ISLAMABAD: Former Pakistan Super League (PSL) champions Peshawar Zalmi and Quetta Gladiators will be eyeing a winning start to the tournament, as the two teams face each other at the Qaddafi Stadium in Lahore today, Sunday.
The ninth edition of the PSL, Pakistan’s professional Twenty20 cricket league, kicked off on Saturday with a glitzy opening ceremony featuring action-packed performances from some of the country’s leading pop stars.
In the first match played in Lahore, Islamabad United thrashed defending champions Lahore Qalandars by eight wickets to open their account in the tournament.
Sunday’s encounter between the Gladiators and Zalmi will begin at 2:00 p.m. The Gladiators were strengthened by the arrival of batters Jason Roy and Laurie Evans to Lahore hours before the match.
“The royal arrival,” the Gladiators wrote on social media platform X, showing Roy and Evans reaching Lahore.
Meanwhile, Zalmi announced on X that former Pakistan bowler Umar Gul has joined the squad as its bowling consultant for PSL 9.
“Renowned for his lethal toe-crushing yorkers and death over bowling, former Pakistan pacer Umar Gul joins Peshawar Zalmi as our bowling consultant for #HBLPSL9,” Zalmi wrote on X.
Sunday’s match is expected to be an interesting contest between the two former champions. Zalmi will head into the match confident about their batting order, strengthened by the likes of skipper Babar Azam, Saim Ayub, Mohammad Haris and Tom Kohler-Cadmore.
The Gladiators, however, will be eyeing a change in fortunes as they take the field for the first time under a new skipper, Rilee Rossouw, who will be leading the side on Sunday.
His team has an impressive bowling attack in the form of Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Wasim Jr.. and Abrar Ahmad.
Head-to-head, Zalmi fare better than their opponents, winning four matches and losing just one.
Squads:
Peshawar Zalmi
Babar Azam (captain), Aamir Jamal, Arif Yaqoob, Arshad Iqbal, Asif Ali, Daniel Mousley, Luke Wood, Mohammad Haris, Paul Walter, Rovman Powell, Saim Ayub, Salman Irshad, Sufyan Muqeem, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Umair Afridi and Waqar Salamkheil
Emerging: Aimal Khan, Haseebullah Khan, Mehran Mumtaz and Mohammad Zeeshan
Quetta Gladiators
Rilee Rossouw (captain), Abrar Ahmad, Bismillah Khan, Jason Roy, Laurie Evans, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Omair bin Yousuf, Sajjad Ali Jr., Sarfaraz Ahmad, Saud Shakeel, Sherfane Rutherford, Sohail Khan, Umar Amin, Usman Qadir, Usman Tariq and Will Smeed
Emerging: Adil Naz and Khawaja Mohammad Nafay
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