From Gwadar to Karachi: Arafat Manhas' Journey to HBL PSL with Karachi Kings

LAHORE: The region of South Punjab in Pakistan is renowned for its fertility. The districts of South Punjab significantly contribute to agricultural production, with seven out of the top ten productive districts in Punjab, in terms of agricultural output, situated in this region.

The richness here isn’t confined to just land and crops; historically, this region has produced several renowned personalities. In cricket, this area has also given rise to many famous players, especially in Multan and its division, such as Inzamam-ul-Haq, Waqar Younis, Mushtaq Ahmed, the Elahi brothers, Sohaib Maqsood, Rahat Ali, Asmavia Iqbal, and Sania Khan among others.

Pakistan U19 Sensation and Karachi Kings star all-rounder, Arafat Minhas talks about his journey in cricket and expresses his excitement on being part of #KingsSquad for #HBLPSL9 ❤️💙#YehHaiKarachi | #KarachiKings pic.twitter.com/NUakiAYuo4

— Karachi Kings (@KarachiKingsARY) January 10, 2024

Arafat Manhas, the emerging player for Karachi Kings and Pakistan Under-19s, hails from Multan, the city of saints. He began playing hardball cricket at the tender age of eight. During the Under-19 World Cup training camp in Lahore, he mentioned, while talking to the Karachi Kings’ website, how his father had a keen interest in cricket and used to play tape-ball cricket. However, his father wanted him to play hardball cricket. With his guidance and practice at home, his cricketing journey gained momentum, and he started playing club cricket when he was eight years old. His father’s passion and guidance fueled his determination, leading him to represent Pakistan Under-19s and Pakistan Shaheens, and now he is heading towards representing Karachi Kings in HBL Pakistan Super League season 9.

Arafat is a big fan of A.B. de Villiers, however, he says that he never modeled his game based on any single player. He stated, “I learn from everyone and observe different aspects. Whenever I meet a big player, I try to learn something from them.”

The experience of participating in the HBL Pakistan Super League won’t be entirely new for Arafat Manhas, having been part of the Multan Sultans’ dressing room last season. Reflecting on this experience, he mentioned, “It was a different and enriching experience. Sharing the dressing room with big names of the game, participating in fielding drills, receiving batting tips, bowling in the nets—it was a learning curve for me.”

Arafat recalls feeling recognized for the first time after the Pakistan Junior League, and his performance for the Gwadar Sharks’ made him the winner of the best all-rounder of the league award, and he was also named as the captain of the tournament team. Referring to his best performance so far, he mentions his innings of 95 runs against Sri Lanka Under-19s at the home ground of Karachi Kings, the National Stadium Karachi, for Pakistan Under-19s.

The young all-rounder became a part of Karachi Kings in the emerging category of the HBL PSL Draft 2024. He missed watching the draft ceremony live as he was in the United Arab Emirates for the Asia Cup Under-19 series but expressed hope due to the support of the team director of Karachi Kings, Haider Azher, that he would be picked by Karachi Kings.

Being part of Karachi Kings again means Arafat Manhas will once more share the dressing room with Karachi Kings’ and Pakistan Test team’s captain, Shan Masood, and team director Haider Azhar. Speaking on this prospect, he said, “The way seniors guide juniors is highly beneficial. Haider Azhar is like my elder brother, and he knows how to maintain a positive environment in the dressing room. This time, the Karachi Kings’ dressing room will have a different vibe, and I am excited to contribute to Karachi Kings this season.”

Arafat Manhas aims to benefit from being in the presence of Karachi Kings’ Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Nawaz in the dressing room and hopes to learn various facets of the game from them to improve his game further.

Thankful for being selected for Karachi Kings in HBL PSL 9, Arafat Manhas expressed gratitude to the management, saying, “I am very thankful to Karachi Kings’ owner, Mr Salman Iqbal, for showing confidence in me and giving me the opportunity to be part of Pakistan’s biggest city’s HBL PSL franchise.”

A message from Arafat Manhas to Karachi Kings’ fans: “Get ready for an energetic display of cricket from Kings this time around.”