Babar Azam Shrugs Off Hyderabad Kingsmen’s Australian Mindset Ahead of PSL 11 Final

Peshawar Zalmi captain Babar Azam said he is not worried about facing the “Australian mindset” of debutants Hyderabad Kingsmen in the Pakistan Super League final, which will be played at Gaddafi Stadium on Sunday.

The Kingsmen are playing their first PSL season and have reached the final by winning both of their eliminator matches. This includes a close two-run win over three-time champions Islamabad United.

Led by Australian Test batter Marnus Labuschagne, the team had a poor start to the season, losing their first four games. But they made a strong comeback, winning seven of their next eight matches to reach the PSL 2026 final.

The Kingsmen’s strong comeback has sparked talk about how their “Australian mindset” may have helped them as newcomers. However, Zalmi captain Babar said at the pre-match press conference at Gaddafi Stadium that every team has its own way of handling big matches. He added that for him, momentum and having the right team combination matter more.

"Every team has a different mindset and approach. For me, momentum is very important, as well as the right combination for the conditions," said Peshawar Zalmi captain Babar Azam.

It should be noted that despite all the talks, Peshawar Zalmi has remained the most dominant team in this year’s PSL. They have lost just one game in the tournament so far, and their performances have been outstanding since the beginning of the season.

Speaking about Peshawar’s momentum, he said the team is currently in good form, as every player in the squad understands his role perfectly.

"Alhamdulillah, our momentum and team combination have been very good throughout the tournament. Every player has contributed and fulfilled his role, and we have executed our plans well," said Babar Azam at the pre-match press conference.

Interestingly, Peshawar Zalmi have played most of their PSL 11 matches at the National Bank Stadium in Karachi, including the Qualifier against Islamabad United. Their only defeat in the tournament came at Gaddafi Stadium, which will host the final of the tournament.

However, Babar is confident that his team can adjust, as they have experienced players like Kusal Mendis and Michael Bracewell in the squad.

"Conditions here are different from Karachi, so our focus has been to assess conditions first and then execute our game plan accordingly. Sometimes things do not go as planned, but as professionals, you have to adapt to whatever the game presents," said Babar Azam.