Islamabad: The HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) will resume on Saturday after a nine -day pause with the league entering a decisive phase since five teams remain in search of the four playoff places.
The League was postponed due to cross -border tensions that take place between Pakistan and India among the early hours of May 7 and May 10, when the climb confiscated after a high fire agreement.
The interruption had seen foreign players fly outside the country before the decision of the Pakistan Cricket Board to resume the tournament caused the six franchises to rush to gather their squads.
With only eight remaining games in the stage of the 34 -game season, the battle for the qualification has intensified, with the finalists of the finalists last year they were no longer weakened after losing eight of their nine games.
The Rawalpindi stage will organize the final round of the league matches before the playoffs change to the Gaddafi stadium in Lahore, scheduled from May 21 to 25, with May 24 marked as a rest day.
Saturday’s clash between Karachi Kings led by David Warner and Peshawar Zalmi of Babar Azam will mark the resumption of the tournament and establish the tone for a last week of high risk.
Kings, currently the second on the table with 10 points of nine games, require at least one more victory to seal their position in the playoffs. Zalmi, placed in fifth place with eight points of eight games, is under pressure to win your two remaining accessories to ensure the qualification and preserve your record of reaching the playoffs in each PSL edition.
Quetta Gladiators has already reserved its place in the playoffs with 13 points, and will face the Fullan Sultan eliminated on May 18. While that game may not be related to the qualification career, it will offer gladiators the opportunity to adjust their XI of play and try their new firms before the playoffs.
Islamabad United and Lahore Qalandars, both sitting at eight points of nine games, have an accessory that is left and must win to stay in dispute. Qalandars faces Zalmi on May 18 in a virtual eliminator, while United’s final game will be against Karachi Kings on May 19.
Several international players have returned to reinforce their respective squads for the final stretch. Karachi Kings will be reinforced by the return of the Warner pattern along with James Vince, Tim Seifert, Mohammad Nabi, Ben Mcdermott and George Munsey of Scotland.
Islamabad United, whose last departure was to stop a four -game losing streak after a start of the scorching season, has retired from Alex Hales, Rassie Van Der Dussen, Ben Dwarshuis, Jimmy Neesham and Tymal Mills.
Lahore Qalandars, hit by injuries to Tom Curran and Daryl Mitchell, have brought Bangladesh Shakib to Hasan and Bhanuka Rajapaksa from Sri Lanka. Sikandar Zimbabwe’s race will also join the team for the crucial match against Zalmi, but will start before the playoffs due to international commitments.
Peshawar Zalmi, whose campaign has seen a late revival, will depend on returning to players abroad, including Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Max Bryant, Najibullah Zadran and the pacemaker Luke Wood.
However, the services of Alzarri Joseph and Mitchell Owen will be lost due to other commitments of the League. Quetta Gladiators has confirmed the continuous availability of key artists abroad Rilee Rossouw and Finn Allen, while adding to their ranks Dinesh Chandimal, Ninehka Fernando and Gulbadin Naib.
The Finen Sultans, outside the playoff career, will replace players abroad to meet the requirements of the League. Peter Hatzoglou and Dilshan Madushanka have been appointed, after the injuries and lack of availability of their previous foreign contingent.
In the direction of the last week of the League stage, the best scorer is Mohammad Rizwan of fine with 363 races, which won the Hanif Mohammad cap, followed by Sahibzada Farhan (321) and Fakhar Zaman (309).
In the front of the bowling, Mohammad Abbas Afridi and Jason Holder are joint leaders with 15 WICKETS each, while open Ahmed and Hasan Ali have taken 14 WICKETS each.
Mohammad Haris from Peshawar leads Wicktkeeping lists with 10 layoffs, and Rilee Rossouw from gladiators heads the capture list with 11 grips.
With the hopes of playoffs hanging by a thread for several teams, and the key accessories that will take place for three consecutive days in Rawalpindi, the tenth edition of the PSL is ready for a dramatic conclusion in the league stage before the attention becomes Lahore, where the champion will be crowned on May 25.
Posted in Dawn, May 17, 2025
