Daily Times

KARACHI: Pakistan Super League (PSL) fourth edition’s final is set to play between the two toughest teams of the tournament on Sunday.

Quetta Gladiators hope their in-form opener Shane Watson will make them third time lucky as they look to avoid another knock-out punch from a spirited Peshawar Zalmi when the two teams clash in the sell-out final of the Pakistan Super League at the National Stadium here on Sunday (today).

The match will start at 8:00 pm, but the closing ceremony will begin at 6: 00 pm. Quetta have beaten Peshawar in both the league games this season, before having the better of their arch-rivals in the Wednesday’s Qualifier at the back of a powerful performance, but they are wary of a knock-out punch from the Daren Sammy-led Peshawar.

Despite beating Peshawar in the Qualifiers in 2016 and 2017 in thrilling last-over finishes by one-run, Quetta lost in the 2017 final by 58 runs in Lahore and in the Eliminator 1 last year.

Last year, Shane Watson decided to stay away for the Eliminators in Lahore, leaving Quetta depleted. But this time Watson, who has amassed 423 runs in the tournament, made a late decision to visit Karachi.

It is befitting for the Pakistan Super League final that the two most in-form teams are in the final, finishing with seven wins and three losses each in the first phase.

Quetta have mostly chased targets and their two wins against Peshawar came by six and eight wickets, respectively before they had the better of their rivals by 10 runs in the play-off in Karachi.

Peshawar are more reliant on Kamran Akmal, who Sammy described as his “match-winner”, having knocked off 336 runs in 12 games. Fellow-opener Imam-ul-Haq has justified his selection with 338 runs in 11 matches. They put on 135 to set the platform for an imposing 214 for five against Islamabad, helping their team to a 48-run win.

Peshawar also has powerful pace attack, led by tournament’s highest wicket-taker Hasan Ali who has 25 wickets in 12 matches. Experienced pacer Wahab Riaz has 16, followed by Sameen Gul (10), and Tymal Mills and Umaid Asif (seven each).

But Quetta’s spinners – Mohammad Nawaz and Fawad Ahmed – make the difference with wickets in the middle overs. Peshawar are unable to accommodate their spinner Liam Dawson.

Both teams are very much balanced and a tough competition is expected.