Lahore Qalandars' all-rounder David Wiese stated that it's great to be back in Pakistan to defend the title with his side after winning the opening clash of the eighth edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) against Multan Sultans at the Multan Cricket Stadium on Monday.
The Qalandars beat the Sultans by one run in a rematch of last year's title match in Multan after a thrilling contest.
After winning the opening clash, the Namibian all-rounder Wiese took to Twitter and heaped praise on the Qalandars' performance last night.
"It’s great to be back in Pakistan to defend our PSL trophy!! Was a close one last night but nice to get off to a winning start!! Shaheen, Haris, and Zaman, were amazing in the death overs!! As always well batted Fakhar Zaman," he wrote.
Put to bat first, the defending champions posted a competitive target of 176 runs before restricting the opponent to 174 runs in 20 overs, thanks to Fakhar Zaman's half-century and Zaman Khan's magnificent last over.
The left-handed batter Fakhar smashed 66 runs off 42 balls, which included three boundaries and five maximums, while young Zaman defended 15 runs off the last over to win it for his side and start the title defence on a high note.
Wiese joined the Qalandars after winning the inaugural International League T20 with Gulf Giants at the Dubai International Stadium on February 12, day before the PSL 8 opener against Multan Sultans.
Qalandars are attempting to become the first side to win back-to-back PSL titles.
It is should be noted here that the PSL 8 kicked off at the Multan Cricket Stadium after a glittering opening ceremony, touted as the "best-ever".
Rawalpindi will stage 11 fixtures, Karachi and Lahore will host nine matches each, whereas Multan will have five home games.
Afternoon matches will start at 2 pm local time, meanwhile, evening matches in Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi will start at 7 pm. Evening matches in Multan will begin at 6 pm.
It is worth mentioning here that the winner will not only lift the Supernova Trophy but will also collect a cheque of Rs120m, while the runners-up will receive a cheque of Rs48m.