Sports Bulletin

SB News ISLAMABAD (February 18, 2020):-HBL Pakistan Super League 2020, the biggest cricket spectacle in Pakistan since the 2008 Asia Cup, will carry mammoth prize money of US$1million, it was announced today (Tuesday). The winners of the 22 March final under Gaddafi Stadium lights will collect a cheque of U$500K along with a glittering and brand new trophy, while the runner-up will receive a cheque of US$200K. In addition to the above, there will be number of other cash awards, including U$4,500 each to all the 34 player of the matches. Furthermore, US$80K will be equally distributed to player of the tournament, best batsman, best bowler and Spirit of Cricket. The remaining amount will be distributed for other match-related awards like best catch, best run-out and most sixes. The 34-match 32-day HBL Pakistan Super League 2020 will be the biggest cricket extravaganza to take place in Pakistan and first since the six-team Asia Cup 2008. Twelve years ago, the then four Test playing countries were joined by the United Arab Emirates and Hong Kong in a 13-match tournament in Karachi and Lahore. Sri Lanka had defeated India in the final at the National Stadium by 100 runs. Prior to this tournament, Pakistan had staged the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 1987 and 1996. In 1987, Pakistan had hosted 10 matches at seven venues, while 16 matches were played at six venues in 1996. Although a domestic tournament, the six-team HBL Pakistan Super League will be held across four venues with Karachi staging nine, Lahore 14, Rawalpindi eight and Multan three. The opening match of the HBL Pakistan Super League 2020 will be held between defending champions Quetta Gladiators and two-time former winners Islamabad United at the National Stadium and will commence at 9pm following an attractive opening ceremony, which will begin at 6.45pm.

By BIPIN DANI Meher Mohammad Khalil, the bus driver who turned Sri Lanka's "hero" in 2009 met Kumar Sangakkara during the recent trip to Pakistan. Former Sri Lanka captain and wicket-keeper batsman Kumar Sangakkara, who happens to be the first Asian president of the world's most famous cricket club-MCC (Marylebone Cricket Club) has taken his team to Pakistan to play one 50-over game and three T20 matches in Lahore. Speaking exclusively over telephone from Lahore, Meher Khalil said, "I met Sangakkara at the Aitcheson College ground in Lahore before the match. It was my pleasure to meet the legend". Incidentally, Sangajkkara was a member of the squad which was attacked by the terrorist attack on 3rd March in 2009. "It was Sangakkara's first visit after the incident and he did enquire about the country and wished me well". "We are fortunate enough to have a great cricketer in our country and I am sure he will encourage the other countries to come and play here". Meher Khalil had earned fame and success after saving Sri Lanka’s cricket team from a deadly 2009 attack in Pakistan. He was even invited by the Sri Lankan government and was accorded the VIP treatment during his stay in Sri Lanka.   "I could not meet Sangakkara during my Sri Lanka visit but I had met him in South Africa when he toured with the team there. I was employed in South Africa for a short period", Khalil added. Playing golf The 43-year-old Sangakkara also played golf in Lahore. “MCC team enjoyed a bright sunny day in Lahore with a game of golf” , the PCB official said. "President Kumar Sangakkara and other members of the squad were seen playing on their rest day", the official added.

Sports Desk ISLAMABAD (February 17, 2020):-The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2020 is officially up and running with all 10 captains excited to showcase their abilities to both Australia and the world. All 10 captains gathered for the official captains' media launch in Sydney The ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2020 could see a world record attendance for a women’s sport event broken. Australia and India get the tournament under way on 21 February Those in charge of the 10 teams headed to Taronga Zoo in Sydney, providing a picturesque setting for the official captain’s media launch on Monday morning. The 2020 edition of the Women’s T20 World Cup is set to be the most closely-fought yet, and the prize at the end could not have been greater. A world record attendance for a women’s sport fixture could be set when the final is held on 8 March in Melbourne – International Women’s Day – with those at the helm desperate to take their country to the MCG. As hosts and defending champions, Australia captain Meg Lanning knows expectation more than most but, with the chance to play in iconic stadia, she is keen for her team to enjoy and not worry about the experience. “We’re looking forward to getting started, it’s great that we get to reach out to all our fans across the country and they’ll get the chance to see what will be an amazing tournament,” she said. “We want to enjoy the experience of playing in front of friends and family. “It’s a once-in-a-career opportunity to play in a home World Cup, there is pressure and expectation in that but every team wants to win, as we do.” Lanning’s side will face India in their tournament opener on 21 February, with India looking to build on the performances which saw them reach the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup Final in 2017. Harmanpreet Kaur will take the reins in Australia – looking to make the most of the experiences from three years ago. “Our team is growing day by day, everyone is looking so positive,” she said. “It’s going to be very big if we win, I was very surprised at all the reaction from 2017. “My parents didn’t tell me, they didn’t want us to feel the pressure. If we win, it’s going to be very big for us. We will try to give our best.” There is experience aplenty in Group A, not least from Sri Lanka captain Chamari Atapattu, one of the few players in world cricket to have a better record against Australia than her format average. “I just play my natural game, I always took myself as a positive cricketer, playing freely – and that’s all there is to it,” she said. “We played against Australia last summer, we learned a lot about them and what makes them the best team in the world. “We’re going to try to play positive cricket – our dream is to get into the semi-finals.” While Atapattu boasts a wealth of captaincy experience, this is the first outing in the role for New Zealand’s Sophie Devine, opponents in their first game in Perth. But despite her novice status as team leader, Devine already knows the approach she wants to take with the White Ferns. “Captaincy is a huge honour but I’m a player like all the rest of my team, so I’ve got to keep doing my job and performing for my teammates,” she said. “I know cricket can be a really fickle game – you’ve got to ride the highs and lows of it and if I can stay nice and calm, it makes it even more special.” Rounding off Group A are Bangladesh, keen to build on an improvement in the past few years which culminated in Salma Khatun’s side beating India in the Asia Cup. She said: “The Asia Cup was a great experience, but the focus is now on the World Cup. We want to be focusing on New Zealand and Australia. “Our U19 side won the World Cup recently and we are looking forward to getting started.” Group B features two previous Women’s T20 World Cup winning sides, one of whom is England – victors in the inaugural competition in 2009. Heather Knight wasn’t part of the squad then but led her side to Women’s Cricket World Cup glory in England back in 2017, noticing similarities between preparations for that competition and now. “We had a great experience in 2017, which was unique in terms of expectation,” she said. “There’s a lot of momentum in this competition, similar to then. I went for coffee in Sydney and saw Ellyse Perry’s face on the side of three different buses! “You want to be tested at a World Cup, finding ways to improve and learn and the tri-series was brilliant for that – we’re now just ready to get going.” The other former champions are West Indies, who prevailed in 2016 but missed out in their home tournament two years ago. Australia spoiled the party on that occasion but Stafanie Taylor insists revenge isn’t part of their pre-event psyche in 2020. “We’re really trying to focus on our own game and playing our best cricket,” she said. “We’ve been playing indoors a lot because of the awful weather so we’re looking forward to getting going.” Meanwhile, South Africa enter this World Cup as one of the underdogs – a tag that Dane van Niekerk feels suits the Proteas. And with Siya Kolisi leading the men’s rugby team to World Cup glory last year, the skipper doesn’t have far to look for inspiration. She said: “Nelson Mandela said that sport can unite a nation and that’s what we as sportspeople do, we try and bring the people together. “If we do something special such as Siya, it would be a dream come true and that’s what makes it special.” Pakistan have similarly failed to reach their full potential in ICC competitions, a setback captain Bismah Maroof believes could change this time around. But it’s the work off the pitch as opposed to execution of skills that she feels could be most important. “It’s important for us to get the right mindset, we’re working on the mental side of our game and so we want to be in a good frame of mind ahead of the first game,” she said. “We are missing big moments in the World Cups, we need to create chances for ourselves, live in the moment and try not to think about the big stage.” The tenth and final team taking part in Australia are Thailand, who have already made history by qualifying for a global event for the first time. Far from making up the numbers, Sornnarin Tippoch’s side haven’t stopped smiling since arriving, already warming the hearts of those around the world. Now, the challenge is bringing cricket to those who are learning about the game back home. She said: “I’m nervous now! We’re really excited to be involved for the first time. We will look to play our best cricket and we’ll show how we play the game. “People back home don’t know me, some people know cricket but it’s not on the television. They will follow us on Instagram and Facebook and will know about our game.”

SB News KARACHI (February 17, 2020):-As many as 350 artists will perform in the opening ceremony of the HBL PSL 2020, which will be held at Karachi’s National Stadium on Thursday. The metropolitan city is expected to be set alight as artists from different music genres – Sufi, pop, rock, bhangra and folk – will come together to perform at what will be the biggest opening ceremony in the history of the HBL PSL. Thousands of fans in the stadium will be on the edge of their seats and millions around the globe will be glued to their television sets as world renowned artists like Abrar-ul-Haq, Aima Baig, Abu Mohammad, Fareed Ayaz, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Sajjad Ali, Sanam Marvi and rock band Soch will embellish the ceremony with their breath-taking performances, while Ali Azmat, Arif Lohar, Haroon and Asim Azhar will perform HBL PSL 2020’s anthem Tayyar Hain. The glittery ceremony, which will be held before the opening match of the tournament between defending champions Quetta Gladiators and two-time champion Islamabad United, will also include riveting acts and a spectacular fireworks show. PCB Director – Commercial, Babar Hamid, said: “It is only befitting that a grand and glamorous opening ceremony is held to welcome Pakistan’s very own HBL PSL in the country. We have brought together all the top artists in the country to set the tone of what will be an epic tournament.” The ceremony, which will be approximately an hour long, will kick-off at 6.45pm. The toss for the first match will be held at 8.30pm, while the much-anticipated first ball of the HBL PSL 2020 will be delivered at 9pm.

SB News Lahore (February 16, 2020);-The HBL Pakistan Super League continues to make an impact on and off the field and like last year it is set to make another humble contribution in the fight against Childhood Cancer and Breast Cancer. The Pakistan Cricket Board has joined hands with the Indus Hospital, Karachi, and Pink Ribbon Pakistan to observe Childhood Cancer Awareness Day and Breast Cancer Awareness Day, respectively, during the fifth edition of the HBL PSL. The Childhood Cancer Awareness Day will be observed on 22 February and the Breast Cancer Awareness Day will be marked on 7 March and on both occasions teams, match officials and commentators will be involved in the support of the two campaigns. PCB Chief Executive Wasim Khan said: “It is a humble contribution from the PCB in raising awareness against cancer; it is our collective responsibility to help the cause as much as possible. The PCB fully understands its corporate social responsibility and we are currently in partnerships both with the Shahid Afridi Foundation and the British Asian Trust and will continue to support genuine causes in various sectors across the country. “Last year, both Childhood Cancer Awareness Day in Dubai and the Breast Cancer Awareness Day in Karachi were fully supported by the teams, match officials, commentators besides receiving the support of the fans. I am sure we will have their backing this year too and we are looking forward to 22 February and 7 March. We expect the media and fans to once again help us promote the initiative while spreading the message far and wide.” Childhood Cancer Awareness Day: The Childhood Cancer Awareness Day was first observed in the HBL PSL on 15 February 2019 in Dubai. The four participating teams Karachi Kings, Multan Sultans, Peshawar Zalmi and Quetta Gladiators wore gold ribbons along with the match officials and commentators. The winning captains had shared their team shirts with a cancer patient. For the HBL PSL 2020, the Childhood Cancer Awareness Day will be observed on Saturday, 22 February, in both Karachi and Lahore, the venues of the two league matches that day. At the National Stadium Karachi, defending champions Quetta Gladiators take on former winners Peshawar Zalmi in a repeat of last year’s final. The day game will begin at 2pm. Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium will then host a match between two-time champions Islamabad United and Multan Sultans. The night match will begin at 7pm. All four teams, match officials and match commentators at both venues will wear gold ribbons, synonymous with Childhood Cancer Awareness campaigns. The stumps in use for both matches will also be branded in gold, while a cancer patient will be invited at the post-match presentation ceremonies of both matches where they will be presented a memorabilia signed shirt from the winning captains. Childhood cancer awareness messages would be displayed on the digital screens placed at the two venues to create awareness about the disease aimed at educating the spectators. Breast Cancer Awareness Day: The Breast Cancer Awareness Day was observed on 11 March last year at the National Stadium. Multan Sultans, Lahore Qalandars, Karachi Kings and Peshawar Zalmi were the four teams that took the field in a double-header that day. The teams along with match officials and commentators wore the pink ribbons in support of the Breast Cancer Awareness program. For the HBL PSL 2020, the Breast Cancer Awareness Day will be observed on 7 March in both Rawalpindi and Lahore, venues of the two league matches that day. At the Pindi Cricket Stadium, Islamabad United will take on Peshawar Zalmi in what is expected to be an absorbing battle between the two former champions. The day game will begin at 2pm. Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium will then host a match between Lahore Qalandars, the home side, and Gladiators in a contest which will be played under lights. All four teams, match officials and match commentators at both venues will wear pink ribbons, synonymous with Breast Cancer Awareness campaigns. The stumps in use for both matches will also be branded pink. Breast cancer awareness messages would be displayed on the digital screens placed at the two venues for creating awareness and sharing valuable information about the disease.

SB News KARACHI (February 16, 2020):-For what will be the first-ever trophy unveiling ceremony on the Pakistani soil, squash icon Jahangir Khan will bring the HBL PSL 2020 trophy at the National Stadium, Karachi, on Wednesday, 19 February, for its unveiling. Jahangir, in an international-styled ceremony, will carry the silverware to the field of play and hand it over to the defending captain Sarfaraz Ahmed – of Quetta Gladiators – after which the brand new trophy will be unveiled by PCB Chairman Ehsan Mani in the presence of six franchise owners and captains. Jahangir Khan said: “It will be truly a remarkable moment for me to play a role in the unveiling of the HBL PSL 2020 trophy. I am looking forward to the ceremony. “The PCB has done a wonderful job in the resumption of top-flight cricket in the country and the success of the HBL PSL 2020 is going to send a profound message to the world that Pakistan is safe. I hope that with the success of this event, international teams belonging to other sports will also travel to Pakistan and this will spark a sporting culture which we have been missing over the last few decades. “I wish the PCB all the best for what will be an exciting tournament. HBL PSL keeps every Pakistani glued to their TV sets and I will be following it keenly.” For his extraordinary achievements in squash courts all over the world, Jahangir’s name has become synonymous to the game. The great Pakistani athlete holds a record for the longest winning streak for any sportsman with 555 consecutive wins over almost six years. At the age of only 17, Jahangir, the six-time World Champion, became the youngest player to bag a British Open title.  PCB Chief Executive Wasim Khan said: “It is befitting that a sporting great like Jahangir Khan will bring the trophy to the ceremony to mark the momentous occasion, which will see an entire HBL PSL season being held in Pakistan. “I am thankful to Jahangir for becoming a part of the ceremony and providing the PCB the opportunity to honour a legend like him. “The HBL PSL is where it belongs and I can feel the excitement amongst the fans, who have turned this into the biggest brand in Pakistan and one of the most watched T20 leagues around the world.” The trophy, designed by Ottewill Silversmits, a U.K. based manufacturer, is studded with a three-dimensional star and a crescent on top, which represent Pakistan. The 65-centimetre-long trophy weighs eight kilogrammes and has multi-coloured enamel strips around it to encapsulate different colours of the vibrant nation. From this season, the HBL PSL trophy will be perpetual and each year the winning team will have their name engraved on it. The trophy unveiling ceremony will start around 3.30pm.

By  BIPIN   DANI    Former Pakistan opening batsman Hanif Mohammad in "remembered" at Pakistan Cricket Board's High Performance Centre.  The new sign board with the legendary batsman's name has been displayed at PCB's High Performance Centre at the National Stadium in Karachi on Thursday. This was revealed by late Hanif Mohammad's son, Shoaib Mohammad. Speaking exclusively over telephone from Karachin on Friday morning, Shoaib Mohammad says, "the HPC was inaugurated by me few years ago. Now it is being recognised by my late father".  "I appreciate that they  acknowledge to put up an academy under my dad's name".  Hanif Mohammad, who played 55 Tests with the individual highest score of 337 runs passed away at the age of 81 in 2016.  "We would have appreciated if they had allotted a piece of land which was promises for a cricket academy.  "Now finally when they have put up a sign board after two years imagine the the legend's name is not at the top but somewhere in the middle. Wasim Bari who is in charge of the stadium has completely overlooked the fact ..leave alone a request during his life time is yet to be allotted", Shoaib Mohammad, who also played more than 100 international matches (Tests-45, ODIs' 63), signed off.  

Sports Desk ISLAMABAD (February 15, 2020):-Whether it’s Katherine Brunt’s three wickets in England’s 2009 victory or Stafanie Taylor shining for the West Indies in 2016, the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup has provided cricket aficionados with plenty of fond memories to savour. Members of the Australia Women's team pose with the ICC T20 World Cup 2020 trophy during the fixture announcement event. We’ve seen three winners, six countries host and countless memorable moments made since the inaugural ICC Women’s T20 World Cup back in 2009 With 11 years having passed since the inaugural tournament in England, we’ve witnessed plenty of thrills and spills, but a few moments stand head and shoulders above the rest. There’ll be few better Women’s T20 World Cup memories for England fans than those of the inaugural 2009 tournament – and what better way to make your mark on the world stage than by lifting the trophy on home soil? England and New Zealand contested the inaugural Women’s T20 World Cup final at Lord’s, with the host nation bowling out the White Ferns for 85 thanks to Brunt’s opening spell of three for six. England shone from start to finish, with Claire Taylor taking the Player of the Series accolade while Holly Colvin finished with a tournament-high nine wickets. Colvin and Taylor were joined by Charlotte Edwards, Sarah Taylor and Laura Marsh in the ICC Team of the Tournament. As Women’s T20 World Cup Finals go, there will never be a moment quite like Australia’s last-ball victory in 2010. Australia began their unparalleled run of World Cup success ten years ago when they edged out New Zealand by three runs in Barbados - but if it hadn’t been for Ellyse Perry’s right foot, it could have been a very different story. Sophie Devine was on strike with New Zealand needing five to win from the final ball and hammered a powerful drive towards the boundary from Perry’s delivery. But the Australian - who has also played in a football World Cup for her country - somehow managed to stick out her right foot and deflect the ball to mid-on to concede a single and take her team to their maiden Women’s T20 World Cup victory. The tournament also saw West Indies’ Deandra Dottin score the first women’s T20I century, 112 not out against South Africa, with the 38 balls needed to bring up three figures still the fastest in WT20Is. 2012 - Cameron shines as Australia clinch second title There was a familiar feel to 2012 as Australia clinched a narrow victory, beating England in the final by four runs in Sri Lanka. Jess Cameron shone with a match-winning 45 in Colombo, while Julie Hunter impressed throughout by taking 11 wickets in the tournament. The highest individual score fell to England’s Sarah Taylor with 65 not out against the eventual champions in the group stage, while Dottin was once again instrumental in West Indies’ route to the semi-finals, hitting an unbeaten 58 in victory over New Zealand. 2014 - Bangladesh break the mould It was a case of déjà vu in 2014 as Australia celebrated their third successive Women’s T20 World Cup title with a six-wicket win over England in the final. But the tournament in Bangladesh had so much more to offer than more just delight for those in yellow. The hosts were unable to progress beyond the group stage but their maiden win on debut was certainly one of the tournament highlights, Rumana Ahmed’s side edging out Sri Lanka by three runs in Sylhet. It was captain Rumana who put in a Player of the Match performance, hitting 41 off 34 balls – a feat she and her country will be eager to recreate in Australia this month. 2016 - West Indies the winners! The 2016 Women’s T20 World Cup was one like no other as the Australian dominance was broken and a new world champion emerged. Having lost the semi-final on three previous occasions, the West Indies finally broke their curse by making the showpiece in Kolkata - the match that changed the narrative around women’s T20 cricket. Stafanie Taylor’s side secured their maiden world title in stunning fashion - overcoming reigning champions Australia was one thing but chasing down 149 runs to win the match by eight wickets was truly something else. The tournament is one that will live long in the memories of West Indies supporters and players alike, with several names writing their names in the history books on the world stage. Captain Taylor broke a tournament record by scoring 246 runs, while Anisa Mohammed became the first player, male or female, to take 100 T20I wickets. 2018 - Perry rewrites history with final performance In 2018, Australia were back on top - and they made sure they secured their fourth Women’s T20 World Cup title in stunning fashion. Most memorable may be Ashleigh Gardner’s Player of the Match performance in the eight-wicket final victory over England, the all-rounder scoring 33 runs and taking three wickets, but once again Meg Lanning’s side was full of stand-out performers. Alyssa Healy blew Ireland away with her 21-ball half century in the group stages, while Perry was as instrumental as ever as she became the first Australian, male or female, to take 100 T20I wickets when she trapped Nat Sciver lbw in the final. If the 2020 edition is anything like the six tournaments gone by, then the world is surely in for a cracker. With Thailand making their debut on the global stage, teenage debutants looking to make an impact and the prospect of a world record crowd for a women’s sporting event being broken at the MCG on 8 March, this year’s tournament has all the makings of being the best one yet.

Pakistan have never qualified for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup knockout stages but experienced batter Javeria Khan insists they now have the tools needed to progress. Pakistan have yet to hit their potential at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, winning six of 24 games at the global showpiece Javeria has 97 T20I caps to her name and skippered the side at the 2018 edition Pakistan get their campaign underway against the West Indies on 26 February in Canberra Bismah Maroof’s side have featured in all six editions of the global event and are yet to advance beyond the group stages, winning only six games in the process. Sri Lanka are the only other ever-presents to have never reached the last four. But Javeria, 31, says tussling with top sides England, South Africa and New Zealand in bilateral series will help her side convert promise into performances. “We are closing the gap with every match we play against the top teams,” she said. “We would come to World Cups to play India and Australia with no experience of facing them outside tournaments. How could we grow? “The ICC have done this tremendously well with the introduction of the ICC Women’s Championship. Now, we are playing big teams and that’s why we’re gradually improving. “We used to get hammered by Australia and England but recently, we’ve been in a position to win matches against them and mentality is the main difference. “We have the talent, we just have to manage pressure at crucial times. There is a golden chance that we can reach the semi-finals.” Since the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2018, Pakistan have shown promise and beat Bangladesh 3-0 in a bilateral series, while also drawing 2-2 with South Africa. Javeria’s opening partner for their first group game against West Indies will likely be either 15-year-old Ayeesha Naseem, awaiting her T20I debut, or Muneeba Ali who hasn’t featured since 2018. Fielding and fitness are other long-standing bugbears for Pakistan, who underwent a ten-day conditioning camp in their homeland to prepare for the tournament. Javeria - who will play in her seventh T20 World Cup this month - knows her nation must step up in the field to achieve their semi-final dream. “The improvement is not dramatic, but we are growing gradually in the field,” she said. “We have fielded better in the last year, compared to how we used to. Fielding turns the game. “We have grown and there will be improvement in our unit. If we want to win, we have to field well and the girls must realise this.”

SB News LAHORE (February 15, 2020);-Since its advent the HBL Pakistan Super League has brought forward some riveting on-field rivalries and contests between Quetta Gladiators and Peshawar Zalmi have kept the fans at the edge of their seats. Gladiators and Zalmi are the two most successful teams in the history of HBL PSL with success percentages of 61.90 and 58.69, respectively, and both the teams have bagged an HBL PSL title once. After two nail-biting play-offs between them, they faced-off in the 2017 edition’s final, which was played at Pakistan’s home of cricket, Qaddafi Stadium, and was the first HBL PSL match on the Pakistan soil. Peshawar Zalmi, captained by Darren Sammy, were the comfortable winners in that match by 58 runs. Sarfaraz Ahmed-led Gladiators avenged the defeat last year as they secured an eight-wicket win over Zalmi in front of a rousing Karachi crowd at the National Stadium. Both Gladiators and Zalmi have played three finals each and there has been no HBL PSL final in which either of the sides hasn’t featured. Because of their brilliant record and star-power in the ranks, both teams enjoy massive fan following stretching across Pakistan and the two group-stage contests between them on 22 February in Karachi and 5 March in Rawalpindi are expected to fill the stadiums to their capacity. Past results (matches 14; Gladiators have won eight; Zalmi have won five; one ended in no-result): The two teams have produced some of the most epic battles in the play-off stages over the course of the four seasons. The rivalry between these two sides kicked-off when they met in the first-ever Qualifier of the HBL PSL – in 2016 – when Gladiators beat Zalmi by one run to secure a berth in the final. Entering that contest the two sides had honours even as both had come out victorious once in the two group matches. They met again in the 2017 edition’s Qualifier with the result eerily the same – Gladiators’ victory by one run. Zalmi, three days later, got better of Karachi Kings in the second Eliminator to secure a berth in the final and subsequently secured their first-ever HBL PSL title by beating Gladiators. The next season, they faced off in an Eliminator after Zalmi and Gladiators finished at third and fourth spots respectively. The margin of the result was the same – one run – as in the previous two editions’ Qualifiers, but this time Zalmi were at the winning end. Similar to the 2017 edition, the two teams met four times in the 2019 edition. Gladiators secured a 10-run win in the Qualifier and four days later they beat Zalmi, this time by eight wickets, to secure their maiden HBL PSL title. Major players in the two squads for the HBL PSL 2020 season: With an aim to add another HBL PSL trophy in their cabinet, the two sides have assembled strong squads. Peshawar Zalmi boast best performers of the HBL PSL in their side in the likes of Kamran Akmal and Wahab Riaz who have the most runs (1,286 in 47 matches) and the most wickets (65 in 45 matches) respectively. Zalmi’s batting unit is enhanced by the inclusion of Shoaib Malik - who has 2,309 runs in T20I cricket, the most for Pakistan – and Tom Banton, who on the back of prolific white-ball form made ODI and T20I debuts for England recently. Kieron Pollard, Darren Sammy and Imam-ul-Haq, who finished as the fifth-highest run-getter in the last edition with 341 runs including four half-centuries, form the core of Zalmi’s batting unit. In the supplementary category Zalmi have included the exciting young opening batsman Haider Ali who represented Pakistan U19 in the recently concluded ICC U19 Cricket World Cup played in South Africa. The bowling unit will be spearheaded by Wahab. Hasan Ali, who will make return to competitive cricket after recovering from injury, and left-armer Rahat Ali will further add depth to the pace-bowling. Mohammad Mohsin is an exciting inclusion in the Zalmi line-up. The 26-year-old leggie took nine wickets at an average of 19.44 in the National T20 Cup in Faisalabad in October last year. They also have in their ranks two exciting teenage bowlers, left-arm-spinner Aamir Ali and fast-bowler Amir Khan, both featured in Pakistan’s U19 World Cup side that finished third in South Africa. Gladiators also have an equally exciting line-up with Shane Watson, who was the player-of-the-tournament in 2019, expected to deliver goods once again. Jason Roy, one of the most successful white-ball top-order batsmen in international cricket, Umar Akmal, Ahmed Shehzad and captain Sarfaraz Ahmed form the batting core. In the bowling department all eyes will be on Naseem Shah, who will make his maiden HBL PSL appearance, and Mohammad Hasnain, who delivered the fastest ball of the previous edition and took three wickets for 30 runs in the final at Karachi’s National Stadium last year. The two youngsters will have the support of left-arm quick Tymal Mills, while the spin-attack will be led by Mohammad Nawaz and Fawad Ahmed. They also have an U19 rookie in their ranks. Karachi-born Aarish Ali Khan also represented Pakistan U19 in South Africa. He has the pedigree to make an impression as an emerging force this season. With the HBL PSL being held in Pakistan for the first time, the excitement is at its peak and it continues to grow with every passing day. When these two sides come face-to-face, the fans are expected to be served with thrilling matches. And, if history is any measure, they will be in the play-offs, with the matches expected to shatter nerves again especially if they are decided on the last ball. Squads: Peshawar Zalmi: Platinum – Hasan Ali, Kieron Pollard (from 7 March) and Wahab Riaz Diamond – Kamran Akmal, Tom Banton, Shoaib Malik and Carlos Brathwaite (till 7 March) Gold – Darren Sammy, Imam-ul-Haq and Liam Dawson Silver – Umar Amin, Mohammad Mohsin, Rahat Ali, Lewis Gregory and Adil Amin Emerging – Amir Khan and Amir Ali Supplementary – Liam Livingstone and Haider Ali uetta Gladiators: Platinum – Mohammad Nawaz, Sarfaraz Ahmed (captain) and Jason Roy Diamond – Shane Watson, Ahmed Shehzad and Ben Cutting Gold – Umar Akmal, Mohammad Hasnain and Fawad Ahmed Silver – Ahsan Ali, Naseem Shah, Sohail Khan, Tymal Mills, Abdul Nasir Emerging – Arish Ali Khan and Azam Khan Supplementary – Keemo Paul (from 7 March), Khurram Manzoor and Zahid Mehmood (till 7 March)