DUBAI: Debutants Multan Sultans look for a hat trick of wins while Islamabad United target a bounce back on the fourth day of the third edition of the Pakistan Super League at Dubai stadium on Sunday.
Multan upset title holders Peshawar Zalmi by seven wickets in the first match and as if that was not enough they came from the jaws of defeat to beat Lahore Qalandars by 43 runs through a spirited display of batting and bowling led by two half centuries from old fox Kumar Sangakkara.
Islamabad United, winners of the first edition of the PSL, fell to Zalmi by 34 runs in a performance described by their head coach “the worst in PSL history” but its a trend that they have followed in both the editions. They started slow before rising at the right time to qualify for the play -offs.
They were beaten by Karachi Kings in the eliminators last year.
Islamabad are still sweating over the fitness of their inspirational skipper Misbah-ul-Haq who is nursing a hamstring injury sustained during the domestic season. Rumman Raees was thrown in to lead the former champions but was badly let down by poor batting.
The decisive factor will be how Islamabad United handle Multan’s firepower in bowling with paceman Junaid Khan and Mohammad Irfan and spinner Imran tahir in good nick. Junaid recored the second hat trick of PSL against Lahore while Irfan has been at his best in taking wickets. Tahir also got three wickets and was decalred man of the match for turning the game.
Islamabad will hope their foreign recruits Luke Ronchi, Andre Russell, Samit Patel and Chadwick Walton do well to lift them in the second game.
Pakistani allrounder faheem Ashraf smashed a debut fifty and is expected to bat up the order than at nine on Saturday.
Multan Sultans
Squad: Shoaib Malik (c), Ahmed Shehzad, Darren Bravo, Abdullah Shafique, Saif Badar, Nicholas Pooran, Kumar Sangakkara, Sohaib Maqsood, Kashif Bhatti, Shan Masood, Thisara Perera, Mohammad Abbas, Umar Siddiq, Ross Whiteley, Imran Tahir, Junaid Khan, Mohammad Irfan, Sohail Tanvir, Umar Gul, Hardus Viljoen.
Islamabad United
Squad: Misbah-ul-Haq (c), Alex Hales, Sam Billings, Mohammad Hasan, Chadwick Walton, Rohail Nazir, Luke Ronchi, Amad Butt, JP Duminy, Hussain Talat, Samit Patel, Andre Russell, Shadab Khan, Faheem Ashraf, Samuel Badree, Steven Finn, Mohammad Sami, Rumman Raees, Zafar Gohar.
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