KARACHI: <\/p>\n
The new PSL franchise Hyderabad has appointed Jason Gillespie as head coach, with Craig White and Grant Bradburn as assistant coaches.<\/p>\n
In an exclusive interview with Express Tribune from Dallas, USA, team owner Fawad Sarwar said that the inclusion of foreign coaches will greatly benefit the players.<\/p>\n
Answering a question about the captaincy, he said: \u201cNo player, whether Pakistani or foreign, has any inherent right to leadership simply because he is a big name or senior player. We have our own selection process, and after due consultation, we\u2019ll decide. A captain can be anyone \u2014 the key is to be a good leader. Whoever fits that profile will get the role.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fawad Sarwar further said that Babar Azam is his favorite cricketer, and if the opportunity arises, he would love to include him in his team.<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course, every team would want him. For now, we haven\u2019t thought about any other players. We\u2019ll make decisions once we know which players have been retained by their current franchises.\u201d<\/p>\n
He praised PCB\u2019s move to introduce an auction system, saying: \u201cThere couldn\u2019t have been a better step. The chairman and management made a great decision. We were the only group that initially pushed for this idea, and eventually, others joined in. This is how it works in all major sports worldwide. Auctions benefit both players and team owners. A performing player gets what he deserves, and players know they have to work harder if they\u2019re entering the auction.\u201d<\/p>\n
He added that he already has several names in mind for direct signings, but discussions are still ongoing and he cannot reveal any names yet.<\/p>\n
\u201cEven if the Team Cost 2 Billion, I Would Have Bought It\u201d<\/p>\n
Fawad Sarwar said that even if the PSL team had cost 2 billion rupees, he would still have bought it:<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m passionate about cricket, and my love for the game has only grown with time. Our team was already involved in cricket activities in the US \u2014 we even toured Australia. When the opportunity came to own a PSL team, we decided to go for it, and thankfully, we succeeded.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said PCB did great roadshows before the franchise sale, creating momentum, but his group had already planned to buy a team.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe did our homework before bidding. We knew roughly how high the bids might go. My instructions to my team were clear: there should be no limit, the winning bid must be ours. Even if it went above 2 billion, we wouldn\u2019t back out.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhether in dollars or rupees, a large sum is still a large sum. My philosophy is that if you\u2019re buying something valuable and you know how to use it well, then money shouldn\u2019t be the issue.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said that the team\u2019s full name and logo have already been decided and will be launched soon, likely around the auction date.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re planning a big event for the launch.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBetter to Discuss Financial Model Later \u2014 Can Run the Team Without Financial Burden\u201d<\/p>\n
Fawad Sarwar said: \u201cIt\u2019s better to talk about the financial model later \u2014 right now everyone\u2019s focused on the auction. I don\u2019t want to comment prematurely.\u201d<\/p>\n
He added that while investors naturally think about returns, sports franchises aren\u2019t run for short-term profit.<\/p>\n
\u201cA cricket franchise is a value-based asset, like real estate or a brand that grows in worth over time. Our current cricket operations are already profitable, so we can run this PSL franchise without any financial strain.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe PSL salary cap should be significantly higher, otherwise challenges will keep coming. The PCB did well by increasing it slightly this time. If you don\u2019t recognize your own product\u2019s value, how can you expect sponsors and broadcasters to pay more?\u201d<\/p>\n
Fawad Sarwar said that if PCB ever plans to hold matches in the US, he will offer full support: \u201cWe acquired Musa Stadium in Houston last year and are upgrading it to international standards, with floodlights and increased spectator capacity. We\u2019re also working on broadcasting technology. Additionally, we\u2019re developing two more stadiums at different US locations, currently in the design and permit stages.\u201d<\/p>\n
Niaz Stadium upgrade <\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m originally from Hyderabad, and that\u2019s why we chose this name. My siblings and I were born and raised there. When I learned that we could name the team after any city, I immediately decided on Hyderabad.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we spoke to the PCB, our first question was whether we could work on upgrading Niaz Stadium. The response was positive, so we moved forward. PCB has assured full support, and we\u2019ll begin work soon.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe PSL-IPL date clash doesn\u2019t bother me. My interest is in the PSL. Even if another event is happening at the same time, it doesn\u2019t affect us. Like TV shows and films, cricket leagues have their own following.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fawad Sarwar said that their US-based teams already include players from Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, West Indies, and South Africa.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll try to include those who fit our PSL criteria. The final say will be with the coaches, but I\u2019d love to see our US-based players get PSL opportunities.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe take great care of our players \u2014 financially and mentally. They face no burden related to money or healthcare. This helps them focus purely on performance and training. We have excellent nutritionists and trainers, and we use modern technology effectively. Fans will notice the difference in the PSL.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve heard people say some people are upset about players leaving teams after many years. But that\u2019s how sports work \u2014 when a new team joins, things start fresh. Personally, I\u2019m happy with PCB\u2019s decision, but I believe it would\u2019ve been better if there were no retentions at all, starting from zero. No player has a permanent claim just because he\u2019s been around for 10 years.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"KARACHI: The new PSL franchise Hyderabad has appointed Jason Gillespie as head coach, with Craig White and Grant…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":397394,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[29233,1721,148961,95294,101,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-397393","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-cricket","tag-babar-azam","tag-cricket","tag-fawad-sarwar","tag-pakistan-super-league","tag-sports","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/397393","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=397393"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/397393\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/397394"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=397393"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=397393"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=397393"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}