Two-time winners Islamabad United will be desperate for a win when they take on a charged up Peshawar Zalmi in a 2019 Pakistan Super League clash at Sharjah on Friday.
Defending champions Islamabad started from where they left off last season with a convincing win over Lahore Qalandars in the tournament opener but have since gone off the boil with back-to-back defeats against Multan Sultans and Quetta Gladiators.
Despite having a deep batting line up with capable batsmen all the way down to number 10, it has been a failure to put enough runs on the board that has cost Islamabad dear.
It took a 20-ball 41 from South Africa pacer Wayne Parnell to put up a respectable total of 157-8 against Quetta after their top-order had failed to fire. The in-form Luke Ronchi was dismissed for a golden duck while the move to promote Shadab Khan to number three backfired with the leg-spinner falling for a duck too.
While Hussain Talat and Asif Ali have been decent, South Africa’s Cameron Delport has yet to show his worth to the starting XI after a spate of poor returns.
Skipper Mohammad Sami, Shadab and Parnell were all poor with the ball in the defeat to Quetta and will need to step up if Islamabad are to get back to winning ways.
Peshawar, on the other hand, come into the clash as the in-form team with two comprehensive wins on the trot. Darren Sammy and his men were on fire against Lahore Qalandars whom they bowled out for just 78 runs before they notched up a crushing 44-run win over the formidable Karachi Kings.
9 wickets in the season thus far 🔥@RealHa55an is the new owner of #FAZALMAHMUDCAP 🧢#HBLPSL #KhelDeewanoKa #PZvKK pic.twitter.com/jOaOWpPuy5
— PakistanSuperLeague (@thePSLt20) February 21, 2019
Pakistan pacer Hasan Ali has been the driving force behind both of Peshawar’s wins with consecutive four-wicket hauls while Wahab Riaz has continued his impressive showings from last season. With Umaid Asid looking good as well, Zalmi’s pace attack is one of the very best in the competition.
With the bat, Imam-ul-Haq came to the fore in the win over Karachi with a superb 56 and his addition to the side is looking like a wise move. Liam Dawson too impressed against the Kings with an all-round show but one man who will be under the microscope come Friday is Kieron Pollard.
The Windies all-rounder’s poor PSL continued with a duck against Karachi which means he has now scored only nine runs in his three innings so far. At the moment, Pollard is hanging onto his spot in the playing XI through reputation alone but the axe is certain to fall on him should his form continue to slide.
LIKELY XIs
Islamabad United: Luke Ronchi (wk), Rizwan Hussain, Cameron Delport, Hussain Talat, Asif Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Shadab Khan, Wayne Parnell, Samit Patel, Rummas Raees, Mohammad Sami (c)
Peshawar Zalmi: Imam-ul-Haq, Kamran Akmal (wk), Wayne Madsen, Umar Amin, Kieron Pollard, Liam Dawson, Darren Sammy (c), Hasan Ali, Wahab Riaz, Umaid Asif, Ibtisam Sheikh
Match starts at 20:00 UAE time
