There couldn’t have been a better way to start the sixth edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) than a face-off between the current and former captain of the Pakistan team. Current Pakistan skipper Babar Azam led Karachi Kings will be up against the former captain Sarfaraz Ahmed’s Quetta gladiators at the National Stadium in Karachi to start the PSL.
This will be the second time when an entire season of the PSL is being hosted in Pakistan. The 2020 edition was the first such instance. However, the 2020 season couldn’t be completed as the Playoffs were postponed due to the covid-19 pandemic. This time around the Pakistan Cricket Board is all geared up to give a world-class treatment to one of the fastest-growing T20 leagues in the world.
The Karachi Kings is brimming with talent. On paper, it looks like a team to beat at the start of the tournament. The likes of Babar Azam, Colin Ingram and Dan Christian are some of the most sought after batsmen going around in league cricket. If they are combined with the bowling might of Mohammad Amir and Imad Wasim alongside the all-round abilities of Mohammad Nabi, could be a dangerous combination for any opposition.
The young guns in the form of Danis Aziz, Arshad Iqbal and Mohammad Ilyas could be handy as well and so could be the veteran opening batsman Sharjeel Khan. The cocktail of youth and experience and mixed readily with some brilliant foreign stars could make a team that would be very hard to beat.
While Quetta Gladiators have great batsmen in their ranks in the form of skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed, Ben Cutting Faf du Plessis, who is in as a partial replacement for Chris Gayle and the dynamic Tom Banton. However it is their young bowling unit comprising of Naseem Shah, Mohammad Hasnain, Anwar Ali, Usman Shinwari, Mohammad Nawaz and Zahid Mahmood, that is hugely impressive. Among the six bowlers, you can pick any four and still on any given day, they have the capabilities to topple any batting lineup.
Match Number- 01
Date and Time: 20th February, 07:30 pm IST, 07:00 pm Local, 02:00 pm IST
Venue: National Stadium, Karachi
Broadcast and Live Stream: Sony Ten and Sony LIV
The Karachi pitch historically has favoured batters in the evening games. The average first innings score has been 173 while that in the second innings dips down to 130. This is evidence that the wicket gets slower as the match progresses. However, one thing that must be kept in mind is that the recent record is for matches which would start in the day time. This one will be an evening game and dew too will play its part. Also, since it is going to be a fresh wicket, most likely high scoring game will be on offer.
The skies are expected to be clear with no cloud cover predicted. The humidity is minimal sending signals that dew will be a possibility at the venue. If a captain wins the toss, he would most likely go for bowl first.
Babar Azam (c), Sharjeel Khan, Colin Ingram, Chadwick Walton (wk), Mohammad Nabi, Daniel Christian, Imad Wasim, Aamer Yamin, Mohammad Amir, Arshad Iqbal, Waqas Maqsood
Faf du Plessis, Tom Banton, Cameron Delport, Azam Khan, Sarfaraz Ahmed (c & wk), Ben Cutting, Anwar Ali, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah, Zahid Mahmood
Babar Azam (c), Tom Banton, Colin Ingram, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), Mohammad Nabi, Daniel Christian, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah