Kingsmen head coach Gillespie praises Zalmi after PSL 11 final defeat

Hyderabad Kingsmen head coach Jason Gillespie said his team struggled after losing wickets in clusters, as they fell short in the Pakistan Super League Season 11 final against Peshawar Zalmi, 24NewsHD TV reported on Sunday.

Speaking at the post-match press conference, Gillespie said the Kingsmen had started well but could not maintain momentum.

“We began the final in a good way, but losing wickets one after another made things difficult,” he said.

He acknowledged the role of captain Marnus Labuschagne, describing him as an emotional player who reacted to a key dismissal during the match. “He spoke to the umpire after Perera’s dismissal, but the game is over now,” Gillespie added.

Gillespie said the team had played good cricket in the early matches despite not getting results.

He credited Labuschagne for leading the side well throughout the competition.

Gillespie also admitted that early wickets in Zalmi’s chase had given his team hope. “We felt we had a chance when they lost four wickets early,” he said.

However, he praised Zalmi’s match-winning effort, highlighting Aaron Hardie and Abdul Samad for guiding their team to victory.

“We learned a lot from this tournament and will look to come back stronger next season,” Gillespie said.

Reporter: Hafiz Shahbaz Ali