Babar Azam vs Rizwan: Karachi Kings, Multan Sultans to battle for domination in PSL 7 today

KARACHI: Karachi Kings headed by ICC’s ODI Cricketer of the Year Babar Azam will battle for domination over Multan Sultans under the captaincy of ICC’s T20I Cricketer of the Year Mohammad Rizwan in the opening match of Pakistan Super League (PSL) 7 today.

The stage is set for the seventh edition of the HBL Pakistan Super League to commence today at the iconic National Stadium in Karachi with defending champions Multan Sultans facing off 2020 champions Karachi Kings following a curtain-raiser opening ceremony.

Babar Azam, who made the record for most T20I wins as captain in a calendar year with 20 in 2021, will lead Karachi Kings. Mohammad Rizwan, the first-ever batter to score more than 1,000 T20I runs in a calendar year, will lead Multan Sultans.

Karachi Kings

Babar Azam, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Nabi, Mohammad Amir, Joe Clarke, Sharjeel Khan, Aamer Yamin, Mohammad Ilyas, Chris Jordan, Lewis Gregory, Umaid Asif, Tom Abell (injured, replaced by Ian Cockbain), Rohail Nazir, Muhammad Imran, Faisal Akram, Qasim Akram, Talha Ahsan, Romario Shepherd (unvailable, replaced by Tom Lammonby)

Supplementary round: Sahibzada Farhan, Jordan Thompson

Partial replacement: Mohammad Taha Khan

Multan Sultans

Mohammad Rizwan, Rilee Rossouw, Sohaib Maqsood, Imran Tahir, Shan Masood, Khushdil Shah, Shahnawaz Dhani, Tim David, Odean Smith, Rumman Raees, Asif Afridi, Anwar Ali, Rovman Powell, Imran Khan Sr., Abbas Afridi, Amir Azmat, Blessing Muzarabani, Ihsanullah

Supplementary round: David Willey, Rizwan Hussain

Partial replacements: Johnson Charles, Dominic Drakes

Karachi tensions, warm-up matches

The organisation of Pakistan Super League (PSL) 7 was hit by looming uncertainty due to the rising trend of COVID-19 cases and a fire broke out at National Stadium Karachi (NSK) during welding operations just a day ahead of its inaugural match.

The situation turned worse after the soaring political temperature in Karachi as Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) came face-to-face over the controversial local government (LG) law after the opposition political party in Sindh and ally of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in the Centre converted its rally into a sit-in outside the Chief Minister House yesterday.

Just a day ahead of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), MQM-P had chosen to hold a sit-in in the Red Zone in front of CM House located near the hotels where foreign and national players are staying for the mega tournament, to protest against the Sindh LG law and discriminative actions of the PPP-led provincial government on Wednesday.

Before any formal talks with the government and protestors, police baton-charged and fired tear gas shells to disperse the MQM-P workers including women and children. The police action resulted in the injuries of activists and lawmakers and the death of a political worker, turning the situation tenser in Karachi.

The political tensions resulted in the cancellation of at least two warm-up matches yesterday.

Playing conditions

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirmed the playing conditions of the HBL Pakistan Super League 2022 on January 24 which will be played in Karachi and Lahore.

Some of the amendments made to the playing conditions include:

• If a team loses players due to positive results, it can seek the Technical Committee’s approval for replacement players from the reserve pool of players (Clause 1.2.5.1)
• For a match to go ahead, a team must have, at least, 13 players who are Covid-19 negative (Clause 1.2.5.2)
• Playing line-up must comprise a minimum of seven and a maximum of eight local players including an emerging player. However, if a team is affected by Covid to the extent that it is impossible for it to create a playing 11 in accordance with the relevant requirements, the requirements will stand waived to the necessary extent (Clause 1.2.5)
• Fielding side must be in position to bowl the first ball of the final over of the innings by the scheduled or rescheduled time for the end of the innings. If they are not in such a position, one fewer fielder will be permitted outside of the 30-yard circle for the remaining overs of the innings (Clause 13.8)
• There will be a reserve day for the final. If no result is achieved on the reserve day, then the side finishing on top of the points table after 30 league matches will be declared champion (Clause 16.11.1)
• TV umpire to call no balls (Clause 21.5)