"Would have preferred to have Shahid Afridi in the squad"- Multan Sultans coach Andy Flower

Multan Sultans coach Andy Flower reckons his team will miss Shahid Afridi's charisma and inspiration in the second half of PSL 2021.

Veteran Pakistani all-rounder Shahid Afridi was set to turn up for the Multan Sultans in the Abu Dhabi leg of the tournament. Unfortunately, just a few days before the competition's resumption, he suffered a back injury that ruled him out of the tournament.

Ahead of their match against defending champions Karachi Kings on Thursday, Andy Flower spoke to reporters at a virtual press conference.

Giving his views on Shahid Afridi's absence, Flower said:

“Shahid Afridi is obviously an inspirational man and player with thunder of charisma. I would have preferred to have him in the squad."

While training for the remainder of @thePSLt20, I felt lower back pain & had to consult a doctor. Unfortunately I have been advised to rest and can no longer accompany my team @MultanSultans. I am heartbroken 💔 as I was practicing and training really hard. pic.twitter.com/OjaHD1w9cg

— Shahid Afridi (@SAfridiOfficial) May 24, 2021

The Multan Sultans head coach felt Afridi's absence would allow the youngsters to prove themselves in the middle. Flower expects other players to step up in the second phase of PSL 2021.

Captaincy change upset the equilibrium of Multan Sultans a little: Andy Flower

Mohammad Rizwan replaced Shan Masood as the captain of Multan Sultans in PSL 2021

Before PSL 2021 began, the Multan Sultans' team management appointed Mohammad Rizwan as their new skipper. The Sultans topped the standings in PSL 2020, losing only two of their ten league games. Still, the management decided to hand over the team's reins to Rizwan from Shan Masood.

The Multan Sultans are currently fifth in the PSL 2021 points table, with only one win in five games. And coach Andy Flower believes the captaincy change upset the team's equilibrium.

“I think it did affect us in a way actually, being so close to the start of the tournament. Shan [Masood] is and was a very well-respected captain. He did do a really good job [last season], I agree, and did a good job with the bat as well. But we decided to make the change and it upset the equilibrium of the group a little, this is an honest answer,” said Flower.

'Multan captaincy change upset the equilibrium of the group a little'Head Coach Andy Flower has opened up about the impact of a sudden captaincy change before the start of HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) season six. Read more: https://t.co/eXwDEGOrMC#PSL6 pic.twitter.com/NmRG9IzzXW

— Cricket Pakistan (@cricketpakcompk) June 9, 2021

The Multan Sultans will be in action against the Karachi Kings at Sheikh Zayed Stadium. It will be interesting to see if the Sultans can make a comeback in PSL 2021.