I never thought the Hong Kong Sixes would return, says Pakistan captain Sohail Tanvir
The all-rounder was part of the victorious 2011 squad and is confident they have the players to win a sixth title
Pakistan captain Sohail Tanvir said he never thought he would be given another chance to win the Hong Kong World Sixes as the tournament returns for the first time since 2012.
Sohail was part of the Pakistan team who won the 2011 event, beating England in the final and he is delighted to be leading his side this weekend at the Kowloon Cricket Club.
Inaugural champions in 1992 with a team featuring legendary bowlers Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis, Pakistan face Hong Kong, defending champions South Africa and Marylebone Cricket Club in pool A of this year’s edition.
“I was in the UK a few weeks ago and heard that the tournament was happening again,” said Sohail. “I really thought it had gone forever so it’s good that it has come back.
“It’s fun cricket but obviously at the same time when you play for your country you can’t take anything for granted and you take it seriously.
“Three of us have played before and we how it goes with super sixes. You have to have a good strategy and I think with our team, we have five all-rounders, so we have a very good chance of winning it.”
Also returning to Hong Kong are Hammad Azam and Anwar Ali, with former test players Mohammed Sami and Sohail Khan, 21-year-old Sahibzada Farhan and Jaahid Ali completing the squad.
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Pakistan’s first match will be against Hong Kong, who have several players in the squad with Pakistani roots. Sohail, however, said his team would go all out for the win.
“We know most of the players in the Hong Kong team but when you are wearing your country’s jersey, you forget about who you are playing against and focus on the game and winning.”
Pool B features Australia, New Zealand Kiwis, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
Organisers are this year using a forgiving format in which all teams can go into Sunday with a chance of winning the title. After a round-robin, the team with the best record face the side with the worst performances in the quarter-finals. Second play seven, third take on sixth and the fourth-best team face fifth for a place in the semi-finals.
