Pakistan’s flagship cricket super league resumes in Abu Dhabi today

Players of Pakistan Super League teams Peshawar Zalmi and Karachi Kings take part in practice match in Abu Dhabi on June 8, 2021. (Photo courtesy: Pakistan Cricket Board)

• HBL Pakistan Super League was postponed in March after a string of positive coronavirus cases among players and officials
• While previous matches were held in Pakistan, the resumed series is being hosted at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s flagship cricket super league tournament will resume in Abu Dhabi today, Wednesday, with Lahore Qalandars and Islamabad United facing each other for a match that will start at 2100 Pakistan time (2000 UAE time).
The HBL Pakistan Super League was postponed in March after a string of positive coronavirus cases among players and officials. While previous matches were held in Pakistan, the resumed series is being hosted at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi.
“Both Qalandars and United, along with Karachi Kings and Peshawar Zalmi, are locked at six points apiece,” PCB said in a statement. “But, the two sides have played one less match as compared with Kings and Zalmi, meaning Wednesday’s winner will go top of the points table after halfway stage in the competition.”
Though the resumption of the tournament faced logistical challenges due to Pakistan, Sri Lanka, India and South Africa being on the United Arab Emirates’ red-list of countries for travel, “with the support of the Abu Dhabi and Pakistan Governments, Abu Dhabi Sports Council and the Emirates Cricket Board, the PCB was able to resolve all outstanding matters,” PCB said.
The PCB says it is committed to holding the 2022 tournament in Pakistan.
A number of leading international stars will be featuring in the remaining 20 matches, including Usman Khawaja (Islamabad United), Faf du Plessis (Quetta Gladiators), Martin Guptill (Karachi Kings), David Miller (Peshawar Zalmi), Shimron Hetmyer (Multan Sultans) and Rashid Khan (Lahore Qalandars).
They will be joined by Pakistan’s white-ball experts as well as emerging stars, including Babar Azam, Arshad Iqbal, Azam Khan, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haider Ali, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Wasim Jr., Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sharjeel Khan and Usman Qadir.
These players have been named in Pakistan men’s squads for the three T20Is against England and five T20Is against world champions the West Indies.
HBL PSL 6 squads for Abu Dhabi-leg:
Final squads (in alphabetical order):
Islamabad United – Shadab Khan (c), Ahmed Saifi Abdullah, Ali Khan, Akif Javed, Asif Ali, Brandon King, Colin Munro, Fawad Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Hussain Talat, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Wasim Jr., Mohammad Akhlaq, Musa Khan, Rohail Nazir, Umar Amin, Usman Khawaja, Zafar Gohar and Zeeshan Zameer
Karachi Kings — Imad Wasim (c), Abbas Afridi, Amir Yamin, Arshad Iqbal, Babar Azam, Chadwick Walton, Danish Aziz, Martin Guptill, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Ilyas, Mohammad Haris, Thisara Perera, Najeebullah Zadran, Noor Ahmed, Qasim Akram, Sharjeel Khan, Waqas Maqsood and Zeeshan Malik
Lahore Qalandars – Sohail Akhtar (c), Ahmed Danyal, Ben Dunk, Callum Ferguson, Dilbar Hussain, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, James Faulkner, Maaz Khan, Mohammad Faizan, Mohammad Hafeez, Rashid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Seekuge Prasana, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sultan Ahmed, Tim David, Zaid Alam and Zeeshan Ashraf
Multan Sultans– Mohammad Rizwan (c), Asif Afridi, Hammad Azam, Imran Tahir, Imran Khan Sr., Johnson Charles, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Umar, Blessing Muzarabani, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Rilee Rossouw, Shahnawaz Dhani, Shan Masood, Shimron Hetmyer (partially available), Sohaib Maqsood, Sohaibullah, Sohail Khan, Sohail Tanvir, Usman Qadir and Muhammad Waseem
Peshawar Zalmi– Wahab Riaz (c), Abrar Ahmed, Amad Butt, Bismillah Khan, David Miller (partially available), Fabian Allen (partially available), Fidel Edwards (partially available), Haider Ali, Hazratullah Zazai, Imam-ul-Haq, Kamran Akmal, Mohammad Amir Khan, Mohammad Irfan Sr., Mohammad Imran Jr., Mohammad Imran Randhawa, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Shoaib Malik, Umaid Asif and Waqar Salamkheil
Quetta Gladiators – Sarfaraz Ahmed (c), Abdul Nasir, Andre Russell (partially available), Arish Ali Khan, Azam Khan, Cameron Delport, Faf du Plessis, Hassan Khan, Jack Wildermuth, Jake Weatherald, Khurram Shehzad, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Usman Khan, Usman Shinwari, Zahid Mahmood and Zahir Khan