438), Umar Gul (427), Abdul Razzaq (388), Abdul Qadir (368), and Mushtaq Ahmed (346).

The 24-year-old, who has represented Pakistan in 146 international matches since his debut in April 2018, is now focused on the upcoming four-T20I series against England, scheduled from May 22-30, and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, set to be held in the United States and Caribbean countries from June 1-29.

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