Ravi Bopara hails PSL as a 'tough competition with high standards'

By
Faizan Lakhani
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SHARJAH: The England and Karachi Kings all-rounder Ravi Bopara has termed Pakistan Super League a tough league with high standards, which is going to help Pakistan cricket in preparing solid cricketers for future.

Talking exclusively to Geo.tv the England cricketer, with an experience of 120 ODIs,38 T20Is and 13 Tests, said that he’s enjoying Pakistan Super League as there is very tough competition and every match is very much important for every team.

“It’s a brilliant tournament. It very well organised and more importantly the standard of this cricket is very high,” said 31-year old Ravi Bopara who last played for England in World Cup 2015.

“They're only five teams in the tournament which makes PSL a very tough competition. There are good players, no weak point in the teams. They have their bowling covered, their batting covered, and great all-rounders in the whole competition. So, it’s a brilliant league, very high standard,” he said while expressing his experience of playing in Pakistan Super League.

Ravi Bopara added that he’s enjoying this league because it is being organised in very good and professional manner, adding that playing at historic venue like Sharjah makes him feel great.

“I particularly enjoyed this league very much. I think everything that gone with it, all the people involved in this league have been brilliant. All the boys, they really looked after us. And cricket has been brilliant, to play Cricket in Sharjah, so much history in this ground, it’s a great feeling,” he said.

Replying to a question, Ravi Bopara said that the competition in the league is as difficult as in any international game and this atmosphere would help young players in transforming themselves as performers at the international level.

“You’re playing under so much pressure here, playing in front of big crowd every match really counts in this league, and pressure is always there, which is like international cricket,” he said.

“There is no game in international cricket that you can take easy, there is no easy day. Same is here in this league. Playing under so much pressure prepares you for the international cricket,” said Bopara while agreeing that the league can do the same for Pakistan Cricket as IPL did for Indian Cricket by producing talent Cricketers.

Bopara further stated that there is so much for the young players to learn in this league by sharing dressing room with players like Sangakkara, Chris Gayle, Shoaib Malik, Pollard and Aamir.

He expressed his delight on back to back wins for Karachi Kings and said that players were desperately waiting for being on winning track and if team continues to play with the potential then it won’t wont be easy for anyone to stop Karachi Kings.

“Boys happy with two wins, we desperately needed it. We have played some good cricket, we knew that if we get going in this competition with the players we’ve got, then we’ll be very to stop,” he said.

However, he didn’t share his thought on playing the final in Lahore, if Karachi qualifies, saying that first important thing for him is to qualify for the final of PSL.

“Tough question to answer right now, let us go to the final first, which is most important,” he said when geo.tv asked him if he would travel to Lahore for the final of Pakistan Super League. 

He also expressed his love for Karachi and thanked for the support he received from people of Karachi while playing for Karachi Kings in Pakistan Super League.

“We love you Karachi, I have received lot of support from the Karachi people over the last year or so. I have always done my best, always given everything for Karachi,” he said in message to the people of Karachi.