Karachi, March 24 (TNS): Just one day is left in the anticipated PSL final and the whole nation awaits the climax of the third edition of the PSL. On Sunday the National Stadium Karachi will witness the return of international cricket for the first time sine 2009.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Both teams have been crowned champions once in the previous two seasons. Peshawar Zalmi will be looking to retain their title once more and Islamabad United will fight to taste the glory of the first edition triumph once more.
Islamabad United
Misbah has been ruled out of the final, as he suffered a severe injury courtesy Tymal Mills against Karachi in the final game of the group stage.JP Duminy will lead the side according to multiple reports.
Islamabad has a close bond within the team; their coherence in bowling is something to watch out for. Faheem Ashraf who is the leading wicket ticker in the tournament will be the spearhead in their bowling attack. If he delivers on the big day Peshawar will have to run for their money.
With that, they have the experience of M.Sami who has express pace even at the age of 38.Then they have the spin duo of Shadab Khan and Samit Patel.Although Shadab Khan has not shown that extra bite and venom in his bowling but on his day he can destroy the middle order of the opposition. Samit Patel, on the other hand, has enjoyed great success in the PSL this season he notched 11 wickets for United in their road to the final.
The #ISLUBoys have landed! KARACHI you ready to welcome the Team Red! #UnitedWeWin pic.twitter.com/4fJa2pau1b
— Islamabad United (@IsbUnited) March 23, 2018
In batting Luke Ronchi is in a world class touch right now along with a calm presence of JP Duminy in the opening slots. Then they have rising talents like Hussain Talat, Asif Ali, Sahibzada Farhan and hard hitters like Shadab Khan and Faheem Ashraf. They have depth in their batting order and can bamboozle the opposition if there top order fires.
Steven Finn, Samuel Badree, Chadwick Walton will be the three choices out of which the fourth foreign player will be selected in the playing eleven, as Luke Ronchi, Samit Patel and Duminy are regular starters.
Peshawar Zalmi
The one name that stands out in the ranks of the “Yellow Storm” is Kamran Akmal the man who has scored 3 fifties and 1 century in their four-game winning run. Hard hitters like Andre Fletcher Darren Sammy and Liam Dawson are also a potent combination in their batting arsenal.Plus they have the calmness of Mohammad Hafeez and the strike rotating ability of Tamim Iqbal someone who knows how to tick the scoreboard according to the situation.
Having a leader like Darren Sammy is always a plus point, but if you have well-knitted and pacey bowling attack then you can blow the opposition out every day of the week. Hassan Ali Wahab Riaz will have the final say in Karachi tomorrow as they have 26 wickets combined this season.
Rising youngsters like Umaid Asif and Sameen Gul have been well managed by Skipper Darren Sammy and they are certainly coming of age.They also possess Liam Dawson as a very effective spin all-rounder who can change the game on its head. Chris Jordan who is a death over specialist in the T-20s will also have a vital role in the bowling ranks for Zalmi as they take on United in the Final.
The only weakness Peshawar will face is the early dismissal of Kamran Akmal (if that happens) because they often struggle a great deal if the Flamboyant batsman does not give them a flourishing start.
Same is the case with Luke Ronchi for Islamabad United if he exits early. Islamabad can be restricted to a meager total.
It all depends who stands out on the big stage; in front of a big crowd and becomes a hero.
