Umar Gul, veteran paceman and top wicket-taker for the Multan Sultans in Wednesday's Pakistan Super League (PSL) showdown against the Quetta Gladiators, said his six-wicket haul would have made him happier had his team won the match.

"I have been focusing on giving a good performance since PSL started, but I am happy that it happened during this match. It still would have been even better if we would have won, but its all part of the game," Gul said in a post-match press conference.

"I have been trying to perform well [for the team], but that can be tough when you have so many good bowlers [in your squad]," Gul said.

He added: "I tried to leave the most runs [for the opponents to score] in the last over; however I am disappointed that we did not win."

Talking about his team's performance in the match, Gul said that he felt the team had lagged in the field today.

"While we have played well in past matches in all three departments, I feel our fielding lacked today," Gul said.

He added: "Before the match, we had a team discussion and said that no matter what happens, we will have to control the situation no matter what, and we were unable to do that in the end."

However, the pace bowler also acknowledged that to defend a small total during the second inning, when the ball is wet, is also hard.

"After the first over, I started bowling across the seam, since nothing was happening with the seam. Bowling across the seam gives some measure of control in such conditions," Gul said while discussing the technique that yielded six wickets for him.

Speaking of his fitness and overall performance in PSL, Gul said that his goal is to keep his form for the years that he has left in the game, "I want to give the game my best and keep the reputation I have gained intact during the last two or three years I have left."

"In domestic cricket and even in PSL, I have been working on my fitness. I have been trying to bowl in the centre during net practice," he said.

'Wasim Akram has helped me improve my fitness'

The world's tallest bowler, Muhammad Irfan, told DawnNewsTV on Wednesday that his fitness has been improving in the past year, since he started taking advice from Multan Sultan mentor and cricket veteran Wasim Akram.

"The fitness and diet tips Wasim bhai has been giving me have helped me gain my form again. I plan to use them to my advantage and focus more on T20 and one-day (ODI) cricket," Irfan said when asked if he was planning to quit ODI cricket.

Speaking about the match between the Sultans and the Gladiators, Irfan said that defending a small total is hard but he and his teammates tried their best in the field.

'Mentors' trust gave me confidence to perform'

Quetta Gladiators' emerging player Hasan Khan said that he dedicated his stellar performance in the showdown against Multan Sultans to his team mentor, Sir Vivian Richards.

"It was Sir Richards' birthday today and I would like to dedicate my performance to him. The team has also dedicated the win to him," Khan said while talking to DawnNewsTv.

Talking about being hugged by Sir Richards when he hit the winning six, Khan said, "It was one of the best moments of my life, it is because of all the stars and mentors in the dugout and the confidence they have in me that I was able to play that well."

"My heartbeat was fast, but I also did have confidence on my own abilities and the fact that it was not a large total to beat helped me too," Khan said during a post-match press conference.

The Gladiators also surprised Sir Richards with a birthday cake during their post-match celebrations.