Duminy agrees to visit Pakistan for play-offs

SHARJAH: Veteran batsman JP Duminy confirmed on Wednesday that he would be visiting Pakistan with Islamabad United for the upcoming Pakistan Super League 2018 playoffs and final. The South African had earlier said there was only “a bit of chance” of him being on a Pakistan-bound flight but has since made up his mind. “I will be coming to Pakistan with the Islamabad United squad for the play-offs and the final in Karachi.” Duminy also praised the standard of cricket on display in PSL 2018, linking the Pakistan cricket team’s Champions Trophy triumph last year with the T20 league. “It’s definitely a high standard of cricket,” he said. “You have seen the matches, the way they end, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the standard. It also shows in the success that Pakistan international team had last year. You can see it through the youth that is coming through within this tournament and it is exciting to see, especially for Pakistan.”

Like most other internationals, Duminy doesn’t play every T20 league under the sun. Other than the PSL, the only other 20-over league he takes part in being the Indian Premier League. While the nascent PSL has some way to go before it can compete with the much more established IPL brand, Duminy says the Pakistan Cricket Board product can certainly be compared favourably with other leagues. “I have only played in the IPL,” he said. “I haven’t played any other leagues around the world so it’s difficult to judge it (the PSL) but so far my experience is that the PSL is one of the better leagues in terms of standard of cricket and organisation around it.” At United, Duminy gets to share the dressing room with Islamabad’s super experienced captain Misbahul Haq, whose unique brand of captaincy has impressed the Cape Town native. “He is a great leader and we definitely missed him in the first few games that he missed because of his injury,” said Duminy. “He is the type of guy who leads from the front. “Misbah is not a man of many words but he is the one who leads by example and not only us but everybody in our team follows that example.”