Wiese credits Qalandars' persistence in face of failures for remarkable turnaround

Karachi: South African all-rounder David Wiese has warned the opponents that Lahore Qalandars are no more the perennial bottom-dwellers and instead can be counted as strong contenders to win the HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2021 this season.

In an exclusive interview with Geo Super, the 35-year-old expressed satisfaction with the hot start of the Qalandars, who are used to being slow off the blocks. 

“It's a good start to the season. It is the first time that we've actually ever won the first game so that's a nice little boost for us. The team is playing really well at the moment and the guys are putting in some good performances,” he said.

Wiese said that the key for the Qalandars’ success was the management's decision to not lose faith in the team despite years of underachievement.

“I think if you look at the team that we've got [this year], it's kind of the same team we've had over the past few years and that's what has been really good with Lahore Qalandars that they've backed the team, even though the results didn't go away the first couple seasons,” he said.

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“The management kept the same players the whole time and backed those players, who now have more experience.”

'Start playing golf'

The South African, who is known for his aggressive batting, said that for a batsman to be a good power hitter, it’s important that they play golf.

“It is going to sound like a strange one but my advice would be to start playing golf,” he said. “I'm not sure if there are a lot of people that play golf here in Pakistan. I know Mohammad Hafeez is a keen golfer and he's got his power hitting skills developed really well.”

Explaining how playing golf can improve power hitting, Wiese revealed that the golf swing is naturally close to the swing required for power hitting in cricket.

“If you can go and simulate a natural golf swing or baseball swing or something like that, you're going to be a lot more successful. And that's how over the last couple of years, the fundamentals of power hitting have changed. You can see how the guys are just getting better and better and hitting the ball further and further,” he said.

'Never felt unsafe in Pakistan'

The South African was also satisfied with the security arrangements in Pakistan and hoped to see more teams visiting soon.

“I think the whole issue with security is well-documented now. At no stage at all do we feel unsafe or feel like there's any incident going to happen. I've also spoken with most of the players here and there's not been one moment where we felt unsafe,” Wiese said.

“I think over the past few years, the Pakistan Cricket Board has proven that they can host tournaments and bilateral series, and it is now only a matter of time that they're going to get more and more Test-playing nations to tour here.”

Read: Defending champions Karachi take on two-time winners Islamabad tonight

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