PSL 2023: Sam Billings wants to help Lahore Qalandars lift trophy, once again

ISLAMABAD: Lahore Qalandars’ wicket-keeper-batter Sam Billings has set his eyes on winning the Pakistan Super League (PSL) season eight trophy for his team. 

In a conversation with Geo News in Islamabad, the 31-year-old English cricketer said that he does not have any individual goal as the only thing that he aims to achieve in Pakistan is winning the title with Lahore Qalandars.

“To win the PSL with Lahore Qalandars,” he responded when asked if he has any personal goals set for PSL 2023. 

“I don't really set too many personal goals. As long as the team is winning, and I'm giving my everything to the team. That's the most important thing,” he added.

The English cricketer also praised the leadership skills of Lahore Qalandars skipper Shaheen Shah Afridi.

“What struck me is how quickly he picks up the game. Especially for a young captain and a bowler as well, he's got a lot on his plate but how he's dealing with it. He's a very cool, calm, collected character. And he loves the challenge. It's fantastic, his skills that he's shown all throughout this tournament hopefully he can lead us to another title,” Billings said about Shaheen.

Billings has previously represented Islamabad United in the first and second editions of the PSL, this time he is in Lahore’s dugout and playing in Pakistan for the first time.

Speaking about his experience of playing in Pakistan and being a part of Qalandars, Billings said: “The grounds are good, nice wickets to bat on and you get such good value with the outfields as well and what a team, it's a great environment to be a part of."

“Playing in front of a home crowd, all our games have been at Lahore has been unbelievable, full crowds everywhere, obviously after the last few years with COVID and everything it is so good to play in front of crowds and the support we've had has been incredible. For a foreign player coming over here you realise how cricket how much cricket means to the people over here,” the England cricketer said.

Replying to a question, Billings said that the great thing about all these different franchise-based leagues is they each have their own characteristics and their own kind of flavour to it.

“Over here you see a lot of bowlers bowling 140 plus, 150. That's something that I see this the roar ability in terms of pace. I'd say it's right up there in terms of quality and in terms of enjoyment as well. I absolutely love it,” Billings said about PSL.

He said that it is much better to keep wickets than facing Shaheen as a batsman. “I think I can say that for most of our bowling attack. We've got Rashid, Haris, Zaman yeah much better being on the same team as those guys as opposed to playing against."

“He's a great character full of energy, full of positivity. And now he's a great teammate, he's a great man and very much the life of the party,” he said while talking about his teammate Haris Rauf.