Daily Times

Quetta Gladiators started their journey in the Pakistan Super League as an underdog unit, but after three years, their winning percentage (56.66) in the league stands only behind Peshawar Zalmi (57.57) and Islamabad United (59.37). The Gladiators’ success in the league has been built on the youth and street-smart captaincy of Sarfaraz Ahmed with Moin Khan as the coach and Sir Viv Richards as the team mentor. Such has been Gladiators’ reliance on Sarfaraz that they are the only team in the tournament which has maintained consistency in team captaincy. Their journey in 2019 starts on the second day of the tournament with a match against the 2017 champions and last year’s runners-up, Peshawar Zalmi, in Dubai on February 15. The Gladiators have twice got close to lifting the silverware, but they lost the finals to Islamabad United in 2016 and to Zalmi in 2017. In the first Eliminator of the 2018 event in Lahore, chasing 25 runs from the last over against Zalmi, the Gladiators fell agonisingly short of the target by just two runs. In the coming edition, the Gladiators will be looking to seize the opportunities and make the marginal calls, that until now have gone against them, go their way.

For that to make it happen, they have beefed up their side with three new players in Dwayne Bravo, Fawad Ahmed and Sunil Narine. Bravo (471 wickets) is the most successful bowler in T20 cricket history and will be eying to become first to 500 scalps. He had represented Lahore Qalandars in 2016, and returns to the PSL after a gap of two years.

Fawad was the best bowler in the Caribbean Premier League 2018, taking 22 wickets at an economy of just 6.18. He will be making his maiden appearance in the PSL. The leg-spinner last played in Pakistan in 2009, and could be in action in his native country when the Gladiators face Karachi Kings at the National Stadium on March 10.

Narine at 6.22 has the best economy-rate in the PSL history. He previously played for Qalandars in the 2017 and 2018 seasons. He might well be their candidate to open the innings with the bat. While bowling remains the strength of Gladiators, Rilee Rossouw’s red-hot form with the bat will do them a world of good. The South Africa batsman this year has already piled up 558 runs in T20s at an average of 79.71 with a strike-rate of 150.40. His form brings a great stability the middle-order.

Shane Watson is another overseas professional, who will be joining the Gladiators on the back of fine form in the domestic cricket. Playing for Sydney Thunder, Watson scored a 61-ball century only a month ago. With 684 runs, he is also the most prolific foreign batsman in the PSL.

Sarfraz remains a key-figure behind the team’s success and waiting to make his first PSL appearance in Karachi. It is a dream of every cricketer to perform in his home city and this PSL will be an opportunity for Sarfraz to ply his trade in the city where he grew up playing cricket.

“To see the HBL PSL in my home town will be a great feeling for me,” Sarfraz said. “I led Pakistan in three T20Is against the Windies in Karachi last year and it was heartening to see the cricket-loving crowd cheering for us at the National Stadium. I am eagerly waiting to repeat the experience as captain of Quetta Gladiators in the coming PSL.”

Mohammad Nawaz, the all-rounder of Quetta Gladiators, shared his excitement at the PSL when he said: “I am excited ahead of the fourth PSL. I am working hard to perform well as I did in the last three seasons. “Our new squad is more balanced and stronger. The foreign stars will be traveling to Pakistan this time which is something we missed in the previous seasons as it disturbed our team combination. I am looking forward to this PSL.”

Squad (in the order of pick)

Overseas: Sunil Narine (West Indies), Dwayne Bravo (West Indies, Shane Watson (Australia), Rilee Rossouw (South Africa), Fawad Ahmed (Australia) and Harry Gurney (England)

Dwayne Smith (West Indies) is in the squad as cover for Dwayne Bravo.

Local: Sarfraz Ahmed, Sohail Tanvir, Mohammad Nawaz, Umar Akmal, Anwar Ali, Saud Shakeel, M Asghar, Danish Aziz, Ahsan Ali, Ghulam Muddassir, Ahmed Shehzad, Azam Khan, Jalat Khan, Mohammad Irfan Jr and Mohammad Hasnain.

Schedule of matches:

15 February – v Peshawar Zalmi (n), Dubai

17 February – v Islamabad United (d), Dubai

20 February – v Multan Sultans (n), Sharjah

23 February – v Lahore Qalandars (d), Sharjah

24 February – v Karachi Kings (n), Sharjah

27 February – v Lahore Qalandars (d), Dubai

1 March – v Multan Sultans (n), Dubai

4 March – v Peshawar Zalmi (d), Abu Dhabi

5 March – v Islamabad United (n), Abu Dhabi

10 March – v Karachi Kings (d), Karachi.

Published in Daily Times, February 7^th 2019.