PSL 2021: "Andy Flower is a great guy and a one-man army"- Shoaib Akhtar comments on head coach after Multan Sultans lift title
Shoaib Akhtar lavished praise on Multan Sultans' head coach Andy Flower, terming the former Zimbabwe international as a 'one-man army'. The Sultans won their maiden PSL title after defeating Peshawar Zalmi by 47 runs in the final on Thursday.
The Multan franchise endured a difficult start to their PSL 6 campaign in Karachi, losing four of their opening five games. However, Andy Flower was able to rally his troops as they staged a remarkable comeback in the UAE leg of the tournament.
Former fast-bowler Shoaib Akhtar praised the Multan Sultans' coaching staff on his YouTube channel and said:
“Andy Flower looks a very serious man. He means business wherever he goes. The Sultans’ management is very smart. Azhar Mahmood also helped in making a great team. Andy Flower is a great guy and a one-man army. He united a team, which was down. Despite the change of owner and the captain, he made them perform."
The Multan Sultans finished second in the points table, which included a run of four consecutive wins. The Sultans, led by Mohammad Rizwan, peaked at the right time in the tournament. They defeated Peshawar Zalmi comfortably in the finals after posting a mammoth total of 206 runs while batting first.
I don’t think anyone in the dressing room had written themselves off: Andy Flower
Following their title win, Andy Flower divulged that the boys in the dressing room didn't stop believing in themselves despite their poor start to the tournament. After winning PSL 6, Flower had the following to say:
"I think the best thing about winning this trophy is that we came back from nowhere, We lost four out of five in Karachi and I think most people had written us off. Importantly, I don’t think anyone in the dressing room had written themselves off."
While Shoaib Akhtar praised the Multan Sultans management, he took a pot shot at the Lahore Qalandars. The former Pakistan pacer stated the team had no method to their approach during the PSL 6.
The Qalandars finished fifth and missed out on a playoff berth based on net run rate. The team went on to lose their last four games of the season, messing up their playoff chances, which looked like a formality at one stage of the season.
"You have to mean business. If Lahore Qalandars will play 30 dot balls in an innings, how will they win? The coaching staff needs to think about how to get rid of these dot balls, but again there is no method to their approach. Lahore Qalandars management have a very limited cricketing sense," said Shoaib Akhtar.