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James Faulkner caused deliberate damage to hotel property: PCB
James Faulkner will not be drafted in future PSL events: PCB
The Pakistan Cricket Board and Quetta Gladiators have issued a statement after the allegations made by James Faulkner. The all-rounder had earlier left the PSL 2022 and blamed the PCB for not "honoring a contractual agreement". “The PCB and Quetta Gladiators are disappointed and dismayed with the reprehensible behavior of Mr James Faulkner, who was also part of the Abu Dhabi-leg of the HBL Pakistan Super League in 2021, and, along with all participants, has always been treated with utmost respect," the statement from the board and the franchise read. “Instead, all players have only praised and appreciated the efforts of the PCB to make their stay, appearance and participation as comfortable as practically possible. This is evident that from the fact that most of these cricketers have continued to remain part of the PCB’s marquee event since 2016 and have helped the PCB to make the HBL PSL a strong and formidable brand as it stands today." “Without commenting on the history of Mr James Faulkner’s misconduct over the past many years that has also resulted in his fallout with other teams, below is a brief summary of some of the undisputed facts: *In December 2021, Mr James Faulkner’s agent confirmed the United Kingdom bank details to which his fee payments should be transferred. This was noted for action. *In January 2022, for reasons best known to Mr Faulkner, his agent sent revised banking details of Mr Faulkner’s onshore account in Australia. However, the contracted 70 per cent of Mr Faulkner’s fee payment was transferred to his offshore UK bank account. The receipt of this payment was acknowledged by Mr Faulkner. *Accordingly, payments due to Mr Faulkner as per his contract are fully up to date. *The remaining 30 per cent of his contractual payment only becomes due 40 days after the completion of the HBL Pakistan Super League 2022, which now remains a matter to be reviewed in line with his contract. *In spite of the money being transferred and received in his account, Mr Faulkner continued to insist that a second duplicate payment of the same amount be made to his account in Australia. This meant Mr Faulkner would have been paid twice. *He further threatened and refused to participate in his side’s match against Multan Sultans on Friday afternoon until his money demands were met. *The PCB, as a responsible organisation, engaged with Mr Faulkner early Friday afternoon in an attempt to reason with him. Despite his reprehensible and insulting behavior during the conversation, Mr Faulkner was assured that all his grievances would be addressed. He refused to reconsider his decision to take the field in a crucial match for his side, let his team down and demanded that his travel arrangements be immediately made. *During this time, the PCB was also in constant contact with his agent, who was regretful and apologetic. *Prior to his departure on Saturday morning, Mr Faulkner caused deliberate damage to the hotel property and as a result had to pay damages to the hotel management. The PCB later also received reports and complaints from the immigration authorities that Mr Faulkner had acted inappropriately and abusively at the airport.” “In wake of the above, and taking serious note of Mr James Faulkner’s gross misconduct that was an attempt to bring the PCB, Pakistan cricket and the HBL Pakistan Super League into disrepute, it has been unanimously agreed by the PCB and the franchises that Mr James Faulkner will not be drafted in future HBL Pakistan Super League events," the statement further read.
James Faulkner blames PCB for not honouring contractual agreement, withdraws from PSL 2022
All-rounder James Faulkner had withdrawn his participation from the on-going Pakistan Super League (PSL). Faulkner who is a part of the Quetta Gladiators side blamed the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for not "honoring a contractual agreement". "I apologise to the Pakistan cricket fans. But unfortunately I’ve had to withdraw from the last 2 matches and leave the @thePSLt20 due to the @TheRealPCB not honouring my contractual agreement/payments. I’ve been here the whole duration and they have continued to lie to me," he tweeted. The PCB has now said, "The PCB and Quetta Gladiators have regretfully taken note of Mr James Faulkner's false and misleading accusations and will shortly be released a detailed statement on the matter."
PSL 2022: Shadab Khan, batters give Islamabad United important win vs Quetta Gladiators
Quetta Gladiators' Mohammad Nawaz and James Faulkner's resistance in the final minutes of play against Islamabad United during the PSL 2022 fixture couldn't prevent a defeat as the Gladiators were bundled out for 186 in the last over while chasing a mammoth target of 230 runs in 20 overs to lose the match by 43 runs. The Quetta side had a decent start to the chase as openers Ahsan Ali and Abdul Bangalzai put up a partnership of 54 runs for the first wicket in less than 6 overs but Bangalzai's dismissal broke the shackles and the Gladiators began to lose wickets at regular intervals to eventually get reduced to 110/7 with the likes of Sarfaraz Ahmed and Shahid Afridi also back in the hut. But Nawaz and Faulkner then joined hands and chipped in with a partnership of 76 runs for the 8th wicket. While Nawaz scored 47 off 22, Faulkner remained unbeaten at 30 off 14. Ahsan top-scored for the team with a 27-ball 50. But their efforts weren't really enough to the side home. For Islamabad United, it was Shadab Khan who ripped through Quetta's batting unit to bag a five-wicket haul for 28 runs in 4 overs. Earlier, in the day, Islamabad rode on some aggressive batting display from Paul Stirling, Alex Hales, Colin Munro and Azam Khan to post 229/4 in the allotted 20 overs. Munro struck 72* off 39 while Azam Khan notched up 65 in 35 deliveries. Stirling too unveiled another masterclass with the bat to make a contribution of 58 runs in just 28 balls. Nawaz scalped a couple of wickets for 32 runs in his 4 overs.
"Sticking a knife straight in my back": James Faulkner distraught at Hobart Hurricanes' attitude
Hobart Hurricanes all-rounder James Faulkner has lashed out at the Hurricanes management and head coach Adam Griffith for not treating him the way he should have been and offering him a one year contract for the BBL. He targeted in particular Griffith who in a press conference had said that the Hurricanes bowling attack was better off without Faulkner. "When you watch the news, and you see who I thought was one of my mates, as well as the head coach, say the bowling group and the team have performed well without me, first of all, and then secondly saying, we need to move on and that he didn't really care - that cuts deep," Faulkner was quoted as saying to SEN Hobart. "That's like sticking a knife straight in my back. That's not called for,” he added. Talking about the contract saga, which has now left Faulkner unsigned for this season, the 31-year-old said, "I found it pretty hard to take. I found it pretty disrespectful for what I've sort of given to Tasmanian cricket. I've put my heart and soul into it and to hear their initial offer, and that is what it all comes down to, it cut pretty deep.” Saying that he knows his worth and that he was also okay to take less money, the all-rounder said he was just shattered by the team’s approach towards him. "I know what I'm worth. I've signed enough contracts around the world for different teams. I didn't want more. I just wanted what was fair and what I thought I was worth and even maybe a little bit less. But it just comes back to that first offer. I didn't feel respected as a player or a person or a Tasmanian athlete. I'm just shattered how it has all played out,” said the man who was Man of the Match in the 2015 World Cup Final which Australia won at home. Faulkner, who last played an international game for Australia way back in 2017 and has been plagued by injuries ever since had come back to Hobart in 2018-19 after seven straight seasons at Melbourne Stars. The Hobart born wanted to finish his career playing at his home in front of his friends and family. "I wouldn't have wanted to play for any other franchise anyway. The whole reason I came to the Hurricanes was to finish here and play in front of my family and friends and play with some of my best teammates that I have great memories with and for that not to happen it's bloody disappointing,” said Faulkner who was injured after playing only six matches of the last season. He took eight wickets in those matches.
James Faulkner pondering on whether to play in BBL or ply trade in other T20 leagues
Out of favour Australian all-rounder, James Faulkner is pondering his options of whether to return with the Hobart Hurricanes in the 11th edition of the Big Bash League (BBL) or target other domestic T20 leagues across the world following his exceptional performance in the recently concluded Pakistan Super League (PSL). The left-arm pacer had a sensational time with the ball during the PSL and bagged played six games for the Lahore Qalandars in the second leg of the PSL bagged 13 wickets at an economy rate of 6.50. He also chipped in with 90 crucial runs in the lower order which came in just 53 balls. With the BBL clubs still under a contracting embargo and with several offers from foreign T20 leagues in line, Faulkner might choose the latter. During an interview with cricket.com.au, Faulkner said that he will be sit down and discuss with his manager on his future decisions. Last year, Channel Seven had threatened to withdraw as the broadcasting partner as it was expected that several big names will miss out due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While that was solved for the last year with the tournament being conducted as planned, all the clubs are again under a contracting embargo. Speaking on his prospect of playing other T20 leagues Faulkner said, "It's something my manager and I will sit down and look at with all the leagues going on around the world.” The medium-pacer is currently going through his 14 day mandatory quarantine period after the PSL. "(Joining the T20 circuit) is probably the most realistic thing for me to be doing, I know I'm not going to be playing Test cricket again, or four-day cricket either. "There's potential for one-day cricket but after having a couple of months off after the last Big Bash, then going into the PSL and playing six games in 10 days and performing reasonably as well, I got a lot of confidence out of that. "That's probably the angle that I'll go at. I've got to weigh up what offers are on the table and map it out,” Faulkner said. The all-rounder last played a BBL match in December against the Brisbane Heat. He had to limp off the field only four overs into his second over at the Gabba. Having aggravated the injury at training, Faulkner was ruled out of the rest of the tournament.
PSL 2021: Watch skipper Mohammad Rizwan cheer up Blessing Muzarabani after a rough over
Sometimes on a cricket field and almost always in life, it’s the belief of the leader (captain, guide, mentor) that does wonders for players and individuals. We have seen many leaders who have shown immense faith in their players and made them extraordinary. Be it Sourav Ganguly- Virender Sehwag, MS Dhoni-Ravindra Jadeja etc. If that belief is supported with a bit of cheer up when the chips are down, it boosts the confidence of the player instantly. Something of this sort happened in the 28th match of the Pakistan Super League. Multan Sultans skipper Mohammad Rizwan ran from his position as a wicketkeeper to put a hand on the shoulders of one of his bowlers, Zimbabwe’ Blessing Muzarabani when he was hit for three consecutive boundaries which included two sixes from an experienced James Faulkner. Although Rizwan with his height (5’ 11’’) couldn’t reach the shoulders of 6 foot 6-inch tall Muzarabani, so he rather wrapped his hands around the latter’s waist, the moment was funny, but at the same time heart touching as well. Earlier in that very over, the 24-year-old had taken the wicket of Agha Salman to add to his dismissal of Mohammad Hafeez. Sultans won the game defeating Qalandars by a huge margin of 80 runs. While this was Sultan's fourth consecutive win of the season, it was Lahore's fourth consecutive defeat.
PSL 2021 | MS vs LHQ: Dhani dazzles with 4/5 as Qalandars are thrashed to fourth consecutive defeat
Once again Lahore Qalandars boarded the same bus in Abu Dhabi named ‘batting collapse’ as they were all out for 89 one of the lowest totals in the league’s history, trying to chase 170 in a must-win game of the Pakistan Super League 2021. Shahnawaz Dhani was the star of the match with the ball for Multan Sultans, picking four wickets for just five runs. Dhani was helped by some very average batting by the Qalandars which has been continuing since the last four games. With this fourth consecutive defeat, Qalandars ended their 10 match group stage run with five wins and five losses. Just 10 points from 10 games and a run rate that is worst among all the teams in the race for the Playoffs won’t do any good for Lahore as they would now pray for a Quetta Gladiators victory over Karachi Kings on June 19 to help them go through as the fourth-placed team. None of the Lahore batters were up to ask in this game as James Faulkner a bowling all-rounder who batted at number seven was the highest scorer with 22 from 11 balls. The 23-year-old Dhani was adjudged Man of the Match for his brilliant bowling performance. His figures of 4/5 are now the second-best bowling figures of this season and with 18 wickets in just eight innings, he sits at the top of the highest wicket-takers list for this season. Sohail Akhtar, the Qalandars skipper who has failed alongside his team has nothing to say apart from the fact that it’s tough to pinpoint one person or issue when the entire unite fails so miserably. “When our batting flops this horribly it's tough to point fingers at the bowling performance,” he said. Earlier in the evening, it was Sohaib Maqsood and Rilee Rossouw who got Multan Sultans rolling with the bat after both openers in skipper Mohammad Rizwan and last match hero Shan Masood failed. But Qlanadars came back and removed both Rossouw and Maqsood in a short span of time. From 123-3 in the 15th over and eying a total in excess of 180, Sultans suddenly found themselves reeling at 141-8 in the 19th over. Then came the much-needed boost by Sohail Tanvir, who, with his one haded hook, a pull, a straight drive and a Chinese cut, hit two sixes and three fours in the last over of the innings bowled by the quickest man with the ball in hand, Haris Rauf. This totally shifted the momentum back to Sultans which they utilised in their defence of the total. Reacting to the win, Rizwan said, “When the team performs according to the situation your job becomes very easy.” Asked about his plans for the Playoffs, the wicket-keeper batsman diverted the question saying, “You go match by match and ball by ball and not get too ahead of yourself. Just play according to the situation and the rest will take care of itself.” This was Sultans fourth win in a row and with this, they reached 10 points and because of a superior run rate, climbed to the second spot on the points table with a match in hand. Until and unless they lose it by an unimaginably huge margin against Islamabad United in their last league game on Saturday, June 19, Sultans have almost confined their place in the Playoffs.
PSL 2021 | LHQ vs KRK: Noor Ahmad, Amir nullify fighting Tim David and Faulkner to keep Karachi alive
It was supposed to be the biggest match of the Abu Dhabi leg’s group stage as it was between the two biggest cities of Pakistan also the two biggest sporting rivals. Although Karachi in the ned won it by seven runs and seven runs is a huge margin in T20 cricket, but it was not at all as easy as it might seem from the end result. Lahore vs Karachi could be compared to the usual Delhi vs Mumbai affair in IPL terms or Liverpool vs Manchester in Football terms. The match turned out to be exactly as was expected a see-saw battle that went on fr the entire 40 overs of the game, with no team seeming to have full control at any point in time. Chasing a total of 177, the Qalandars got off to a flyer aggregating 34 runs in the first three overs. From the fourth over onwards the Kings started pulling things back as Mohammad Amir bowled a brilliant over, conceding just three runs. In the very next over, Mohammad Ilyas struck and got the Qlanadars skipper Sohail Akhtar out for 21. From there on, Imad Wasim’s men starting tightening the noose on the Qalandars as left-arm spin was introduced from all ends. Afghanistan’s teen sensation Noor Ahmad was hard to read even for experienced campaigners like Mohammad Hafeez. He was the pick of the bowlers for Karachi, striking twice in his four overs and ending with the figures of 2-19. Noor got the wickets of Hafeez and Ben Dunk even as the pressure applied by him resulted in two other wickets, Salman Agha getting run out and Fakhar Zaman being bowled by Imad. Ahamd, 16, was adjudged Man of the Match for his efforts. At the end of the 14th over, Qalandars were 92/5, needing 85 from six overs with Tim David and James Faulkner at the crease. From there on the game took a complete 360-degree turn as the two Hobart Hurricanes players 58 runs in just 23 balls. But David, trying to crush the game in just one over, hit a loopy slower straight to Danish Aziz at long-off on the last delivery of the 18th over. It was the same over in which he had hit 19 runs already. The game changed once again. Needing 27 to win from the last two, Faulkner and new man Rashid Khan were put to test against one of the best death bowler Amir. Going for six on the second delivery of his over, the left-arm pacer pulled things back immensely. So much so that he conceded only one run apart from that six in the other five deliveries to give a 20 run cushion for Ilyas to defend. The 22-year-old did defend those 20 runs, getting Faulkner caught at the 3rd delivery and forcing Rashid to go all out as Qalandars needed 18 to win from three balls. He hit a six on the fourth ball and suddenly only two more of those sixes were required. However, it wasn’t going to be, as only four runs game of the last two balls, handling Karachi the much-needed win. With this win, the kings have now moved up to 8 points from nine games and are threatening the other three teams, Qalandars, Multan Sultans and Peshawar Zalmi for a place in the Playoffs. For Qalandars it was their third loss in a row and skipper Khtar would now be under the pump as the Playoffs qualification hangs by the thread when his team faces Multan Sultans on June 18. “Our batting has been poor after the 6-7 overs. We will sit down and talk about batting. The bowling has been good,” he said at the post-match presentation ceremony. Earlier in the night, Imad surprised all by electing to bat first after winning the toss. His decision was validated by Babar Azam and Martin Guptill, who even after a false start by Nasir Jamshed, tailored along and added 88 for the second wicket. But as told earlier the game was a see-saw battle. Even after the foundation being laid, the Kings failed to capitalise, losing four wickets including that of Babar in 23 runs. They did not look like crossing the 160 run mark at the end of the 16th over, struggling at 132-5 with two new men Imad and Aziz at the crease. But as had been the nature of the game, just when it seemed like it was heading in one direction, something unusual happened and this time around it was the 44 runs partnership in 24 balls between the Karachi skipper and Aziz, who was making a comeback into the side. While Imad remained unbeaten on 30 from 19, Aziz scored 16 on 10 balls. Babar was the highest scorer with 54 from 44, that when he was dropped thrice. Reacting to this much-needed win, Imad praised his bowlers for containing Qalandars even after being 20 runs short in the batting. “You should peak at the right time. We have one more game to go. If we win it and qualify, you never know,” he added. Karachi play their last game here at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium, against Quetta Gladiators who are already out of the tournament and hence could be way more dangerous as it would look to oust the Kings as well. To qualify, Karachi must win, it is as simple as that. If Qalandars win their last game and get to 12 points then the Imad Wasim led team would hope that Islamabad defeat Multan Sultans in the last game. However, if Qalandars lose their last game. A win for Karachi would guarantee them a place in the Playoffs.
PSL 2021 | ISU vs LHQ: Shadab Khan and Co. stage impressive comeback as Qalandars make a meal of an easy chase
If there is to be made a case for a comeback in the Pakistan Super League, the comeback by Islamabad united in game 20 of the PSL 2021 will always be among the top contender for number one. It wasn’t just one comeback in one inning, but a huge comeback in both the innings of the game and from a position, which wasn’t suitable for a comeback at all. The Lahore Qalandars deserve some mention for making a mess of all the opportunities they got in the game to lose it in the end by 28 runs. Chasing a modest target of 153 on a Shiekh Zayed wicket that didn’t support swing as much as in the last few games, the Qalandars had a desirable start with a 55 run partnership for the opening wicket. Both Fkahar Zaman and skipper Sohail Akhtar looked in great touch before the latter was removed by Fawad Ahmed on the last ball of the first powerplay. Youngster Zeeshan Ashraf was run out very soon too. However, Mohammad Hafeez joined Zaman and the Qalandars were cruising to victory under their partnership at 86-2 in 10 overs. But as they say, it’s not over till it’s over, young fast bowler Muhammad Musa made sure that the saying was held true to its course as he removed both Hafeez and Zaman in his two overs. In between them he also sent back Ben Dunk to the pavilion for a duck. Qalandars were suddenly 93-5 and in a spot of bother with their saviours from the last two games, Tim David and Rashid Khan at the crease. Shadab Khan, the United skipper had other ideas in mind as he removed both David and Rashid in the same over to break any hopes that might have been building in the Qalandars dugout. From there on, it was a matter of formality as Sheen Afridi and James Faulkner were dismissed by Ahmed in the 15th over itself. The grandeur of the comeback of United can be gauged from the fact that they took seven wickets in a span of just 14 runs and 30 balls. In the end, Haris Rauf entertained the audiences with some high flying shots but it was never going to be enough as one shot too many and a brilliant catch at the long leg boundary by Iftikhar meant that the Qalandars innings came to an end at 124. The loss did not settle well with the Qalandars skipper Sohail. Speaking at the post-match presentation ceremony, he said, “Our middle-order didn't take responsibility. We need to work on our death bowling. We gave away 10-15 runs more. We got a good opening partnership but lost our way in the middle.” Earlier in the evening, it was the story of the vintage Asif Ali doing what he has been known for, taking the United out of precarious situations. The middle-order batsman, who had been going through a rough patch recently, making only 99 runs in his last nine innings at a lowly average of 11.00 and losing his place in the XI in the national side, was pushed to number seven in the United lineup too. But today was the day of his redemption. At 20/5 at the end of the powerplay, Islamabad were looking down at another humbling by Lahore in the PSL but for Asif and Iftikhar’s partnership. The two veterans of the game got together and added a record 123 runs for the sixth wicket, the highest in PSL’s six years history. Asif in particular was ruthless from the very beginning, even as Iftikhar took his time to settle down. The 29-year-old completed his fifty in just 28 balls and went on to make 74, his highest score in PSL off just 43 balls at a strike rate of 174. He hit six fours and five sixes. As Asif didn’t seem like getting out to any bowler, he was hit wicket as his pads flaked the stumps while he was turning after trying to pull a ball from deep in his crease. The Faisalabad born was also adjudged Man of the match for his herculean effort. The 30-year-old partner of his missed out on his fifty, getting out for 49 in an attempt to hit some more boundaries. Faulkner was the pick of the bowlers for Lahore as he removed three players in the powerplay. With this win, United have also got to the top of the table now replacing Qalandars, although both the teams have the same points. Shadab, who was criticised for not fielding first after winning the toss said, “A decision is a final decision and if we had lost the game, I wouldn't have blamed the toss.” “But it was great to come back from difficult situations and win this match,” he added in the post-match presentation ceremony. While Lahore would come back on Tuesday to play against Quetta Gladiators, sitting at the bottom of the PSL points table, Islamabad would be in action tomorrow against last year’s champions Karachi Kings.
PSL 6: Wildermuth, Weatherald, Faulkner and Ferguson among eight Aussies heading for UAE
After a great deal of work done by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), finally, the twenty remaining games of the Pakistan Super League will be played at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in UAE. To participate in that a group of eight Australian players including Jack Wildermuth, Jake Weatherald, Callum Ferguson and James Faulkner will travel to the UAE. Since the tournament had to be rescheduled twice and it clashed with theT20 Blast and the international series of South Africa and West Indies and also England and New Zealand, many of the players who had committed to play for the six franchises of the PSL, moved out and new layers through two separate drafts were pulled in. While Ben Cutting, Joe Burns, Dan Christian and Chris Lynn were the four Aussie players to pull out of the league, Weeatheraldm Wildermuth, Ferguson and Faulkner made up for it. Quetta Gladiators picked up both Adelaide Strikers’ Weatherald and Brisbane Heat’s Wildermuth after Ben Cutting, Faf du Plessis and Chris Gaye were unable to join the side. Lahore Qalandar went on to add Sydney Thunder skipper Callum Ferguson as well as two of Hobart Hurricanes’ members Tim David and James Faulkner. Cutting, 34, who has been in various bubbles ver since November 30, the start of the Big bash League 2020-21, was willing to play his part in the PSL for Quetta. The Brisbane-born had even travelled to UAE after IPL was suspended. Since PCB wasn’t able to make any substantial gain in being able to pull of the league by June 1, as planned, the all-rounder returned home. "I love the PSL and playing for Quetta but in the current climate of bio bubbles and quarantine, it's difficult to do everything," Cutting was quoted as saying to cricket.com.au. "I have come home to refresh, reset and get back into things again at whatever tournament pops up next," he added. Along with the five new recruits, others such as Ben Dunk, Fawad Ahmed and Usman Khawaja will also join their original teams. While the PSL has decreased the number of foreign players required in the XI from three to two, the squad sizes have been increased to 20 players. The league is yet to make an official schedule for the tournament’s training 20 games. Australians in the Pakistan Super League Islamabad United: Fawad Ahmed, Usman Khawaja Lahore Qalandars: Tim David, Ben Dunk, James Faulkner, Callum Ferguson Quetta Gladiators: Jake Weatherald, Jack Wildermuth
Usman Khawaja signs up for Islamabad United, to ply trade for the city of his birth
Usman Khawaja, the Australian middle-order batsman will finally get a chance to play in Pakistan, the country of his birth. The southpaw who has been in and around the Australian circuit for quite some now will be part of the Islamabad United franchise in the remainder of PSL that is slated to resume in June. Khawaja who was born in Islamabad is excited to be part of a club that represents the city of his birth. Meanwhile, he will also be joined by other Australian teammates Callum Ferguson, Joe Burns and James Faulkner. All these three players will ply their trade for the Lahore Qalandars. The 6th edition of the tournament was halted in March after several breaches in the bio-bubble protocols. Many players started testing positive for the virus and the organisers had no other option to postpone the tournament after 14 matches. As per the new schedule, the remaining 20 matches will be played at the National Stadium in Karachi in June. The news comes after three Australian players including Kane Richardson, Adam Zampa and Andrew Tye opted out of the remainder of the IPL. The second wave of Covid-19 has created a ruckus in India and the tension has ignited among the franchises as well. Earlier Ravichandran Ashwin and Liam Livingstone also pulled out of the tournament midway. It will be a big opportunity for Khawaja to play for Islamabad, the city of his birth. The southpaw had emigrated to Australia with his family at the age of five. The PSL schedule generally clashes with the Australian domestic calendar so Khawaja didn’t get a chance to play in the tournament before. "As long as I'm playing domestic cricket in Australia I won't get the opportunity to play in the PSL," Khawaja told cricket.com.au earlier this month. "This might be a little blessing in disguise to play over there. I'd love to go over there and play." Khawaja added. "I've played in India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh but I've never played in Pakistan where I was born and it's something I would love to do, to go home to where it all began for myself, my family," he told the media wing of CA. "I love cricket returning to that region, too, because I think they're doing some really, really good stuff over there, doing some really hard work to get people to come over there and play." Khawaja has earlier played in the Indian Premier League. He was part of the Rising Pune Supergiant in 2016 and played six games for the franchise. He had to warm the benches for the whole 2017 season and has not been part of the tournament since. Khawaja feels that at the end of the day many people don’t like talking about the money but it is what it is. "Personally, if the PSL had as much money as the IPL there's no doubt all the international players would be going there," Khawaja was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au. "At the end of the day, people don't want to talk about it but it's all about cash. Cash is king. It's the reason, when at times there have been some red flags travelling to the subcontinent people have always pushed the barriers, the boundaries a little bit because everyone has a price," Khawaja spoke about the understated motivation behind playing the franchise leagues. "That's just the nature of the beast but the way the Pakistanis, what they're doing with security – I think England is going over there and I'd love to see an Australian team tour to Pakistan in the not too distant future," he opined on the possibility of a national tour to Pakistan. "Hopefully in the next couple of years would be ideal but I guess it needs a bit of buy in from the players too," Khawaja concluded.