Lahore Qalandars eye crucial win against Quetta Gladiators in home return

LAHORE: Defending champions Lahore Qalandars return to Gaddafi Stadium on Tuesday seeking a vital win in their bid to stay in contention for the HBL Pakistan Super League playoffs, as they take on Quetta Gladiators in an important day match.

The fixture opens a double-header, with Rawalpindiz set to face Multan Sultans later in the night at Karachi’s National Bank Stadium. With the tournament moving into a decisive stage after the second-round matches in Karachi, the importance of each point has increased significantly.

Lahore are sixth on the table with six points from seven matches, while Quetta are fourth with the same number of points from eight games and a slightly better net run-rate. Both teams are under pressure to avoid defeat, particularly with Peshawar Zalmi already through to the playoffs at the top of the standings with 15 points.

Qalandars had mixed results at home earlier in the competition. They won two matches at Gaddafi Stadium, against Hyderabad Kingsmen and Multan Sultans, before losing to Karachi Kings. Back in Lahore, they will again rely on a batting unit that includes Fakhar Zaman, Abdullah Shafique, Mohammad Naeem and Sikandar Raza.

In bowling, captain Shaheen Shah Afridi has led the way with 13 wickets, the second-highest tally in the tournament. However, Lahore need more consistent contributions from Haris Rauf, Raza and young fast bowler Ubaid Shah, who have not maintained rhythm regularly with the new ball or at the death.

Quetta, champions in 2019, have struggled for consistency, especially in Lahore, where they have won only one of their four matches. Their defeats there came against Karachi Kings, Islamabad United and Multan Sultans, while their only success was against Hyderabad Kingsmen.

Hasan Nawaz has been one of Quetta’s more dependable batters, scoring 288 runs at an average of 41.14, while captain Saud Shakeel has made 206 runs with steady middle-order efforts. The side, however, needs stronger attacking returns from overseas players Rilee Rossouw, Shamyl Hussain, Khawaja Nafay and Bevon Jacobs, particularly in the middle overs.

The Gladiators’ bowling has largely depended on spinners Abrar Ahmed and Usman Tariq, who have taken eight wickets each so far.

After Quetta’s heavy defeat to Peshawar Zalmi on Sunday, bowling coach Sohail Tanvir said the team needed to put the result behind them.

He said, “In my view, this happens sometimes — there comes a day as a team when nothing clicks for you. So, in such situations, as management, as a coach, or as senior players, all we can say is: forget this match and let’s move on.”

He added, “Because the good performance from the previous match didn’t help us today, and if we played badly today and didn’t perform well, it shouldn’t affect the upcoming matches.

We still have two games. And we are still in fourth position. We have all the chances — if we play the next matches well, we can qualify for the playoffs.”

Sohail also identified Quetta’s batting in the middle overs and the inability of the fast bowlers to create pressure in the powerplay as major concerns, saying Abrar and Usman require a solid platform from the top order to make a stronger impact.

On Monday, Lahore trained at the LCCA Ground along with Karachi Kings as they prepared for the must-win contest. Quetta, who were due to arrive in Lahore later in the evening, opted to rest their players.

Rawalpindiz face another stern test

In the second match of the day, Rawalpindiz will meet Multan Sultans in Karachi.

The new Rawalpindiz franchise has yet to register a win in its debut PSL campaign, losing all seven of its matches and carrying a poor net run-rate. Despite having players such as Mohammad Rizwan and a squad made up of experienced local and overseas cricketers, the team has not managed to produce results and remains at the bottom of the table.

Multan, by contrast, are second with 10 points from seven matches. Having already secured five wins, they have been among the competition’s most consistent sides and head into the game as favourites. Another victory would further improve their playoff position, while Rawalpindiz continue their search for a first PSL win.