ISLAMABAD: Peshawar Zalmi has won the toss and opted to bowl first in their inaugural clash against Quetta Gladiators at Pindi Cricket Stadium on Saturday. The anticipation is palpable as Zalmi’s captain, Babar Azam, is set to open the innings alongside the much-anticipated return of Saim Ayub, who has finally recovered from injury. The stage is set at Pindi Cricket Stadium, with both teams eager to launch their campaigns with a triumphant victory.
For Bangladeshi cricket fans, all eyes will be on Peshawar Zalmi’s new signing, youthful pace prodigy Nahid Rana. His possible debut performance has supporters giddy with anticipation, hoping he will play in today’s game and contribute to the PSL’s diverse array of talented players.
Quetta Gladiators, who won their first PSL title in 2019, had faced hurdles in prior seasons. The Zalmi have won three of their past five meetings, while the Gladiators have won two, suggesting a highly contested rivalry that supporters look forward to.
Both teams will be looking for a win to start the season. The Zalmi have been consistent playoff challengers, making the knockout round in all nine editions and winning the title in 2017. However, drama broke out in the Zalmi camp when their Diamond pick from the draft, Corbin Bosch, abruptly switched to the Mumbai Indians in the IPL, violating his PSL contract, resulting in legal proceedings from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). Later on, Corbin Bosch has been suspended from the PSL for a year. Nevertheless, the return to full fitness of in-form hitter Saim Ayub will provide the Zalmi with a significant boost of confidence and effectiveness in both the batting and bowling departments.
Gladiators vs Zalmi Squads
Quetta Gladiators: Saud Shakeel (C), Faheem Ashraf, Finn Allen, Mark Chapman, Abrar Ahmed, Mohammad Amir, Rilee Rossouw, Akeal Hosein, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Haseebullah, Khawaja Nafay, Kyle Jamieson, Khurram Shahzad, Usman Tariq, Mohammad Zeeshan, Hasan Nawaz, Danish Aziz, Kusal Mendis, Sean Abbott, Shoaib Malik
Peshawar Zalmi: Babar Azam (C), Saim Ayub, Abdul Samad, Ahmed Daniyal, Ali Raza, Alzarri Joseph, Arif Yaqoob, George Linde, Hussain Talat, Luke Wood, Maaz Sadaqat, Max Bryant, Mehran Mumtaz, Mitchell Owen, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Haris (WK), Nahid Rana, Najibullah Zadran, Sufiyan Muqeem, Tom Kohler-Cadmore.
