HBL PSL X: Zalmi faces Sultans in battle of bottom-placed teams

The two bottom-placed teams, Multan Sultans and Peshawar Zalmi, will lock horns with each other with the aim to break their losing streak in the ongoing HBL PSL X at the Pindi Stadium in Rawalpindi today.

Both teams have been struggling to get their combination right in a bid to qualify for the playoffs.

Zalmi have many issues with both their batting and bowling having failed to impress in these departments. And they certainly would look for a few changes at this stage where they will need to bounce back if they are to stay in the tournament.

The biggest concern of Zalmi is the form of their skipper Babar Azam who has scored just one run in two games.

If Zalmi are to win Babar will need to deliver with the bat. Despite having played a couple of good innings in the ODI series against New Zealand recently, Babar's form is a bit strange. He seems to be in a lot of pressure and even missed easy catches so something is wrong. He should not feel pressure of scoring with extraordinary pace but he will need to bat as per his strength and if he does so Zalmi will benefit eventually.

Saim Ayub was seen in good touch especially in the first game against Quetta Gladiators and he will need to anchor his team's innings if Babar is battling with some issues.

It’s a plus point that keeper Mohammad Haris showed a lot of resolve, smashing a 47-ball 87 in the lost cause against Islamabad United, the game which Zalmi lost by a huge margin of 102 runs in Pindi.

Zalmi needs to bring in Najibullah Zadran in their lineup as he can leave an impression in the middle order.

Zalmi also have no big names in bowling, an area where they direly needed a match-winner, a sort of bowler who could rip through the opposition’s batting line-up.

In the first game on April 12 in Pindi, Zalmi tasted a heavy 80-run defeat at the hands of Quetta Gladiators and they were then mauled by United by a massive margin of 102 in their second show, also at the same venue.

This is the third time that Zalmi will be playing a game in Pindi and they should know now how to click at the venue where they also have a good fan support as people from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa also turn up in large numbers to witness their team.

Multan Sultans, on the other hand, also have issues. They need partnerships in batting and the main thing is when they bat well they lag behind in bowling. Both departments will need to back each other.

Multan Sultans lost their opener against Karachi Kings by four wickets, a game which Sultans should have won but they did not bowl well.

Sultans posted 234-3 with skipper Mohammad Rizwan scoring his second PSL century making a 63-ball 105 not out, hitting five sixes and nine fours.

He was ably backed by New Zealand's experienced all-rounder Michael Bracewell who chipped in with a fiery 17-ball 44 not, managing three sixes and five fours.

Kings achieved the target with four balls to spare with James Vince making the difference with a lusty 43-ball 101. Even a bowler like Chris Jordan could not stop him as he conceded 48 runs in 3.4 overs.

On April 16, Sultans tasted a 47-run defeat at the hands of United at the latter's backyard at Pindi, a game which started late due to huge hailstorm.

United piled-up 202-6 and Sultans were then skittled out for only 155, a performance which does not suit their combination.

Rizwan again turned out to be the top scorer with 27-ball 38. Iftikhar Ahmed and Usman Khan also showed some guts with fiery knocks.

West Indies Shai Hope's innings is due as he has failed to click in the last two games. In T20, one big innings or a few small partnerships can work. And in bowling Sultans have some good stuff in Chris Jordan, Obaid Shah, David Willey, Mohammad Hasnain, Akif Javed and spinners Michael Bracewell and Usama Mir but they will need to put in their best in the coming games.

This would really be a contest between Babar and Rizwan, the batsmen who were dropped from Pakistan T20 squad for New Zealand tour recently keeping in view their strike-rate which has been under debate since long.

Rizwan has already showed spark with the bat with a mighty century against Karachi Kings at the National Stadium but Babar will need to show his mettle following a couple of early dismissals.

Multan Sultans:

Mohammad Rizwan (captain), Akif Javed, Michael Bracewell, Shai Hope, Faisal Akram, Iftikhar Ahmed, Kamran Ghulam, Chris Jordan, Josh Little, Mohammad Hasnain, Gudakesh Motie, Mohammad Amir Burki, Shahid Aziz, Tayyab Tahir, Ashton Turner, Ubaid Shah, Usama Mir, Usman Khan, David Willey, Yasir Khan

Peshawar Zalmi:

Babar Azam (captain), Saim Ayub, Abdul Samad, Ahmad Daniyal, Max Bryant, Ali Raza, Arif Yaqoob, Hussain Talat, Ihsanullah, Alzarri Joseph, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, George Linde, Maaz Sadaqat, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Ali, Mehran Mumtaz, Nahid Rana, Najibullah Zadran, Mitchell Owen, Sufyan Muqeem, Luke Wood