KARACHI: Will Peshawar Zalmi win their second HBL PSL title or will Quetta Gladiators finally shed their chokers tag and lift the coveted crown? The eyes of Pakistan as well of cricket enthusiasts all over the world would be transfixed at the National Stadium on Sunday (today) when the two arch-rivals will clash in the sell-out final.
Both sides are brimming with match-winners with Australian Shane Watson holding promise for Quetta and the dangerous Kamran Akmal threatening to take the title away from them.
Both the teams are featuring in their third final but while Zalmi have won once (in 2017) in Lahore, Quetta are yet to lay their hands on the spectacular PSL trophy.
Sarfraz Ahmed, Quetta’s skipper, is confident that it would finally be third lucky for his side, which has beaten Peshawar in all three previous games this season.
Sarfraz’s optimism also stems from the fact that his biggest match-winner – Watson – is in great form and the team has been clicking as a unit quite consistently in the contest.
But Quetta should also know that when it comes to big matches, Peshawar have a knack for landing the killer punch. Quetta lost against them in the 2017 final in Lahore and also succumbed to Peshawar in an Eliminator last year.
“We are playing the final for the third time, so we will do our all-out effort to play in the same manner which we have done in the whole tournament,” Sarfraz told reporters on Saturday.
Sarfraz knows that unlike previous occasions when most of his top foreign team-mates stayed away from matches in Pakistan he has a full-strength line-up this time.
“This time, we are at our full strength, so we will do our best to play like we have done and win the tournament. Obviously, winning the trophy is every captain's wish. We have come close, but were not able to win. This time, we will do our best, though we have a strong team against us.”
Darren Sammy, Peshawar’s skipper knows that Quetta have the firepower to subdue his side yet again.
“Shane Watson has really been the pain for us,” said Sammy of the former Australia opener, who has 265 runs at 66.25 in five matches against Peshawar in two years. “He is pretty experienced and he is enjoying his form.”
Sammy agreed that Quetta have prevailed over his side in recent outings but was quick to add that Peshawar will win the match that really matters.
“Quetta has had the better of us throughout the season and I always tell my boys that everything in life happens for a reason. If it is one time we chose to beat them, why not in the final when it really matters.”
On paper, Quetta come across as a more well-rounded team. While Peshawar have a potent pace arsenal and a strong batting line-up, they lack a quality spinner, something that can cost them on the National Stadium track.
Quetta like to chase targets having beating Peshawar by six and eight wickets in their league games before prevailing against them by 10 runs in the Qualifier.
They have a solid batting line-up with Watson leading a pack that includes the likes of Umar Akmal, Rilee Rossouw and Ahmed Shehzad.
Besides Watson, Umar (277 runs in 11 matches), Rossouw (256 in 10 matches) and Shahzad (253 in seven) have been in good form.
Peshawar, meanwhile, will once again be relying on Kamran Akmal, who has cracked match-winning knocks in two of Peshawar’s last three matches including Friday’s Eliminator against Islamabad United. Kamran has piled up 336 runs from 12 games while his opening partner Imam-ul-Haq has accumulated 338 runs from 11 appearances.
Peshawar have an attack that has the ability to defend even a modest total. Their pace battery is spearheaded by the contest’s highest wicket-taker Hasan Ali who has bagged 25 wickets from 12 matches. Seasoned pacer Wahab Riaz has 16, followed by Sameen Gul (10), and Tymal Mills and Umaid Asif (seven each).
Quetta, however, have an edge when it comes to spinners. Their spin twins Mohammad Nawaz and Fawad Ahmed can play major roles in the outcome of the final.
Whoever wins the final, the successful hosting of PSL’s final phase would be a victory not just for the country’s cricket but for Pakistan itself. Having spent the best part of the last decade in international isolation, Pakistan is slowly but surely getting back on track. And that’s a big cause for celebration. So when the fireworks erupt at the National Stadium post final tonight, they would be reflecting the joy of a nation.
