Tag: Islamabad United

Veteran New Zealand batter Martin Guptill on Wednesday, joined the Islamabad United squad for the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL) 9.

According to the details, Guptill came in as a replacement for UAE’s Muhammad Waseem.

The in-form UAE opener, originally slated to represent Islamabad, withdrew from the tournament due to national commitments.

Waseem will represent UAE in Cricket World Cup League 2 campaign in Dubai, beginning next week.

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Meanwhile, Martin Guptill’s inclusion is poised to add a valuable experience to the United, who had a mixed start to their PSL 9 campaign, managing to win one out of their first two fixtures.

For the unversed, Guptill represented Quetta Gladiators in the previous edition of the PSL and finished as the ninth-highest run-scorer, amassing 310 runs at a brilliant average of 38.75 and a strike rate of over 150.

The right-handed batter also registered a century when he smashed 117 off 67 deliveries with the help of 12 boundaries and five sixes, powering his then side to a much-needed victory.

Islamabad United’s PSL 9 squad

Shadab Khan (c), Naseem Shah (both Platinum), Imad Wasim, Azam Khan (both Diamond), Faheem Ashraf (Brand Ambassador), Alex Hales, Colin Munro (all Gold), Rumman Raees (Silver), Tymal Mills, Matthew Forde, Salman Agha, Qasim Akram, Shahab Khan, Hunain Shah, Ubaid Shah, Shamyl Hussain, Jordan Cox, Haider Ali, Obed McCoy, Martin Guptill.

READ: David, Marsh propel Australia to thrilling T20 win over New Zealand

Former captain Wasim Akram has raised questions over Shadab Khan’s decision to bat at number seven during Islamabad United’s match against Multan Sultans in the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL) season 9.

Akram, while speaking during The Pavillion, expressed disappointment over Islamabad United’s captain coming to bat in the lower order despite showing good form in the last match.

Shadab Khan came in to bat at number three during the opening PSL 9 game against Lahore Qalandars and led his team to victory with a blistering half-century.

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However, in yesterday’s match, he came in to bat at number seven and scored a meagre 11 runs from nine balls before his team bundled out at 144.

“When you have a captain who is in form and scored 74 in 41 balls in the previous match, why didn’t he come in to bat at three or four?” Akram questioned.

“He [Shadab] said in the post-match press conference that the wicket was a bit difficult which is why I wanted to send in a proper batter.

"Don't they assess the pitch condition?" #WasimAkram questions #IslamabadUnited's batting strategy.#ASportsHD #ThePavilion #HBLPSL9 #WasimAkram #MohammadHafeez #MisbahUlHaq #AzharAli #FakhareAlam #MSvIU pic.twitter.com/4WacknvnW4

— ASports (@asportstvpk) February 20, 2024

“I hope that was a language barrier because if that’s the case it means that he will come out to bat early when the pitch is easy but send anyone else if that’s not the case.”

For the unversed, Multan Sultans defeated Islamabad United by five wickets courtesy of Reeza Hendricks’s second consecutive half-century.

READ: Jasprit Bumrah, KL Rahul out of fourth England Test

Multan Sultans: Muhammad Rizwan (c & wk), Dawid Malan, Reeza Hendricks, Yasir Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, David Willey (vc), Usama Mir, Abbas Afridi, Muhammad Ali, Olly Stone

Quetta Gladiators’ pace sensation Naseem Shah has joined Islamabad United for Pakistan Super League (PSL) season 9 in a swap deal with pace bowler Mohammad Wasim Jr. and spin prodigy Abrar Ahmed.

The trade deal saw Quetta Gladiators getting two players as well as Islamabad’s first-round pick in the platinum category for Naseem Shah and their third-round pick in the platinum category.

📣📣

Are YOU charged 🔋 for the most awaited trade of the season!?!? 🔥🔥

Naseem Shah moves to 🔁 Islamabad United

Abrar Ahmed moves to 🔁 Quetta Gladiators

Mohammad Wasim Jr moves to 🔁 Quetta Gladiators #HBLPSLDraft #HBLPSL9 @iNaseemShah @IsbUnited @TeamQuetta pic.twitter.com/IGZFDCt0WL

— PakistanSuperLeague (@thePSLt20) December 2, 2023

Previously, Quetta Gladiators also traded their all-rounder Iftikhar Ahmed for Multan Sultans’ batter Rilee Rossouw, who has represented Gladiators from 2017-2019.

The trade deal also saw Sultans getting the first pick in the platinum category round one while Gladiators will get the first pick in the silver round one.

Karachi Kings also traded their skipper Imad Wasim to Islamabad United for Hasan Ali and received Islamabad United’s first-round silver pick in exchange for their second silver pick.

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The process of local player category renewals for the upcoming ninth edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) was completed on 10 November with categories upgraded for nine players.

The registration window for foreign players was opened on 25 October with several top players across the globe showing interest.

The PSL Player Draft for the ninth season will take place at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore on 13 December 2023.

The retentions and trades are to be finalized before the PSL 9 Player Draft, after the conclusion of the National T20.

READ: Mitchell Marsh expresses excitement of participating in the West Test in Perth

 

 

 

 

 

LAHORE: Karachi Kings have let go of their HBL PSL 5 winning captain Imad Wasim, who will don Islamabad United colours in the ninth edition of the tournament, while pace bowler Hasan Ali will join the Kings squad.

Imad Wasim, who was named as the All-Rounder of HBL PSL 8, has been snapped by Islamabad United in the Platinum category in a trade with Hasan Ali (Diamond category).

By virtue of this player trade, Karachi Kings have received Islamabad United’s first-round silver pick in exchange for their second-round silver pick.

Buckle up. The trade market’s open for a wacky ride… 🏎️

🔁 Imad Wasim joins Islamabad United

🔁 Hasan Ali joins Karachi Kings

Are you ready for the 2024 #HBLPSLDraft?#HBLPSL9

Read more here: https://t.co/84X51hG2ux pic.twitter.com/qejugejDXB

— PakistanSuperLeague (@thePSLt20) November 29, 2023

The successful relegation requests from franchisees ahead of the HBL PSL 2024 Player Draft include Lahore Qalandars’ Mirza Tahir Baig, Islamabad United’s Rumman Raees and Karachi Kings’ Mir Hamza (all Gold to Silver).

Quetta Gladiators will make the first pick in the PSL 9 Player Draft. Karachi Kings and two-time champions Islamabad United will have the second and third picks.

The fourth and fifth picks will be done by Peshawar Zalmi and last season’s runners-up Multan Sultans respectively while winners of the past two editions Lahore Qalandars will finish the first round with the sixth pick.

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The selection order for the first round for the Platinum category is determined by the inverse order of the previous season’s standings.

In order to make the Pick Order more equitable, a different franchise shall occupy the first pick in the first round of each category.

The retentions and trades are to be finalized ahead of the PSL 9 Player Draft, which has been tentatively scheduled for mid-December, after the completion of the National T20. The final of the National T20 is set to be played on 10 December in Karachi.

READ: PCB announces team management for Australia tour

ISLAMABAD: Islamabad United captain Shadab Khan continued to support his team’s fearless approach despite suffering the heaviest defeat of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) history. 

On Thursday, United lost their second clash against Lahore Qalandars in the ongoing PSL season 8 as they were bundled out for a meagre 107 while chasing a massive 227, giving defending champions a resounding 119-run victory.

“These failures are bound to happen when you are going with a fearless approach,” said Shadab in a post-match press conference, adding, “I will still back my team and this approach.”

He elaborated that the team had won a number of high-scoring matches with their attacking approach and it was not possible to win each and every game.

“We have chased targets above 200 in the last three matches. You cannot chase without such an approach. In fact, it’s not necessary that you chase 200 every day, especially against such quality bowling.”

United’s captain, however, did not shy away from accepting the loopholes in teams’ bowling and hoped that it would come back in the next matches.

“Our bowling has been conceding 200 runs consistently which I believe should not be the case,” he said.

Moreover, Shadab added that people should not demand modern-day cricket from the Pakistan team if they were not willing to accept the failures.

“When you ask a player or any team to score 200 (in T20s), there are higher chances of failures. But, as a nation, we do not accept it. We want modern-day cricket and at the same time not ready to accept failures, which is not possible” he said.

When asked about the nature of pitches in the PSL which saw bowlers not getting any kind of help, Shadab believed although the bowlers suffered at these wickets but gave the spectators the kind of entertainment they wanted to see.

“Crowd want to see sixes and fours. No one wants to see the dot balls. I think these days if you do not offer such entertainment to the crowd why would they bother to come to the stadiums,” he maintained.

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ISLAMABAD: Islamabad United captain Shadab Khan has accepted his team’s batting failure in the last game against Lahore Qalandars in the Pakistan Super League season 8, attributing the collapse to the players’ fearless approach. 

“When you demand modern-day cricket from the player such failures may also happen,” said Shadab on Tuesday at a press conference.

The skipper claimed he was well aware of the possibility that his team’s batting lineup could also crash someday owing to their attacking approach.

“I was saying this from last year that a day might come when we will be all out under 100. And that day has come,” he commented on United’s one-sided loss against Qaladars on Monday when they were bowled out for 90 while chasing 201.

“We have to accept their failures too when we demand a fearless approach from the players. And as a team, we are accepting this” he added.

With six points, United currently sits third on the points table after five games and will play their first home game in the tournament when they face Karachi Kings in Rawalpindi on Friday.

Commenting on the Kings’ bumpy journey so far in this PSL, Shadab did not shy away from calling them a ‘big franchise’ which knew how to come out of such pressure situations.

“We have to give our best in the field against them (Karachi Kings),” he asserted.

Moreover, recently-married Shadab also opined on the dip in his performance in the current PSL season, saying it has nothing to do with a new chapter of his life.

READ: Iftikhar Ahmed likens Babar criticism to ‘a sin’

KARACHI: New Zealand’s Colin Munro has lauded his Islamabad United teammate Azam Khan for his hard-hit batting abilities, saying he fails to understand ‘why one of the best batters in the country’ is not part of the Pakistan team. 

Munro, who played an outstanding knock of 28-ball 58 during Islamabad United’s four-wicket win over Karachi Kings in the fourth match of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) last night, said he found Azam an ‘amazing’ batter the way he bats and could not understand why he is out of Pakistan’s national side.

“My goodness if he (Azam) is one of best batters in the country, then why not get him in there (Pakistan team)” he said in a post-match press conference on Thursday.

Wicketkeeper batter Azam is one of the most sought-after players in franchise leagues throughout the globe. Known for his pinch-hitting, the right-hander smashed 48 from 28, including six fours and a six, yesterday and tightened his side’s grip on the game while chasing 174 runs.

The 24-year-old, who is playing his second PSL season for Islamabad United, rose to prominence during the 2018 edition of the PSL when he was picked by Quetta Gladiators, where his father and former Pakistan wicket-keeper batter Moin Khan was a head coach.

He also made his international debut for Pakistan in 2021 against England in Nottingham.

READ: PCB announces 50pc discount on PSL 8 tickets for children

LAHORE: Usman Qadir and Sohail Khan of Peshawar Zalmi and Alex Hales of Islamabad United will be available to their teams for Pakistan Super League (PSL) season 7’s first Eliminator. 

“In light of the amendments of Health and Safety Protocols, which were proposed by the six franchises and approved by the PCB after consultation with Medical Advisory Panel (MAP), Usman, Sohail (both PZ) and Alex (IU) are available for tonight’s Eliminator 1,” PCB released a statement.

Zalmi’s batting coach, Hashim Amla has also recovered from COVID-19 and will be in their dug-out during the first Eliminator.

On Wednesday, Multan Sultans beat Lahore Qalandars by 28 runs to qualify for PSL 7’s final. Sultans, under the captaincy of Mohammad Rizwan, qualified directly from Qualifier to the mega final for the second consecutive year.

READ: Sultans storm into PSL 7 final at the back of Dahani’s brilliance