Multan Sultans spin bowling coach Alex Hartley is having a busy time in PSL. The former England international was roped in by the Multan franchise as PSL’s first ever women’s coach ahead of the current PSLseason. Hartley, who is loving life at Pakistan, talked in length about the challenges she is having to face, the inroads she is making with the Multan Sultans squad, and how safe she feels in Pakistan.
When she joined the team, she was worried about getting the respect from the team. However, that was put to bed in the first meeting itself.
“As soon as I arrived, we had a team meeting. Ali sat down everyone and said this is your bowling coach, this is your fielding coach blah blah. I instantly felt at home,” she said in an interview with The Indian Express.
Hartley also revealed how the players are taking the advice she has to offer. “Mostly everything I have advised to them has been taken on board. There are times in the meeting when they will ask ‘so Alex what’s the plan?’ They are also backing me,” she said.
Hartley also said she is trying to learn a bit of Hindi and Urdu, although not knowing the language has not stopped her from getting her message across.
“I need to learn at least a few words of Hindi and Urdu,” she said. She has an interpreter to ensure her “communication is spot on”.
Hartley also alleyed doubts about the safety of women in Pakistan, saying, “I genuinely couldn’t be safer.”
However, there is an aspect of PSL Hartley is finding difficult to cope with. What’s that? “There are separate meetings for batting, bowling and fielding, which I am still finding tough to deal with,” Hartley said.