Sarfraz Ahmed Reflects on Gladiators’ Journey to PSL 2025 Final, Praises Team’s Performance

Lahore:After guiding Quetta Gladiators to the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2025 final, team mentor and former captain Sarfraz Ahmed addressed the media, reflecting on the team’s performance and their journey to the big match.

Sarfraz Ahmed began his press conference by thanking Allah for the team’s achievement, stating, “First and foremost, we thank Allah for helping us reach the final. The team displayed excellent performance today and won an important match.”

He acknowledged that Quetta’s performance in recent seasons had not been up to expectations but highlighted the significant improvement this year. “The team has shown remarkable progress, and we are proud of the way they have played,” he added.

Particularly praising the captaincy of Saud Shakil, Sarfraz said, “This season, Saud Shakil has led the team brilliantly, instilling confidence and keeping the morale high.” He noted that the captain’s leadership played a crucial role in the team’s success.

Sarfraz also discussed the challenges faced in forming the squad, acknowledging that selecting the playing eleven had been difficult due to the presence of several impactful players. “It was a challenging phase for us in terms of squad selection, but that’s a good problem to have,” he explained.

Regarding the team’s fielding, Sarfraz praised the contribution of the fielders in winning the match. While addressing a few missed chances by young wicketkeeper Haseebullah, he defended him, saying, “It’s natural for mistakes to happen under pressure, but Haseebullah is a talented player, and he will learn from this experience.”

Sarfraz also lauded the efforts of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the PSL management for successfully reviving the league post the Indo-Pak tensions, saying, “The PCB and PSL management played a key role in reorganizing and reviving the league.”

Speaking about their upcoming final opponents, Islamabad United, Sarfraz acknowledged their strong and balanced squad. “Islamabad had a very strong team, and they proved to be a tough competitor,” he commented.

On the final preparations, Sarfraz emphasized the importance of rest for the players, saying, “We want the players to have a day off to relax and recharge. After that, we will focus on finalizing our strategies for the big match.” He added, “If it rains and we get some advantage, it will be a blessing from Allah.”

With the final on the horizon, Sarfraz’s words resonated with the Gladiators’ determination to put in a strong performance and claim the PSL 2025 title.