KARACHI: At the conclusion of the round-robin phase of the competition, Multan Sultans have performed well enough to claim the top spot in the HBL Pakistan Super League standings.
They have a lineup that includes Usman Khan, who is undoubtedly the most explosive batsman, and their seasoned skipper, Muhammad Rizwan.
With seasoned pro David Willey, highly regarded local Abbas Afridi, and leg-spinner Usama Mir—who has taken the most wickets so far in the ongoing PSL season—among them, their bowling offers a respectable blend of pace and spin.
“The Multan guys are eager to learn and develop; they’re students of the game,” Willey said to media on Tuesday. “That’s why our depth is so excellent, and the head coach has some tough choices to make when selecting the starting lineup.”
The Sultans haven’t been totally unbeatable, despite being ranked as the top team in the franchise fiesta by the points table.
They have suffered two of their three losses in the ten-game league stage against Peshawar Zalmi, who they will play in the qualifier on Thursday at the National Bank Stadium.
The Zalmi captain, Babar Azam, formerly of Pakistan, will face his former deputy, Rizwan, in the national team, making the qualifier an opportunity for both to demonstrate their leadership prowess.
While Babar will have a point to prove after a challenging run with Pakistan in recent months, Rizwan has garnered acclaim for his performance as the event’s skipper thus far.
In the two PSL league games this season, Babar has defeated Rizwan, but Zalmi’s victories have been extremely narrow, coming in at five runs in Multan and four runs in Rawalpindi.
In Multan, Luke Wood gave a masterclass as the English pacer distinguished himself by keeping Zalmi’s score at 179. In Rawalpindi, Babar and Saim Ayub’s opening partnership of 84 runs held more weight than Iftikhar Ahmed’s late charge in the chase.
In that game, Babar scored 64, one of his six half-centuries for the tournament thus far. With 498, he leads all scorers this season, but Usman of Multan, who has amassed two perfect hundreds and one century, is not far behind.
Usman is a foreign player in the PSL; he left Pakistan as a young cricketer to pursue possibilities in the United Arab Emirates. If the Sultans are to defeat Zalmi this season, the right-hander will need to be the difference maker.
In terms of explosiveness, Zalmi will look to Saim to fulfill that role. Despite not having scored as many runs as Usman or Babar, the southpaw’s crazy attacking style may make the difference between Zalmi and the Sultans on Thursday.
Usama got three wickets in Tuesday’s 79-run victory over Quetta Gladiators thanks to the recent assistance of the Karachi pitch for spin bowlers. As a result, both teams will try to field their bowling lineups appropriately.
Arif Yaqoob, a leg-spinner from Karachi who has had his moments this season, particularly taking three wickets in an over against Islamabad United, is available to Zalmi if the Sultans have Usaman.
Both teams will benefit from bowlers with variety on a slow surface, and Willey and Abbas will be the ones the Sultans look up to.
“You know, I always try to challenge both edges by swinging the ball and running one as well,” Willey remarked. “I believe my background… I can sense when something significant is about to happen and know when to hold off or make the necessary adjustments.
In this area, Zalmi will be dependent on players such as Aamer Jamal and Salman Irshad. They will be without Afghanistan pacer Naveen-ul-Haq, who departed the team to serve his country.
