DUBAI: The third edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) kicks off on Thursday, with the addition of Multan Sultans making it a six-team tournament.
After Islamabad United won the first tournament and Peshawar Zalmi won it last season, will there be a third different winner for PSL 3?
Here’s the first part of our preview and predictions.
- Islamabad United
Squad: Misbah-ul- Haq (c), Rumman Raees, Mohammad Sami, Andre Russell, Shadab Khan, Samuel Badree, Iftikhar Ahmed, Amad Butt, Asif Ali, JP Duminy, Luke Ronchi, Faheem Ashraf, Sam Billings, Zafar Gohar, Sahibzada Farhan, Hussain Talat. Supplementary: Alex Hales, David Willey, Mohammad Hasan, Mohammad Hasnain
United were hit last season by the spot-fixing scandal which meant they lost Sharjeel Khan and Khalid Latif early on in the tournament, along with Andre Russel who was suspended. The question is whether or not Islamabad can recover from the scandal and eye a repeat of PSL 1.
In Misbah-ul-Haq, they probably have the best man to deal with that particular crisis. But he is reaching the tail-end of his professional career – if not playing his very last PSL season – and after having won the inaugural title, there mightn’t be the urgency in the squad to go all the way.
In Faheem Ashraf, United have perhaps the next big thing in Pakistan cricket, but the question is: will he fire with the bat?
Meanwhile, in Shadab Khan, they have someone already making it big, along with Rumman Raees, who has established himself at the international level.
Luke Ronchi and JP Duminy are shrewd purchases and Andre Russell’s return would feel like a new signing as well.
Even so, considering how integral Sharjeel and Khalid Latif were to all United successes, they might struggle for runs from the top order, and would be depending a whole lot on Duminy.
If this turns out to be Misbah’s final season, it mightn’t be a fond farewell.
- Quetta Gladiators
Squad: Sarfraz Ahmed (c), Kevin Pietersen, Rilee Rossouw, Mohammad Nawaz, Anwar Ali, Mahmudullah, Umar Amin, Mir Hamza, Asad Shafiq, Shane Watson, Carlos Brathwaite, Rahat Ali, Rameez Raja jnr, Saad Ali, Saud Shakeel, Hassan Khan. Supplementary: Jason Roy, Rashid Khan, Azam Khan, Faraz Ahmed Khan
The Gladiators have made both PSL finals and would be looking to make it third time lucky. They’ve added Carlos Brathwaite and Shane Watson, but the question marks are over the two fulfilling their billing.
Watson struggled to replicate his performances elsewhere on UAE pitches, while Brathwaite hasn’t done a lot with the bat that might be noteworthy since his four sixes to win the World T20.
Like United, the Gladiator’s biggest problem might be replacing the runs that Ahmed Shehzad scored for them the first two seasons.
Even so, the biggest pushing factor might be Kevin Pietersen, who has confirmed that PSL 3 would be his final tournament as a professional cricketer. That could be a major motivation for both him and his teammates to give him the perfect sending off.
But a lot of the Gladiators’ drive in the first two seasons came from captain Sarfraz Ahmed, who now has his plateful with the captaincy of all three formats for the national side.
Will Sarfraz be up for another shot at PSL? That would determine where his side finish.
- Multan Sultans
Squad: Shoaib Malik (c), Kieron Pollard, Kumar Sangakkara, Sohail Tanvir, Mohammad Irfan, Junaid Khan, Sohaib Maqsood, Irfan Khan, Kashif Bhatti, Imran Tahir, Darren Bravo, Ahmed Shehzad, Mohammad Abbas, Nic Pooran, Abdullah Shafiq, Saif Badar. Supplementary: Hardus Viljoen, Umar Gul, Umar Siddiq, Ross Whiteley.
It mightn’t be easy for the Sultans to go toe to toe with five teams that already have two seasons’ worth of playing time together. But in Ahmed Shahzad, they have PSL’s highest run-getter and in Shoaib Malik, the longest-serving T20 player for the Pakistan national side.
In addition to Shoaib Malik, Sultans have also purchased Kumar Sangakkara and Kieron Pollard from Karachi Kings. The illustrious trio, just like their previous team, massively underachieved in the previous seasons.
Imran Tahir could be Sultans’ talisman and should cherish bowling on the UAE wickets. Sohail Tanvir is another seasoned campaigner who can do a decent job with the ball, and chip in with the bat.
Other than Imran Tahir, however, the Sultans don’t quite have the bowling to carry them deep into the tournament. A pace attack featuring Junaid Khan, Mohammad Irfan and Junaid Khan is one-dimensional – and injury prone – with Mohammad Abbas having not quite set the format on fire.
However, the Sultans will have the incentive to make it to the playoffs, considering the investment and the fact that they would want to establish themselves among the older boys. And they just might do it.
To be continued…
