Proud to play alongside Afridi, says Khurram Manzoor

DUBAI: Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchise Karachi Kings opening batsman Khurram Manzoor expressed his happiness at playing alongside a cricketing legend like Shahid Afridi. Manzoor, while talking to PakPassion, said Afridi’s presence in the team inspires everyone. “Shahid Afridi is an inspiration for all of us,” said Manzoor. “Everyone who observes him has something to learn from him. He puts in more energy than most youngsters and his presence, intensity and passion on the field is something which others can learn a lot from.”
The right-handed batsman believes the 38-year-old always steps up his game when the team needs someone. “He is a very good team man and whenever there is a tough situation for the team, he steps in and always chips in with valuable advice to the captain and players alike,” said Manzoor. “In my view, the mark of a truly great player is in the manner in which he can pass on valuable knowledge to others around him, which is something Shahid Bhai does very often.” The 31-year-old opener added that Afridi’s inclusion in the Karachi Kings squad has made the owner and the fans of the franchise happy. “Salman Iqbal, owner of Karachi Kings, recently said that he always wanted Afridi to play for Karachi Kings and I am sure that the people of Karachi also want him to play for their city and win them the trophy. We are proud to have Shahid Afridi in our team and he has been an inspiration for us on the field and I hope he continues to do well for us till the end of the tournament,” he said.
On Kings’ prospects of entering final: Karachi Kings have proven to be one of the strongest outfits in this year’s PSL and are being touted as the favourites to reach the final scheduled to take place in Karachi on March 25, and Manzoor says there would not be anything better if that happens. “We all definitely feel very excited about the prospect of playing the final in Karachi,” he said. “We have made a pledge to Salman Iqbal that we will play top-level cricket and will do our best to try to reach the finals.” Manzoor added that even the thought of lifting the trophy in front of the home crowd is sublime. “We feel the goosebumps when we think about lifting the trophy in front of thousands of our fans in Karachi. Having personally experienced such a moment during the Regional One-Day Cup, I can tell you that no words can do justice when describing such an experience. We will continue to try our hardest to win and if we do win, then everyone will be able to witness great celebrations by us,” he said.