The Quetta Gladiators will be without their captain Sarfaraz Ahmed for their important match against the Multan Sultans in the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL) season eight at the Pindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi on Saturday. Ahmed also missed the match against Peshawar Zalmi due to a finger injury on Wednesday. This was the first time he missed a game for Quetta in the history of the PSL since joining the team in the inaugural season.
In the absence of Sarfaraz, Mohammad Nawaz will lead the team, while Bismillah Khan has been named as the wicketkeeper’s replacement. Despite the setback, the Quetta Gladiators still have a chance to qualify for the playoffs of the PSL 8. They need to win their last league stage match against Multan Sultans by a significant margin and hope that Islamabad United beat Peshawar Zalmi by a large margin on Sunday to qualify for the next round. Quetta needs a swing of approximately 100 runs in their favour from the aforementioned games.
On the other hand, the Babar Azam-led Zalmi can qualify for the playoffs even if they lose by a close margin. Quetta is currently in fifth position on the points table with six points after nine matches.
It should be noted that the closing ceremony and final of PSL 8 will be held on March 19 in Lahore, which will also host the playoffs. The winner will not only lift the Supernova Trophy but will also receive a cheque of Rs120m, while the runners-up will receive a cheque of Rs48m.
The Lahore Qalandars will attempt to become the first team to win back-to-back titles, while Islamabad United will aim to become the most successful team by lifting the trophy for the third time.
