As the eighth edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) enters its decisive stage, Islamabad United are set to face off against Peshawar Zalmi in the first eliminator at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore today (Thursday).
Zalmi will be led by Pakistan’s prolific batter Babar Azam; meanwhile, all-rounder Shadab Khan will be in charge of the two-time champions United.
The match is crucial for both sides as the winning side will jump to the second eliminator, which is set to take place tomorrow (Friday) at the same venue. The losing side will be out of the tournament.
In yesterday’s Qualifier, Multan Sultans defeated Lahore Qalandars to book their spot in the final scheduled for March 19. However, the defending champions will get another chance to qualify for the final in the second Eliminator.
So far both United and Zalmi have won one match each during their clashes against each other in the league stage.
United Captain Shadab said: “It has been an exciting season for us, but now we are focused on what lays ahead. As a captain, I am pleased with how the players have performed and especially at how youngsters have raised their hands in tough situations. The results are not something you can control, but as a team, it is important to remain consistent in your processes and know what you are playing for,” said Shadab.
“I am pretty confident with our chances. We have lifted the PSL trophy twice and there is no doubt that we can do it for the third time,” he added.
Meanwhile, Azam stated: “I am very happy to see how the youngsters in Peshawar Zalmi have stepped up and made their potential known to the world. Saim Ayub, Muhammad Haris, Haseebullah and Arshad Iqbal have been outstanding and I am backing them to continue to perform and deliver in the Playoffs.
“While our batting line has done wonderfully well, we need to fix some of the loopholes in our bowling department and I am sure that we will also emerge as a strong bowling unit in Lahore.”
Squads
Islamabad United: Shadab Khan (c), Paul Stirling, Alex Hales, Sohaib Maqsood, Asif Ali, Colin Munro, Hassan Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Mubasir Khan, Tom Curran, Mohammad Waseem Jr, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Azam Khan (wk), Fazalhaq Farooqi, Zafar Gohar, Rumman Raees, Zeeshan Zameer, Hasan Ali, Abrar Ahmed, Gus Atkinson
Peshawar Zalmi: Babar Azam (c), Wahab Riaz, Arshad Iqbal, Danish Aziz, Mohammad Haris (wk), Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Mujeeb Ur Rehman, Aamer Jamal, Saim Ayub, Salman Irshad, Haseebullah Khan, Khurram Shahzad, Richard Gleeson, Sufyan Muqeem, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Usman Qadir, Jimmy Neesham, Haris Sohail
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