KARACHI: The Quetta Gladiators suffered a spectacular collapse when they were dominating.
The Sarfraz Ahmed-led team was crowned the 2019 HBL Pakistan Super League winners, however they were unable to advance to the play-offs in the next four seasons.
The Gladiators did not felt the need to take any unconventional actions to turn around their fortunes over those four years.
And when they did, it worked brilliantly. They removed Sarfraz as captain and replaced him with Rilee Rossouw, and they appointed former Australian all-rounder Shane Watson as their head coach in lieu of Moin Khan. This was done ahead of the current season of the franchise competition.
At the National Bank Stadium on Sunday night, the Gladiators secured their place in the play-offs by defeating the reigning champion Lahore Qalandars by six wickets, thanks to opener Saud Shakeel’s game-winning blow.
Saud was named the team’s vice-captain as part of a succession of leadership changes within the Gladiators.
Although Saud acknowledges that he serves as a communication link between the foreign captain and the local players, he added that the Gladiators’ return to glory was not solely due to the coach and skipper changes.
He added at the press conference following the game, “The improvement in our performances is not the result of bringing in a different captain or a coach.”
“I think it has worked; it is more about how the mindset and systems have changed throughout the setup.”
After developing into a proficient middle-order batsman through the ranks (as seen by his spot in the Pakistan One-day International and Test squads), Saud was promoted to the opening spot for his PSL debut, and he made good use of the opportunity.
The 28-year-old has scored 309 runs at an average of more than 44, placing him fourth in the tournament thus far.
The southpaw from Karachi reportedly felt irritated since he was required to wait an excessive amount of time to be assessed in the quickest format. Saud stated that it occurred at the appropriate moment now that he has had the opportunity.
He remarked, “I think everything happens at the right time, and I think this is the right time for me to play Twenty20 cricket.”
He batted through the innings for his 88 off 65 against the Qalandars, and he showed up for his club in a game they had to win to guarantee their spot in the playoffs. “It was a crucial match; at this point in the competition, you try not to drag it out too much,” Saud remarked.
After Mohammad Wasim Jr.’s six got the Gladiators over the finish line on the final ball, there were wild celebrations and the camp practically ran into the ground.
Longtime Gladiators mentor Sir Vivian Richards led the festivities and explained what it meant to the side.
“It was emotional to be back in the playoffs; we were missing the feeling of playing,” Saud remarked.
If they had extended it, they would have faced the formidable Multan Sultans in a match that was practically a knockout.
The match, which was scheduled to take place here on Tuesday, would now determine who places highest in the league stage standings.
Multan will be entering the game fresh off an unexpected defeat to Islamabad United, who chased down an enormous 228-run target.
Thanks to Usman Khan’s second PSL century of the season, they were able to accomplish it in the first place.
With 100 off 50 balls, the right-handed opener, who was formerly a Pakistani player and is about to represent the United Arab Emirates, achieved perfect score.
It will be his second appearance in Karachi this season against the Gladiators; the first was against the Karachi Kings, when he brilliantly struck a century.
Multan will try to capitalize on a respectable spin assault led by leg-spinner Usama Mir and chinaman bowler Faisal Akram on the spin-friendly surface in Karachi.
The left-arm spin of Khushdil Shah, an all-rounder, will also be available to them, although Saud, a skilled spin player, might once again be the Gladiators’ strongest suit.
NASEEM IS FINED FOR CODE VIOLATION
Naseem Shah, a pace bowler for Islamabad United, was fined 10% of the match money for a Level I infraction of the code of conduct during his team’s Sunday HBL Pakistan Super League match versus Multan Sultans at the Pindi Cricket Stadium.
Armer to the right Naseem was accused of breaking PSL Article 2.2, which addresses mistreatment of ground equipment, fixtures, and fittings, as well as cricket equipment and apparel. Naseem had, on the last ball of the Sultans’ innings, kicked the stumps.
In a different incident that occurred during the same game, the Sultans were penalized for a sluggish overrate.
