Pakistan Super League (PSL) Ninth Edition of Islamabad United concluded following lifting the trophy by .
The popularity of PSL and its impact on Pakistan cricket is so deep that the first look for the selection of the national team is on the top performers of PSL whose good performance cannot be ignored by the selectors and they are selected for the national team. is included in It is a different matter that these same top performing players are not so effective when they go to international competitions.
PSL’s detractors may criticize its quality, but its popularity has won the hearts of its fans. On Monday evening, when the ninth edition of PSL was being concluded with fireworks, the players of Islamabad United must have been looking longingly at the players of the other five teams. The diligence with which Islamabad traveled from bottom to bottom and proved themselves as champions from a stage when all their avenues to advance were blocked.
Which players emerged as heroes in this edition?
If you look carefully at the 9th PSL, the performance of some players looks very good. Below is a look at the performance of these players.
Usman Khan: 8 out of 10
Seven matches, runs 430, average 107.5, strike rate 164.12, two centuries, two fifties
Pakistan-born Usman Khan, who is playing cricket in the United Arab Emirates this season, is seen at the forefront. Usman, who scored 430 runs in seven matches, was born in Karachi, but his origin is from Punjab. At an early age, he moved to Dubai and made it to the national team there. Usman is the first player to score two centuries in one edition of PSL. If he had played all the matches, he would have been ahead of Babar Azam. He was undoubtedly the best batsman in the league and showed his ability to score runs till the end.
He was also awarded the league’s best batsman award.
Saim Ayub: 8 out of 10
Peshawar Zalmi young batsman Saim Ayub during the 2023 season (Peshawar Zalmi)
Match 11, runs 345, average 31.36, strike rate 157, two fifties
Saim is known for his ‘no look shot’ and this season he was seen as a new all-rounder by Peshawar Zalmi. He opened the innings with his off-spin bowling and also took valuable wickets on important occasions. 345 runs and eight wickets in the season can be said to be a good performance, following which his inclusion in the national team seems certain.
Imad Wasim: 8 out of 10
Imad Wasim was named man of the match for his strong performance in the last three matches (AFP)
Bowling: 12 wickets 12 matches, five wickets once
Matches 12, runs 126, strike rate 128 half century one
Wickets 12
Imad Wasim, who retired prematurely due to differences with the PCB, played for Islamabad United this season and became the winner of his franchise due to his brilliant performance in the play-off matches.
He was declared Man of the Match for his great performance in the last three matches. Imad Wasim’s five wickets in the final became the basis of victory. Imad Wasim’s bowling gave Islamabad United victory in the deciding matches. After the final match, when he was asked regarding taking back his retirement, he seemed ready for it.
Osama Mir and Muhammad Ali: 7 out of 10
Multan Sultans’ Osama Mir bowled well in all matches (AFP)
Both the bowlers of Multan Sultans Osama Mir and Muhammad Ali bowled well in all the matches. Osama was the first bowler with 24 wickets and Muhammad Ali was the second best bowler with 19 wickets. Osama Mir was given the Fazal Mehmood cap, but Muhammad Ali has become a candidate for the national team. It remains to be seen what the selectors decide, but Muhammad Ali can be very useful in the medium overs.
Naseem Shah: 7 out of 10
Fast bowler Naseem Shah and his brothers Haneen Shah and Obaid Shah bowled very well in the league (AFP).
Fast bowler Naseem Shah was playing following an injury so there were not too many expectations, but he managed to impress with his fast bowling. Naseem Shah played an important role in the victory of Islamabad United by taking 15 wickets, while he also showed his qualities in batting. His two sixes and a four paved the way for victory in the final when all the good batsmen had returned to the pavilion.
Disappointing players
There were also a few big names in the PSL that some teams were relying heavily on but they disappointed both their teams and the fans.
Shaun Masood: 3 out of 10
Shan Masood might score only 158 runs in 10 matches (AFP).
Match 10, 158 runs
Shaan Masood, the captain of the national team, was also appointed as their captain by Karachi Kings, so everyone had high hopes for Shaan, but he might only score 158 runs in 10 matches. His substandard performance left Kings fans very disappointed.
Faheem Ashraf: 3 out of 10
One big name among the disappointing players is Test cricketer Faheem Ashraf (AFP).
Match 12, runs 100, wickets six
One big name among the disappointing players is Test cricketer Faheem Ashraf. His batting did not work at any time but his bowling was also ineffective.
Fakhr Zaman: 3 out of 10
Fakhar Zaman did not play any special innings for Lahore Qalandars (AFP).
Match eight, runs 157
Fakhar Zaman, an important member of the national team, did not play any innings for Lahore Qalandars that Qalandars can be proud of. He might not play in the last two matches due to unfitness, but his performance of 157 runs in eight matches was a burden on the team and now it seems impossible to retain his place in the national team.
Mohammad Nawaz: 1 out of 10
Eight matches, 88 runs, two bowling wickets
Karachi Kings surprisingly bought Mohammad Nawaz in platinum category. However, they have been playing substandard games for quite some time now and this season they completely flopped.
Khushdal Shah: 2 out of 10
Multan Sultans’ Khushdil Shah has also disappointed this season (AFP).
Match 10, runs 68
Multan Sultans’ Khushdil Shah also disappointed this season. His batting has not been anything special and his bowling has not been given much while his fielding performance has also been poor.
Rising stars
PSL 9 also saw the emergence of some new players who impressed with their individual performances.
Chief among them was Usman Tariq of Quetta. His finger spin troubled the batsmen. Although his action was reported, he may make it to the national team in the future.
Quetta’s Usman Tariq and Khawaja Nafi are rising stars (AFP).
An innings by another player of Quetta, Khawaja Nafi, caused panic. Although he did not play in the later matches, he also looks like a future superstar.
While the batting and bowling of Lahore Qalandars’ Jahandad Khan impressed, Quetta’s Saud Shakeel was also seen batting in a different form. He probably learned the ‘no look shot’ opening from Saeem Ayub and continued to play this technique with success.
Peshawar’s Arif Yaqub also bowled well in some matches and also made a record of four wickets in an over.
Peshawar’s Mehran Mumtaz also bowled well and his inclusion in the national team is also certain.
This section contains related reference points (Related Nodes field).
Desperate moments
If we talk regarding the disappointing moments of PSL, Lahore Qalandar’s exit from the event is on top. Due to wrong drafting and overburdening captain Shaheen Shah Afridi, the team combination might not be made. Although Phan da Dawson played several good innings and scored a century, the other batsmen might not support him much.
Shaheen Shah Afridi might not make the combination because of excessive load (AFP)
The lack of good spinners in bowling was acutely felt, with Haris Rauf injured, Lahore looked helpless.
Peshawar Zalmi’s exit from the final race in the ninth edition of PSL was disappointing when they might not finish despite a good start in the event. Peshawar used the power play well but failed to score big as the middle order was incomplete.
Edition of bad fielding
It would not be wrong if the ninth edition is called the worst fielding season. Although there were some very good catches in the season, the fielding was very poor on most occasions. Khushdil Shah of Multan Sultans set a new record by dropping four catches in a single match. A total of over 70 catchable catches were dropped in the season.
It would not be wrong if the ninth edition is called the worst fielding season (AFP).
Multan Sultans and Karachi Kings fielding was very poor. However, Islamabad United’s fielding impressed a lot. Azam Khan diligently kept the wicket. Fielding was also an integral factor in Islamabad’s win.
Which players might this be their last season?
The top is Sarfraz Ahmed, who was kept away from the matches following his team removed him from the captaincy, although England’s Laurie Evans played in his place, but he also did not perform well.
Many players including Sohail Khan, Anwar Ali, Chris Jordan, Kieran Pollard may not be seen in the upcoming season.
A lack of interest from fans
The current season of PSL is not getting the popularity it used to have in the past. In the beginning, very few spectators came out from their homes in Multan, Rawalpindi and Lahore, but this number increased in the last matches, but Karachi remained an indifferent city from the beginning, where the beauty of matches without spectators faded. In Karachi, except for the final, very few spectators came to watch the matches in every match, probably because of sub-standard arrangements, poor stands and toilets. The roads to reach the stadium were difficult and confusing while no arrangements were made for families.
The seats of the general enclosure were covered with dirt, while the stench spread all around due to lack of cleanliness. Due to the jungle in the ground, more than half of the seats were a death sentence for the match watchers.
Bad planning, lack of interest and worst arrangements kept Karachi indifferent to PSL and if facilities are not provided, Karachi will disappoint next year too.
Karachi has been an apathetic city since the beginning, where the beauty of matches without spectators has faded (AFP).
In general, there are no innovations in the ninth edition. Like the opening ceremony, the closing ceremony was chaotic. A brief fireworks display added more color.
In the presence of a popular anchor like Rameez Raja, the arrangement of the finale by Arn Holland seemed pointless. In the closing ceremony, the presence of dozens of guests on the stage presented the scene of a political rally. PSL director Naila Bhatti’s presence on the stage was beyond comprehension.
The PSL festival has come to an end with all the mismanagement, but will its heroes, who made the league popular with their performances, make it to the national team?
This is a question that only Chief Selector Wahab Riaz can answer.
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2024-07-12 18:53:22