Andy Flower performs PSL 8 for Multan Sultans
Multan Sultans debuted in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) in 2018 and established themselves as the most successful team. Their winning percentage of 57.54 is the highest of the six sides. They won their first PSL title in 2021 and were runners-up in 2022.
With the eighth edition of the Pakistan Super League around the corner, Multan Sultans are eager to continue their exciting run and become only the second team to win the coveted trophy twice.
Multan Sultans will begin their campaign in their backyard against defending champions Lahore Qalandars on February 13. Qalandars defeated Sultans by 42 runs in the 2022 final at Gaddafi Stadium.
PCB Digital spoke to Multan Sultans head coach Andy Flower about his team's preparations and chances. Below are excerpts from the interview, which is available on the BL PSL YouTube channel.
What made Multan Sultans such a successful side?
"There are several reasons for this. First, they are human beings out there competing. So our players have done an outstanding job of always putting us in a position to challenge for the title. Shan [Masood] started captaining Multan when I started with Multan and he did an excellent job. And since [Mohammad] Rizwan took over, he has also been excellent as a leader. So that's a good starting point," Flower said.
“Initially the leadership of Ali Tareen and now Alamgir Tareen also played a role. I really appreciated their direction, their passion for Multan Sultans and for Pakistan cricket. Their passion drives us forward to perform well. Haider [Azhar] as our managing director was the brains behind the operations and he's a smart guy.
We have a really good and solid coaching team with good local knowledge. It was especially great to have Mushtaq Ahmed and Abdur Rahman by my side and get their input and direction. Moreover, Talha is an excellent analyst with really good and intimate knowledge of not only Pakistani players but international cricketers and the conditions of Pakistan,” he added.
He said: "It's a combination of those things that have worked really well for us over the years."
How did the draft go for you and which players can you look forward to?
Flower said: “Design is a hugely important part of the entire franchise process. We're happy with how the draft went and think we've got a good squad together. The team we have assembled gives us different options to balance our team. The coach and captain always try to balance the team and try to give them a stronger bowling line-up with as many variations as possible with a relatively lengthy batting.
We tend to have really high quality in our top six and then a really varied and hopefully intelligent bowling attack. So we're happy with how the draft went and the replacement draft that just happened. To get the quality of someone like [Kieron] Pollard in that replacement draft is really important and the all-rounder Wayne Parnell."
“I am really looking forward to working with Usama Mir. I know Mushtaq Ahmed, our spin bowling and assistant coach, really likes him so I'm really looking forward to what he can do for us this season. If you have good local players, you have the best chance in the tournament. It's not about overseas players at all. It's about having a good, strong and talented local player.
Shan and Rizwan should not go unmentioned at the top of the order. They are a great combination and good strong Pakistani men who help us stay strong as a team. Shahnawaz Dhani is super exciting and always great fun. I'm looking forward to him getting back into some form," he added.
He further said, “I am very excited to see Ihsanullah doing his thing. We saw him as an emerging talent last year, so we used him briefly. I know he's had some very good performances at home and is riding real pace. He attacks a bit like Dahani so it will be very exciting not only for us but also for Multan and Pakistan fans. It's a very exciting prospect that has real pace. And we all know that real pace is very exciting to watch. Then it will be great."
What makes a good T20 side?
"Balance is important. Mostly you need power - batting power. The game is still open to those players who are particularly skilled and intelligent as they can still thrive in this environment. There is no single way to skin a cat.
If you're skilled enough and smart enough, you'll definitely do well in the top order, top quality T20 cricket, but getting the balance right, getting right-handers and left-handers to work together and having good spin players because spin is so important. T20 cricket these days,” he added.
He continued: “It's important to have a bowling attack that offers a range of different challenges to the batsman because it allows the captain to use different skills depending on what might attack a particular batsman in the middle. I suppose people call it matches these days.
Of course, long batting orders and strong shots on either side of one or maybe two players are ideal.'
You have played in many leagues around the world. How does PSL stand out?
Each league has its nuances and its differences. I really enjoyed my time in Pakistan Super League. It was exciting to see the talent available. What really stands out for me is the fast bowling and spin bowling. In the Pakistan Super League, every side has pace and usually every side spins a wrist. Some of the batting quality is clearly top notch.
I really like the fact that the Pakistani cricket public has really embraced the different franchises and connects with each individual franchise and therefore provides an atmosphere that is so important not only for the players to showcase their talent in front of the cameras. and bring that sense of excitement to television viewers.
I think all of these things are important in developing a great product and PSL has definitely got it.
So should Multan fans expect their team to win the title this year?
Yes why not? They should definitely look with hope and expectation. We all want to think positively about Multans results. I have to say that it is important to understand, certainly in our dressing room, that to a large extent you cannot influence the results. You can control things like your attitude when you come to practice or your attitude when you come to compete in a match.
Those are the things you have control over and those are the things we try to encourage our players and staff to focus on. If you do it well, you have a better chance of succeeding in the tournament. That's how we try to look at it.
I wouldn't want to spoil the hopes and dreams of our supporters. We are very much looking forward to the performance in f
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