Match Details
Date: February 28
Venue: National Stadium in Karachi, Pakistan.
Time: 7:30 PM
Preview:
The 2nd match of the Pakistan Super League will kick off on February 28th between Quetta Gladiators and Peshawar Zalmi at National Stadium in Karachi, Pakistan. Peshawar Zalmi were the runner-ups of the last edition while Quetta Gladiators finished last in the point table with just two wins in the tournament. Both the teamS will be eager to start the fresh edition on a winning note.
Pitch Report:
The pitch at Karachi National Stadium is set to be batter-friendly as we can expect some hard-hitting in the ground. Smaller boundaries can also be dangerous for the bowlers as we have seen teams scoring mammoth totals in the ground. However, bowlers will have to play their best game to pose tough challenges to batters.
Team Analysis:
Quetta Gladiators:
After a disappointing performance in the last edition, Sarfaraz Ahmed will be hoping to get some winning momentum. The skipper is the top run-scorer for the team with 321 runs from his last 10 matches at an average of 45 and a strike rate of 137. All-rounder Shahid Afridi joined Quetta as part of a trade deal and his experience will add to that of bowler Sohail Tanvir. But for now, Afridi will not be part of the squad due to injury concerns. Players like Ben Duckett, Will Smeed are expected to be given a chance to impress at the top of the order. In the bowling department presence of Mohammad Nawaz, and Mohammad Hasnain can be vital for the team.
Peshawar Zalmi:
The runners-up of the last edition will start their campaign without the presence of their skipper Wahab Riaz, batter Haider Ali, Kamran Akmal, alongside Arshad Iqbal. All these players have been tested positive for Covid and are set to miss the first few games. However, Shoaib Malik is expected to lead the team in the absence of Wahab and will be hoping to kick start the campaign from where they ended in the last edition. Saqib Mahmood will be their key bowler and the team will be heavily banking on him.
Squad:
Quetta Gladiators: James Vince, Jason Roy, Sarfaraz Ahmed (C), Iftikhar Ahmed, James Faulkner, Mohammad Nawaz, Shahid Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah, Ben Duckett, Khurram Shehzad, Naveen-Ul-Haq, Sohail Tanvir, Umar Akmal, Abdul Wahid Bangalzai, Ashar Qureshi, Ahsan Ali and Noor Ahmed
Peshawar Zalmi: Hazratulah Zazai, Liam Livingstone, Wahab Riaz, Haider Ali, Sherfane Rutherford, Shoaib Malik, Hussain Talat, Saqib Mahmood, Usman Qadir, Arshad Iqbal, Kamran Akmal, Salman Irshad, Sameen Gul, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Mohammad Aamer, Sirajuddin, Ben Cutting and Mohammad Haris
Match Prediction:
Conclusion:
Although Peshawar Zalmi is missing out on a few important players including their skipper, still teams look strong and can upset Gladiators. Hence, they will finish the game as the winning side.
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