Top names in action on HBL PSL X's first double header

The 2017 edition champions Peshawar Zalmi will be looking to make a solid start when they face the 2019 season winners and well-balanced Quetta Gladiators in their opener of the HBL PSL X at the Pindi Stadium in Rawalpindi today.

Meanwhile, in the other show of the day, which will be held at the National Stadium Karachi, Multan Sultans will face Karachi Kings.

In Pindi, Babar Azam-led Zalmi, who have made it to the playoffs during all previous nine editions of the event, are expected to do well at a venue where they are used to playing more cricket during the last few years.

Zalmi have already been joined by their foreign resources.

Australian first-class cricketer and middle order batsman Mitchell Owen, who can also bowl medium fast, and West Indies Test pacer Alzarri Joseph will be making their PSL debut. England’s left-arm pacer Luke Wood, Australian first-class cricketer Max Bryant, England’s experienced first-class batsman Tom-Kohler Cadmore, who also has experience of playing in the PSL, and Afghanistan’s left-handed batsman Najibullah Zadran will be seen in action for Zalmi.

Saim Ayub, who returns after recovering from injury, is also part of the squad which also has hard-hitting Mohammad Haris who recently was part of Pakistan’s squad in the T20 series against New Zealand.

Speaking ahead of the match, Zalmi’s skipper Babar Azam said his team is balanced.

”On paper all teams are balanced and it depends on a given day how a team plays. Every team has made its best combination and every team tries to win. We have also formed our best combination and effort will be made to go with the sort of the combination which will be the demand of the conditions and I hope we will deliver,” Babar said.

“This time we have tried to fill in the weak areas and we have all bases covered so that we could not face any issues during the event. InshaAllah this time too we will play final,” Babar said.

He also hoped that Saim Ayub would show his intent.

“It’s good that Saim is back after injury. He passed fitness test and is training. I hope he will bat with the same intent with which he used to play and win matches for Zalmi,” Babar said.

Gladiators, being led by Saud Shakeel, are also a balanced side. They can exploit the powerplay and last few overs with the bat as they have the required actors in their group.

New Zealand’s Finn Allen, Mark Chapman, Kyle Jamieson, Australian pacer Sean Abbott and highly experienced Kusal Mendis of Sri Lanka are in Quetta’s line-up. West Indies’ spinner Akeal Hosein and local mystery bowler Abrar Ahmed who can bowl well in Pakistan’s conditions are also there. Rilee Rossouw gives depth to the batting line-up which also have hard-hitting young batsman Hasan Nawaz.

Gladiators head coach Moin Khan is optimistic about his team’s success this season.

“Team is very good and if combination remains settled and boys don’t get injured, then I hope the brigade will deliver and this time we will win the trophy,” Moin told Nukta the other day.

“We will need to catch early momentum and then to maintain that throughout the tournament. If at certain stage you lose momentum then T20 is such a fast format that you will lag behind then. There should be continuity for momentum. One or two performances are such which lift the team,” said Moin.

Meanwhile, in the night game of the day a close contest is expected between Karachi Kings and Multan Sultans.

Kings, which will be coached by Ravi Bopara, have Australian great David Warner who will lead the side. They have been joined by James Vince, Mohammad Nabi, Adam Milne, Litton Das and Tim Siefert. Abbas Afridi, Hasan Ali, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Irfan Khan Niazi and left-armer Mir Hamza are also part of the squad which direly need to click in front of the home crowd.

Multan Sultans seam a dangerous side as well as they carry the sort of resources which could be prove useful in these conditions.

Mohammad Rizwan will lead the side. New Zealand’s top spinner Michael Bracewell, David Willey, Chris Jordan, Johnson Charles, Shai Hope, Iftikhar Ahmed, Usama Mir, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain and Tayyab Tahir are some of the notable players who can give the former champions a good start.