Abdul Razzaq feels Shane Watson’s inclusion has strengthened the Gladiators’ squad

In the on-going third edition of the Pakistan Super League, which is being played at the United Arab Emirates, the Quetta Gladiators lost the match to Peshawar Zalmi in which Darren Sammy, the captain of the Zalmis, went berserk in the final over to clinch a victory for his side. They needed 18 off 7 balls to win and Sammy, known for his big hitting prowess, hit three fours and one six to take his side over the rope.

Shane Watson makes his way to the PSL

However, the bowling coach of the Gladiators, former Pakistan all-rounder Abdul Razzaq is not disappointed, and in fact feels that with the inclusion of star Australian player Shane Watson in their team makes them more powerful than the squad the team had the last edition.

“The current Gladiators side is better than the one that played last year because we have Watson now and he is a complete player. Watson knows how to handle pressure well, alongside bowling and batting well,” Razzaq was quoted as saying on brecorder.com.

He also explained that losing in the early stages of the tournament helps the team to rectify their mistakes and prepare better for the latter and more important stages of the tournament.

“It is a sign that Quetta Gladiators are a powerful side, it is good that we get to play such matches ahead of the semi-finals, which allows us to get self-aware of the situation and also the bowlers get to know their worth as well,” he said.

Although the tournament, since its inception in 2015, is being played in UAE, the finals of PSL 2 were held at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium last year and the event was a successful one with no reports of any threat to any visiting player. This year too, two playoff matches will be played in Lahore and the final match will be played at the National Stadium, Karachi.

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