They may have capability to deliver some good performances with the ball, but the season will be defined by how Zalmi's batting fares in PSL 6.

By Shehryar Nayyar (16th February, 2021)

Peshawar Zalmi without a doubt is one of the most consistent side in Pakistan Super League's history. Whilst the 'Yellow Storm' has only won PSL once in 2017 they have been runner's up twice and made the play-offs in every single season. The reason of this consistency can be linked to the fact that it is a pretty well managed franchise supported by a constant and highly astute figure in the backroom in the form of Mohammad Akram who has does a decent job in creating a thriving environment for players. He has also responsible for formulating a decent combination every season which is definitely supported by his keen observation of domestic cricket in Pakistan.

Strengths

The experienced local trio of Shoaib Malik, Kamran Akmal and Wahab Riaz have played a considerable number of T20 matches between them and this much experience in the ranks will definitely be one of the strengths for the Zalmis. This will not be in terms of cricket alone but, rather their presence on the field as well which will help the players around them during difficult match situations.

Whilst their bowling on paper doesn’t look as great as it looked when they had 2nd highest wicket taker of PSL, Hassan Ali, was in their ranks, the fact remains that the whole tournament will be played in two venues this time around so there are some factors which can come into play that can help them. Firstly, they have two decent reverse swing bowlers in the form of the highest wicket-taker in PSL history Wahab Riaz and Amad Butt, both of whom can come handy especially in day games as the wickets get used and drier over time in the venues.

On the other hand, young English pacer Saqib Mahmood can bring in some heat and create the sort of impact for Peshawar which he did when he was drafted for the delayed playoffs of season 5. Furthermore a spinner like Mujeeb Ur Rahman who likes bowling with the new ball can also be effective because almost every team in the tournament has at least one left hander in their top order and Mujeeb's record against southpaws is impressive. Mohammad Irfan still goes around with a decent economy in T20 cricket and pacers like Umaid Asif and Mohammad Imran (Emerging) have got some pretty good cutters and slower balls in their arsenal which can become more effective as the tournament progresses with the potential slowness which can take over the overused pitches.


Weaknesses

Leadership is something which can definitely be a weakness for Peshawar Zalmi this year as the departure of regular captain of last 5 years, the two time World T20 Cup awinning captain of West Indies in the form Darren Sammy has left a big hole. Wahab Riaz is the appointed skipper and is a T20 veteran but, there is nothing much in his CV with regards to the leadership roles. Whilst the presence of someone like Shoaib Malik who has a lot of leadership experience can help, at crucial junctures it would be up to Wahab to take some tough decisions.

Batting of Peshawar Zalmi is looking a bit thin especially if we take into account partial availability of players like David Miller and the fact that Liam Livingstone will be away for national duties. While they have a young warrior in the form of Haider Ali in their ranks, the other key local players in the form of Kamran Akmal and Shoaib Malik are past their prime and it remains to be seen if the two still have enough left in the tank. With the absence of players like Kieron Pollard and Darren Sammy this year, the lower middle order is also lacking the fire power which has long been associated with Zalmi. So a lot will be dependent upon their new inductions, Sherfane Rutherford, Mohammad Imran Randhawa and Amad Butt who might have the spark but have much less proven pedigree in the role in comparison to the previously proven performers.


Players to watch out for

Considering the skills Haider Ali has shown in white ball cricket, he will definitely be a player to watch out for. Ali's flare, spark and nothing to fear attitude defines what Zalmi as a team stands for and his performances can define the season for Peshawar Zalmi as well. On the other hand, Mujeeb Ur Rahman can be really handy with the new ball against the left handers which almost every team has in the top order. His importance to Zalmi increases further when we consider his record against the left handers and the fact that there can be bit more assistance for him as the tournament progresses. The captain Wahab Riaz will be the key in the death overs and will have to once again prove to be the difference in the game by restricting oppositions around par and below par scores. Veteran Shoaib Malik, even at this age will be a vital cog, a bridge between top order and the middle order with a role to anchor the innings. Peshawar Zalmi did a decent job when it comes to the emerging players, so Mohammad Imran and Abrar Ahmed coming off successful 2nd XI seasons and some domestic experience with the main regional teams will be exciting prospects to look out for.


Verdict

Peshawar Zalmi once again has the capability to deliver some good performances with the ball but, the season will be defined by how their batting does in PSL 6. In the last season Zalmi's batting struggled to put up above par scores more often than not and their bowling had to compensate. However this led to inconsistent performances in the tournament with Zalmi winning 4 and losing 5 matches and making it to the play-offs by a whisker. Overall, considering how the team has gone about its business every year in a professional manner, there is a decent chance for them to make the play-offs this season as well. Overall batting performance will be dependent upon how are the replacements in the absence of David Miller early in the tournament and Liam Livingstone who will miss PSL due to national commitments will fare as the yellow storm needs that support in the batting to put up decent scores for their bowling to defend.


Full Squad

Peshawar Zalmi– Abrar Ahmed (emerging); Amad Butt (gold); David Miller (platinum); Haider Ali (gold); Imam-ul-Haq (silver); Kamran Akmal (diamond, successful relegation request); Mohammad Amir Khan (supplementary); Mohammad Irfan Snr; Mohammad Imran; Mohammad Imran Randhawa (all silver); Mujeeb Ur Rehman (diamond); Ravi Bopara (supplementary); Saqib Mahmood (silver); Sherfane Rutherford (diamond); Shoaib Malik (platinum); Umaid Asif (silver); Wahab Riaz (platinum); Tom-Kohler Cadmore (replacement for Liam Livingstone)

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