Written by: Waseem Abbas
Posted on: January 28, 2022 | 
| 中文
Team captains of PSL 7
Pakistan Super League (PSL) season 7 started on the 27th of January, which will continue till the 27th of February, 2022. A franchise-based cricket tournament organized by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), PSL is one of the most popular cricket tournaments in the world. Since its inception in 2016, PSL has played an instrumental role in bringing cricket back home. Moreover, it provided a platform for many young cricketers to showcase their talent, which ultimately benefited Pakistan cricket. Many of the players who played an instrumental role in Pakistan's recent successes in international cricket, including Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah, Harris Rauf, and Fakhar Zaman, are the products of PSL.
Babar and Sharjeel running between the wickets in the first game of PSL 2022 against Multan Sultans
PSL 7 kicked off in Karachi on the 27th of January, where the defending champions, Multan Sultans, thrashed the host franchise, Karachi Kings, by seven wickets. The HBL PSL 2022 will have a total of 34 matches, with all six teams playing two games against each other. The first leg of PSL 7 (a total of 15 matches) will be played in Karachi from January 27 to February 07, 2022, while the second half of the marquee event (19 matches), will be played in Lahore from 10 to 27th of February, 2022.
Due to the abrupt rise of the Omicron variant of Covid-19 in the country, PSL will be played under strict Standard Operating Procedure (SOPs). Each team is allowed to have an extended squad of 22 players, so that the tournament continues unabated even if the contagious virus hits a few players. There are 25 reserve players who are in isolation, and if more than 8 players of any team test positive for Covid, these reserve players can be included in the squads. Initially, it was planned to have a full stadium of spectators, now only 25% of the capacity is allowed. Due to stiff international schedules, some of the key players are available for only part of the time of the tournament. The much-awaited official anthem of PSL 7, "Aagay Daikh", is sung by Atif Aslam and Aima Baig, who also performed at the opening ceremony.
Atif Aslam and Aima Baig performing in the opening ceremony of PSL 7
All the six teams are star-studded, but the team that will extract the best out of its available players will seal the deal. Islamabad United and Multan Sultans are the strongest teams on paper, with a brilliant mix of foreign and local, young and experienced players. The traditional perception that South Asian pitches favor spinners has been shattered in PSL, as the teams with versatile fast bowlers have excelled in PSL. The champions of PSL 2020 relied heavily on fast bowlers, like Shahnawaz Dahani, Imran Khan and Muzarabani. The top five wicket-takers in PSL are all pacers, barring Quetta's Muhammad Nawaz, who stands fourth on the list.
Multan Sultans, the defending champions, has the best pool of local batters among all the teams, with the likes of Shan Masood, Khushdil Shah and Sohaib Maqsood, the player of the tournament of PSL 2021, alongside their skipper Muhammad Rizwan. Rille Rossow, Shimron Hetmyar, Johnson Charles, Tim David, and other giants of franchise cricket will further boost the batting line-up of Multan Sultan. Their strong batting line-up makes Sultans quite invincible.
Multan's bowling consists of experienced campaigners from around the world, including Imran Tahir, David Willey, Blessing Muzarbani; while of the two local players, Imran Khan and Shahnawaz Dahani, the latter was the highest wicket-taker of the last PSL. However, the lack of local experienced bowlers, especially spinners, is going to haunt the Sultans this year.
Team Sultans after winning the first game of PSL 2022
Islamabad United is the most successful franchise in PSL history with two trophies and the best win ratio amongst all the teams, and much of their success results from their strategy and their horses for courses policy. The Islamabad United team comprises the core of the "Roti Gang" of the Pakistan team, which includes Asif, Faheem, Shadab and Hasan Ali.
United has all its bases covered: with Hales, Colin Munro, Rehman Ullah Gurbaz and Paul Stirling catering to the needs of the top-order batting, while Shadab, Hasan and Faheem carrying the burden of bowling. And with the new recruit Azam Khan complimenting the destructive Asif Ali in the power-hitting department, the Islamabad United will be roaring in the seventh edition of PSL under Shadab Khan's captaincy.
Islamabad United in their practice session
Quetta Gladiators has mixed its squad with experience and young blood quite expertly. Ex-Captain of Pakistan, Sarfraz Ahmed, who has been the captain of the franchise since PSL 1, will be leading the Gladiators. The Gladiators will be banking on its foreign players for batting and local players for bowling, as James Vince, Jason Roy and Shimron Hetmyer will be helping the team with their batting exploits. PSL veteran, Muhammad Nawaz, will play an important role for the Gladiators in bowling, and will be assisted by young pacers M Hasnain and Naseem Shah. The experienced trio of Sarfraz, Shahid Afridi and Sohail Tanveer will play a pivotal role in Gladiators' chances in the tournament. How the perennial 'problem boy' of Pakistan cricket, Umer Akmal, fares this PSL for Gladiators, will be intriguing to watch. He has just returned to competitive cricket after completing his two-year ban because he did not report the match-fixing offers that were made to him in PSL 2019.
Quetta Gladiators after winning PSL 2019
Lahore Qalandars, the most popular yet unsuccessful franchise of PSL, is on the mission to redeem itself. Despite playing all the seasons, Qalandars are yet to win a single edition, although they had recruited some big names in the past, the likes of AB Devilliers, Brendon McCullum and Chris Gayle. Qalandars have the most robust system of finding talent, grooming them and providing them the platform to showcase their talent. The Players Development Program (PDP) of Qalandars in a very short span of time has produced many players, like Harris Rauf, Dilbar Hussain and Syed Faridoun, who all have shone at PSL, Big Bash League (BBL) and the County Cricket.
Lahore Qalandars celebrate after taking a wicket in a game of PSL 2021
This year, Qalandars have handed the reins of captaincy to the young pace sensation Shaheen Afridi, who has also won the ICC Player of the Year Award (Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy) in 2021. Qalandars have the best bowling unit on paper, as their three premier bowlers, Shaheen, Harris and Rashid Khan, are the top three wicket-takers in T20 cricket since 2020. Their batting is an area of concern, although it is bolstered by the experience of Hafeez, Fakhar, Samit Patel and Ben Dunk.
The winners of PSL-5, Karachi Kings, have handed the captaincy to Babar Azam, the national team captain and highest run-scorer of the last PSL, replacing Immad Wasim. Karachi Kings looks a balanced side on paper, with the local experienced trio of Sharjeel Khan, Immad, and Muhammad Amir in their armor to assist the captain. Chris Jordan, Joe Clark, Muhammad Nabi and other big names are also part of Karachi's contingent, who will be pivotal for Kings' chances in the event.
How Karachi fares in this PSL, will depend on the performance of their invincible opening duo of Babar and Sharjeel, the experienced bowling partners, Immad and Amir, and their foreign players.
Captain Karachi Kings Babar Azam and Lahore Qalandar's captain Shaheen Shah Afridi
Under the captaincy of Wahab Riaz, Peshawar Zalmi, the 2017 PSL champions, will be looking to repeat history. The team has a splendid mix of experience and raw talent, with Wahab, Kamran Akmal and Shoaib Malik providing a wealth of experience, while the likes of Haider Ali, Muhammad Harris, Hazarat Ullah Zazai and Tom Cohler-Cadmore supplementing energy and passion to the team. Wahab, Usman Qadir and Saqib Mehmood will be the key bowlers for Peshawar Zalmi.
Spectators cheering at the National Stadium Karachi (NSK) in the first game of PSL 2022
In franchise-based T20 cricket, one cannot precisely predict the winner, as one good or bad over can drastically change the dynamics of the game. By looking at the squads, one can prophesize that the defending champions, Multan Sultans and the two-time PSL winner, Islamabad United, are the favorites to lift the trophy. Regardless of whichever franchise wins the title, PSL is a win-win situation for Pakistan, because it brings cricket back home, and also provides opportunities to the emerging players to prove their mettle.
Prime Minister Imran Khan virtually gave the opening speech for PSL 2022
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