Karachi Kings’ Head Coach Johan Botha has identified England’s James Vince as the replacement for Babar Azam ahead of the eight edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL).
The former South Africa cricketer was the assistant coach at Karachi Kings in PSL 5, the edition when they lifted the title.
It must be noted that Azam left Karachi for Peshawar Zalmi before the PSL draft last year.
“Yeah, he [Babar] is one of the best cricketers in the world. I think Sharjeel [Khan] is still obviously at the top, which he has done very well over the last few years,” Botha told PCB Digital.
“We have filled Babar’s spot with James Vince, who has played really well for Multan. But, that is [Babar Azam moving to Peshawar Zalmi] obviously a big loss. He is a big player, he is a big character in the tournament and he draws big crowds into the stadium. We have tried to replace him with James Vince. Hopefully, we can substitute that – Vince has done really well when he's played in the PSL,” he further stated.
Botha also stated that young Pakistan batter Haider Ali could hold key for the franchise in PSL 8, which begins on February 13 in Multan.
“I think our biggest player and the player we probably need to get the most out of is [Haider] Ali. When he was with [Peshawar] Zalmi in the first couple of years, he was excellent. I thought this guy could be one of the best T20 players in the world,” he said.
“So hopefully, we can get the best out of Haider Ali and if he has a really good tournament, we'll be good as a team. He is dangerous as a player and can take the game away from the opposition. The management is looking to get the best out of him,” he added.
The 40-year-old also highlighted the importance of runs scored by Karachi’s top-order in the batting department.
“Hopefully, we can fire at the top with the bat. In a tournament like this, your top six have to fire, get the runs, and get it quick enough or you are always going to struggle,” he said.
“Obviously, last year there was something missing. I think we have covered it a way it's a lot to replace an excellent player. But we have done pretty well to cover that,” Botha concluded.