Blackwater
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Chandigarh, February 23
Certain things in life, and in sport too, have a tendency of coming a full circle. Former Pakistan all-rounder Azhar Mahmood must be all too familiar with this scenario. He made his international debut against India, his first international wicket was that of Sachin Tendulkar and now, at a time when Pakistan players are not in the picture for IPL, he is, albeit indirectly, the only one to be a part of cricket's most exuberant extravaganza.
Signed up by Kings XI Punjab for $200, 000, Azhar is now a British passport holder and plays for county team Kent. He is looking forward to another stint with what he describes as the biggest thing in cricket after the international setup. "I am really excited to be a part of Kings XI Punjab and the Indian Premier League. The IPL is definitely the biggest thing in world cricket, after international cricket. This is an opportunity that I am really looking forward to," says Azhar, who is currently playing for Dhaka Gladiators in the Bangladesh Premier League.
"I did not speak to anyone in particular before putting up my name for the IPL auction, but I already knew that it would be a good experience. This is a brand that is known the world over, and Kings XI has a strong presence in many other countries as well," he adds.
Azhar sounds confident about the team striking the right balance for the upcoming IPL season, but on his own role, he prefers to take things as they come. "I am sure that all the boys will have just one aim for the season, and that is to lift the title. There is nothing else that we would be fighting for, except the trophy.
"But I have set myself certain goals for the season, and provided that I make it in the playing XI, I would want to put in my best to help the team's cause. I don't want to get too ahead of myself, and take things as they come. The most important thing is that the team should do well, and whenever I get the chance, I should be able to make the most of it," he adds further.
Azhar is also looking forward to catching up with some of the Indian team members that he has been close to over the years, whenever they have traveled to England. "I have really fond memories of playing against India. They have always been a really tough side to beat, and we had some really hard fought contests. I have also quite a few friends among their ranks, especially the likes of Yuvraj, Zaheer, Harbhajan and Nehra. I will be definitely looking forward to catching up with them."
Finally, on the issue of Pakistan players not being part of the IPL after the first season, Azhar is hopeful that the issue will be sorted sooner rather than later. "As far as I see it, there is no issue with the Pakistan players. There cant be. This is upto the BCCI to decide and sort out with the Pakistan Cricket Board. I know that people want those players to be part of the IPL setup, so I am hopeful that something positive will happen about it soon enough.
The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Sport
Certain things in life, and in sport too, have a tendency of coming a full circle. Former Pakistan all-rounder Azhar Mahmood must be all too familiar with this scenario. He made his international debut against India, his first international wicket was that of Sachin Tendulkar and now, at a time when Pakistan players are not in the picture for IPL, he is, albeit indirectly, the only one to be a part of cricket's most exuberant extravaganza.
Signed up by Kings XI Punjab for $200, 000, Azhar is now a British passport holder and plays for county team Kent. He is looking forward to another stint with what he describes as the biggest thing in cricket after the international setup. "I am really excited to be a part of Kings XI Punjab and the Indian Premier League. The IPL is definitely the biggest thing in world cricket, after international cricket. This is an opportunity that I am really looking forward to," says Azhar, who is currently playing for Dhaka Gladiators in the Bangladesh Premier League.
"I did not speak to anyone in particular before putting up my name for the IPL auction, but I already knew that it would be a good experience. This is a brand that is known the world over, and Kings XI has a strong presence in many other countries as well," he adds.
Azhar sounds confident about the team striking the right balance for the upcoming IPL season, but on his own role, he prefers to take things as they come. "I am sure that all the boys will have just one aim for the season, and that is to lift the title. There is nothing else that we would be fighting for, except the trophy.
"But I have set myself certain goals for the season, and provided that I make it in the playing XI, I would want to put in my best to help the team's cause. I don't want to get too ahead of myself, and take things as they come. The most important thing is that the team should do well, and whenever I get the chance, I should be able to make the most of it," he adds further.
Azhar is also looking forward to catching up with some of the Indian team members that he has been close to over the years, whenever they have traveled to England. "I have really fond memories of playing against India. They have always been a really tough side to beat, and we had some really hard fought contests. I have also quite a few friends among their ranks, especially the likes of Yuvraj, Zaheer, Harbhajan and Nehra. I will be definitely looking forward to catching up with them."
Finally, on the issue of Pakistan players not being part of the IPL after the first season, Azhar is hopeful that the issue will be sorted sooner rather than later. "As far as I see it, there is no issue with the Pakistan players. There cant be. This is upto the BCCI to decide and sort out with the Pakistan Cricket Board. I know that people want those players to be part of the IPL setup, so I am hopeful that something positive will happen about it soon enough.
The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Sport
