LAHORE: In the first eliminator of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) season 7, third-ranked Peshawar Zalmi will compete with the injury-hurt Islamabad United, with the winner advancing to face Lahore Qalandars in the second eliminator, here at Gaddafi Stadium.
Former champions Zalmi and United will be seeking a win to advance to the second eliminator against the Qalandars. After losing to Multan Sultans in the qualifier, Qalandars have already set their sights on the winner of the first eliminator.
The 2017 PSL champions Zalmi, which were struggling to get going in the early stages, have found the momentum. The side won their last four matches including a super over win against Qalandars.
The top-order of the side, except for Mohammad Haris has been a concern for the side as their Afghan explosive batter – Hazratullah Zazai had a forgetful tournament so far.
However, the top-order failure posed little to no concern to the side as the veteran cricketer Shoaib Malik, Hussain Talat, and Ben Cutting are scoring crucial runs for the team in the middle-order.
The bowling department of the Zalmi, led by the skipper Wahab Riaz himself has been through a major confidence booster as Wahab bowled a magnificent super over against Qalandars and conceded only five runs.
However, Mohammad Umar, who went for 23 runs in his last over against Qalandars’ Shaheen Shah Afridi will be a concern for the men in yellow.
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The United, on the other hand, had a contrasting run to Zalmi as the side which was going strongly were jolted by the injury scare as their skipper and the leading wicket-taker of the tournament Shadab Khan and other key players became unavailable for the side.
However, the latest reports are suggesting that the United skipper Shadab Khan and English explosive opener Alex Hales will be available for selection today in their fixture against Zalmi.
Furthermore, fast bowler Hassan Ali and all-rounder Faheem Ashraf will also undergo fitness tests prior to the match and might also be available for the match today.
These inclusions may result in a confidence booster for the side, that lost four out of their last five matches. Returning Shadab and Hales can play an important role to assist their side to bounce back strongly in the mega event.
The side also possesses the firepower in their middle-order as Azam Khan and Asif Ali can hit the ball big and can turn things around.
HEAD TO HEAD
Matches-17, Peshawar Zalmi-9, Islamabad United-8
