Multan face Karachi, Peshawar take on Lahore as PSL resumes

KARACHI: After an eight-month break, HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) fifth edition is set to resume on Saturday (today) with Multan Sultans facing Karachi Kings and former champions Peshawar Zalmi locking horns with Lahore Qalandars in the playoffs here at National Stadium.

The qualifier between table toppers Multan Sultans and the league’s runners-up Karachi Kings will begin at 3pm PST. This will be followed by the first eliminator between the league phase third-placed outfit Lahore Qalandars and fourth-placed team Peshawar Zalmi at 8pm PST.

The qualifier between Kings and Sultans will be supervised by the ICC Elite Panel umpire Michael Gough and Rashid Riaz. Aleem Dar and Shozab Raza will supervise the first eliminator between Zalmi and Qalandars.

The event had been halted on March 17, 2020, because of the outbreak of Covid-19 in the country. All the four outfits have been living in a bio-secured bubble in the provincial metropolis.

The winners of the qualifier between Multan and Karachi will qualify for the November 17 final. The losers of the qualifier will get another chance and will meet the winners of the first eliminator between Zalmi and Qalandars in the second eliminator to be held on Sunday (tomorrow).

Overseas players have joined their respective teams who held a few practice sessions besides playing some practice games.

Multan Sultans skipper Shan Masood said their charges were in perfect shape and were ready for the qualifier against Kings. “The players are in great shape and have responded well in practice games,” Shan told a news conference on Friday.

“We will try to execute our plans and skills and hopefully desired results will be produced,” said Shan.

He said that they would go with a well-balanced bowling unit in order to cope with the changing scenarios on the field.

Karachi Kings skipper Imad Wasim said that they would go full-throttle against Sultans. “We will go full-throttle and deliver our best to win the qualifier and make it to the final,” said Imad.

Kings will miss their Australian coach Dean Jones who died in September in India due to cardiac failure. Wasim Akram will serve as an interim coach.

Of the two league games which Kings and Sultans have played in this edition against each others, Sultans won one game. The second one at Lahore on March 6, 2020, yielded no result because of rain.

Zalmi skipper Wahab Riaz is also hopeful that his side would deliver at the crunch stage. “All our players have been in action. Every effort will be made to pull off the desired results,” Wahab said.

Zalmi will be without their head coach and former skipper Daren Sammy who could not arrive due to logistics issues.

Qalandars, who have been the unluckiest side in the event’s history despite having fine resources, have a great chance to conquer their rivals to claim the coveted crown this time.

“We have performed so well this season and will carry the form of the last phase into the playoffs,” Qalandars skipper Sohail Akhtar said.

Two matches have been held between Zalmi and Qalandars in this edition. Both won one match each.

Babar Azam of Karachi Kings leads the batting chart as he has scored 345 runs in ten matches. He is followed by Qalandars’ Chris Lynn (284), Ben Dunk (266) and Luke Ronchi (Islamabad United, 266).

Mohammad Hasnain of Quetta Gladiators leads the bowling chart with 15 wickets. He is followed by Shaheen Afridi (13, Qalandars), Wahab Riaz (11, Zalmi) and Sohail Tanvir (Sultans), Imran Tahir (Sultans) and Mohammad Amir (Kings), who have taken ten each.

The winners of the event will get 500,000 US dollars with the runners-up to go away with 200,000 US dollars.

As much as 80,000 dollars will be distributed among the player of the event, the best batsman, the best bowler and the spirit of cricket award winner.

The playoffs will be held without spectators at the stadium as per Covid-19 protocols.

Karachi Kings: Imad Wasim (c), Aamer Yamin, Alex Hales (England), Arshad Iqbal, Awais Zia, Babar Azam, Cameron Delport (South Africa), Chadwick Walton (West Indies), Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Rizwan, Sharjeel Khan, Sherfane Rutherford (West Indies), Umaid Asif, Umer Khan, Usama Mir, Waqas Maqsood, Wayne Parnell (South Africa)

Lahore Qalandars: Sohail Akhtar (c), Tamim Iqbal (Bangladesh), Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Hafeez, David Wiese (South Africa), Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Shinwari, Samit Patel (England), Haris Rauf, Agha Salman, Ben Dunk (Australia), Farzan Raja, Jaahid Ali, Abid Ali, Mohammad Faizan, Maaz Khan, Dane Vilas (South Africa), Dilbar Hussain

Multan Sultans: Shan Masood (c), Adam Lyth (England), Ali Shafiq, Bilawal Bhatti, Brendan Taylor (Zimbabwe), Imran Tahir (South Africa), Joe Denly (England), Junaid Khan, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Ilyas, Mohammad Irfan, Ravi Bopara (England), Rilee Rossouw (South Africa), Rohail Nazir, Shahid Afridi, Sohail Tanvir, Usman Qadir and Zeeshan Ashraf

Peshawar Zalmi: Wahab Riaz (c), Aamir Ali, Adil Amin, Carlos Brathwaite (West Indies), Faf du Plessis (South Africa), Haider Ali, Hardus Viljoen (South Africa), Imam-ul-Haq, Kamran Akmal, Khurram Shehzad, Mohammad Imran, Mohammad Mohsin, Rahat Ali, Saqib Mahmood, Shoaib Malik, Sohaib Maqsood, Umar Amin, Yasir Shah