In his typical hard-hitting analysis of the 9th edition of PSL, @Rana reviews the Positives, negatives from the tournament.

By @Rana (20 March 2024)

“No Ihsanullah, Tim David, Miller, Pollard and Rilee Russouw this season, lets see what you are all about Mohammad Rizwan!” This was a question that intrigued many fans before the start of this year’s HBL PSL 9 as the dynamics were going to be very different this year for many teams. Amidst the highly busy franchise league schedule, with the ILT20, SAT20 and the BPL ongoing and with the coveted IPL to follow, the PCB have successfully managed to host their flagship franchise tournament, although the situation meant that the overseas player availability roster was to be hampered massively due to active, highly sought after T20 international stars being unavailable or partially available for the tournament. Whilst also considering the current, turbulent political system within the country, and the upcoming ICC T20 world Cup to be played in the Caribbean and America; the six franchises relied on a large percentage of domestic talent that would be eying up spots for selection into the national side in order to compete and produce results and glory for their franchises. Chairman Mohsin Naqvi wasn’t quite impressed with the power on display by the Pakistan boys, however an opportunity was provided to the selected players to show their mettle by competing fiercely and to give the national team selector something to ponder over (besides the size of their big hits).

Coming back to the question raised in the opening sentence, the journey of this year’s PSL to the final provided answers indeed, but the answer is still not as clear cut as the definitive result of either winning or losing. Let us explore the many aspects of this journey, that begins with the first phase of,

-The pre-draft retentions and trades, the draft day squads being assembled, the appointment of new coaching staff and analytical directors for some franchises, also the awareness of picking discarded/unpicked players in the replacement draft.

-The second phase of applying all the hard work as a franchise in the first phase on to the actual stage during the playing schedule of the tournament. The ability to adapt according to the altering conditions, challenging fixture schedule and finding a combination that suits your team.

-The third phase where you have done enough to reach the final 4 with good work in the first two phases, but now must find that will and determination to become the best in the knockouts/play offs, with tiring squads, players in and out of form, overseas key players suddenly available or unavailable. Most importantly, to execute the plans that made you a successful player or a team in those final hurdles whilst overcoming failures and setbacks of the past.

The review of this year’s PSL will try to engage in this many aspects that are far beyond simple and emotional questions regarding the ability and leadership of individual players. The question itself will serve as the theme of this review, and the answer although provided will not be upheld as ‘correct answer’, for it is you the reader, the fan, the expert, the analyst that decides what is correct and what is not.

General overview of all teams

Whilst the squads, retentions, trades, incoming and outgoing coaches etc. are there for all to see. Some aspects of the pre-tournament proved to be pivotal in some cases, and critical or detrimental in others.

Lahore Qalandars realizes and acknowledge that they rely heavily on the services of the world’s best spin bowler in T20 cricket Rashid Khan. They also knew that he would not be available for them in this year’s edition due to injury, this was going to be a huge setback. Knowing this, the reluctance to replace Rashid with an established middle overs specialist bowler, and the overconfidence of success in the past few seasons proved to be highly detrimental. Lahore have learned the hard way, and that is to never take this beautiful sport for granted. Even with 75% of their champion bowlers of the past still available to them throughout. Besides the poor season overall, the Qalandars have had some bring prospects in the form of Sahibzada Farhan, the emerging all-rounder Jahandad Khan and Abdullah Shafique also playing a couple of excellent knocks for them at the latter stage of the group fixtures. Platinum pick Rassie Van Der Dussen was brilliant for them, also scoring one of the best PSL hundreds in a losing cause. Although a poor tournament, the Qalandars were not necessarily the worst cricketing unit with the quality of players available to them.

On the other hand, the Multan Sultans suffered much bigger setbacks with injuries and players leaving/traded, yet they diligently looked to replace those key components with the best players they could have in the draft. The picks of Dawid Malan and Reza Hendricks proved important in applying a strategy to bat long at the crease and building good foundations for the lower order to maximize on. Also, the picks of David Willey as a powerplay specialist bowler, and the unearthing of Muhammad Ali as a reliable T20 pacer proved to be masterstrokes for their successful campaign overall. The trade of Rilee Russouw with Iftikhar Ahmed was questionable initially, with Iftikhar not living up to the hype and expectations from him having been unable to settle at any franchise, or even for Pakistan. It must be noted that Sultan’s head coach Abdur Rehman specifically went on record to claim that he has always known or believed in the best ways to utilize Iftikhar, and this truly did show with Iftikhar playing some very important knocks throughout the tournament.

Peshawar Zalmi was going in again with a similar blueprint and strategy under Darren Sammy as coach and Babar Azam as captain. The boys in yellow depended on their captain to bat and score the bulk of the runs, with the young Pakistani guns alongside the overseas tanks (Rovman Powell and Tom Cohler Cadmore) capitalizing on their captain’s consistency with the bat. Zalmi knew that the franchise ticked most boxes with the bat, but the bowling has been a letdown in the past few seasons and therefore had to fill this void. Good attempts were made with the acquisitions of domestic performers such as Mehran Mumtaz and Arif Yaqoob (both players winning at least one game each for their captain), however the final hurdles could not be crossed, something that has become a feature of Babar Azam’s story as a leader.

Islamabad United were making serious moves this time around. The appointment of Mike Hesson as head coach must be commended, congratulations to everyone involved in making this possible for United and setting the standards of Coaching in PSL at a all-new high. The second important move was the acquisition of Pakistan Ace seamer Naseem Shah. Whatever it took to get the man at the franchise paid off significantly. The 3rd serious but initially underrated move was the acquisition of the veteran all-rounder Imad Wasim, an experienced campaigner of the PSL as a player and leader. Finally, the 4th yet highly underrated move initially was the selection of Haider Ali in the replacement draft. Peshawar Zalmi will not forget their ex-player for the next year or so. Salman Ali Agha’s pick also paid dividends with stability in the middle order, and good partnerships with the captain and other players.

Quetta Gladiators were also very busy in making changes to their structure and leadership. Having stalled in progress under the captaincy of Sarfaraz Ahmed and the coaching of Moin Khan, Nadeem Omar finally took the tough decision to appoint Shane Watson as the head coach with Rilee Russouw (who was traded for Iftikhar Ahmed) as their captain. The draft was overall a good one for the Gladiators; the acquisition of Mohammad Amir who is still touted as one of if not the best white ball seamer in Pakistan, and the trade of Abrar Ahmed in order to give the young mystery spinner a chance to showcase his ability every game. Unknown yet exciting picks of flamboyant emerging batsman Khwaja Nafay and mystery spinner Usman Tariq also added flavor to their squad and drew more eyeballs to the Quetta matches as fans were eager to see what these players can offer. The class and ability of Saud Shaqeel is undeniable, but the fact that he hadn’t featured in a single PSL match before this season also added intrigue as to how this left-handed maestro with the bat would fare in Pakistan’s premier T20 competition. All in all, the Gladiators possessed a squad that was strong enough to challenge for the PSL title, but the strategy of employing 5 specialist bowlers with 6 specialist batsmen caught them off guard more often than not with a prolonged tail, especially with key batsmen unable to put together good scores on a regular basis.

The Karachi Kings have been an exciting component of the PSL throughout even with poor performances that have become a norm in the recent past. CEO Salman Iqbal had to make some extremely tough decisions on a personal level by authorizing the exclusions of those players that have served and performed for their franchise for a long time. The removal of Imad, Amir, Sharjeel and Haider Ali all proved to be detrimental for them, as their replacements failed to have the impact they desired with a 5th place finish. The case of Sharjeel being removed in order to pave the way for Pakistan’s Test Captain Shan Masood to have an unquestionable position as a T20 opener for their franchise could well have been the biggest reason for their poor run this season. Not being able to find the right batting combination in the early stages, and no real momentum as a batting unit has largely been down to Shan Masood’s poor form with the bat. The expectations from their platinum category all-rounder Mohammad Nawaz were quite high, with Nawaz unable to have any impact for his side also hurting the franchise. There were positives in the sense that leg spinner Zahid Mehmood bowled well as a replacement for the failing Tabraiz Shamsi, and Irfan Khan Niazi impacting critical stages in matches with his phenomenal fielding efforts, also with good contributions with the bat. Overall, a season that left much to be desired for the men in blue, and possibly another reshuffle as the future is looking bleak with ageing players.

Domestic performers stepping up and making a mark

The regular viewers and fans of Pakistan’s domestic system eagerly anticipate the selection of their top performers, whilst hoping for those players to replicate those good performances at the next level. As mentioned in the introduction, PSL9 provided a massive opportunity to domestic cricketers to showcase their talent and value with number and quality of overseas players lacking from previous seasons. Such performances by these players are essential in order to build a strong bench and call upon reliable players at the time of need.

Saud Shaqeel

Scoring 323 runs at an average of 35 and a strike rate of 141.66, including 2x 50s for his side and smashing 15 sixes at 15 balls per six, Saud has had an impressive run as opener for the Quetta Gladiators in his debut playing season in the PSL. The left hander has shown skill against quality pace and good spin with his effortless timing and ability to pierce gaps. His runs have come all around the wicket, showing ability to hit over the top in front, square of the wicket and behind the wicket. A high-quality batsman that is growing his fanbase who wish to be entertained with his elegance and class in stroke making, and the intent to take big risks when needed.

Muhammad Ali

Daisy as they call him was initially left dazed after his debut Test at Rawalpinid when he came up against Ben Stoke’s rampant England Test side that was taking no hostages on the deadest tracks of Pakistan at the time. Having been backed by the Sultan’s management who needed a pacer to fill in for Ihsanullah, Muhammad Ali has come out swinging from the corner with 19 wickets at an average of 18.63 and an economy of 8.23. Not having the same effectiveness as his brilliant performances in Multan, however Ali has demonstrated that a strong base that is built with knowledge of how to bowl in Red Ball FC cricket gives you the chance to assess the strengths of the opposition batsmen and adapt your own skills as a bowler accordingly. Muhammad Ali showed excellent control of length with the new ball within the powerplay throughout, he showed plans on how to contain the left handers from around the wicket, and he has also shown that he possesses an excellent yorker at the back end in order to deliver the knock out blow to the lower order.

Salman Agha

Scoring 310 runs at an average of 31, strike rate of 140 and with 2x 50s, hitting 12 sixes at 18 balls per six, the Right handed middle order batsman seems to have re-invented himself with the confidence he has gained with excellent domestic and international performances recently. Having not been able to make a mark in his initial stints with the Lahore Qalanders in the early stages of PSL, Salman has been a big contributor this season for Islamabad United’s winning campaign with the bat. Although he fell off the boil in the pressure games of the latter stages, there is no doubt that Salman should be retained by United as a reliable middle order player to follow their usually aggressive openers.

Abrar Ahmed

Pakistan have desperately been searching for a reliable white ball spinner who can land six balls on a regular basis on one spot. The spin bowling stocks are at an all time low, and therefore Abrar’s move to Quetta Gladiators has proven to be pivotal in the development of one spinner who can be relied upon with his growing experience in Test cricket. Abrar being allowed to finally express himself without the fear of being dropped or removed for a bowling/batting all rounder has taken 16 wickets at an economy of 7.82 throughout the tournament. Often providing huge breakthroughs post powerplay, Abrar also demonstrated that he isn’t shy or afraid to bowl within the powerplay too, thus expanding his horizon as a bowler that can be called upon at any time to deliver for his side.

Sahibzada Farhan

Scoring 266 runs at an average of 38 and a strike rate of 133, with 3x 50s to his name and 8 sixes, the right handed opener Farhan provided the Qalandars with a chance to still get a good start considering his partner, the legendary Fakhar Zaman had not been having the best of tournaments. Sahibzada has also been undergoing the process of reinventing himself as a strong white ball cricketer with excellent performances in Pakistan’s red ball and white ball FC cricket to back it up.

Usman Khan

Although playing as an overseas this season, it is still worth noting that the Karachi born Usman Khan is yet to represent the UAE and therefore the credit of his development as a professional cricketer should still be given to his toil and hard work at grassroots level in Pakistan. Often expressing the feeling of neglect, Usman has transformed his life and brand as one of the superstars of the PSL this year. Winning the batsman of the tournament award with a stellar performance of 430 runs at an average of 107.5 and a strike rate of 164.12, including 2 hundreds and 2x 50s, one of which was scored in the final of the PSL. Usman has showcased extreme grit, determination to not only succeed but do it with a bang! His performances have forced the selectors of Pakistan to now reevaluate their process at all levels, and why a player of this caliber is not currently available for Pakistan and how to avoid such players to slip away in the future.

Zahid Mehmood

Although the sample size is smaller in comparison to the other top bowlers in the tournament in terms of opportunities provided to Zahid, yet the veteran Karachi spinner has impressed highly this season when called upon in order to give his captain the control he would have liked in the middle overs. With 8 wickets to his name in the 24 overs he bowled in 6 matches, Zahid also kept things very tight with his excellent control of line and length, obtaining an excellent economy of just below 7 runs per over.

Mehran Mumtaz

Another one with a smaller sample size to show in terms of opportunity, Mehran is one of the best upcoming talents in Pakistan and has been delivering good performances for Rawalpindi before his inclusion in the PSL. Mehran picked up 5 wickets in the 19 overs he bowled, a large majority of them taken at Rawal Pindi, which is not a friendly track for any bowler in the PSL, let alone a debutant spinner. An economy of 6.63, Mehran stood up for a captain that was desperately searching for his bowlers to give him the control he needs within and outside of the powerplay.

Irfan Niazi

A valuable member of the sinking ship of Karachi Kings, Irfan Niazi has been a shining light for his side where the experienced senior players have been a let down. An absolute livewire in the field, Niazi took 8 catches in tough hot spots, and also commanded a reputation as a boundary rider who should be avoided when trying to sneak in a second run. Alongside his heroics in the field, Irfan contributed with 171 runs at an average of 42.75 and a strike rate of 140. A player who cannot be neglected especially in a league that has traditionally produced unsatisfactory fielding standards, Niazi has solidified his position as a regular feature for upcoming seasons with the potential to grow as a strong lower order batsman.

Forgettable performers

Whilst the domestic players listed above have helped the Pakistan team selectors to look at more options that can be a part of a large pool of players that can be groomed into good players for Pakistan, on the other hand there has also been a few players that are a part of the Pakistan squad in one way or another, but their performances have either not been up to the mark, or they are not showing any signs of progress, and in some cases they are regressing at an alarming rate.

Fakhar Zaman

The great white ball champion batsman of Pakistan has not been able to lift his game to the standards that are expected from him this season, as a result his side have suffered massively with 8 out of 10 defeats and finishing in last position this year. Fakhar had the perfect opportunity to remind the fans of Pakistan cricket why he truly is their best, modern white ball batsman by playing in his preferred position as the opener of the side. Fakhar Zaman ended his tournament with 157 runs at an average of 19.62 and a strike rate of 115. A poor show from a player that is usually scoring more than 400 runs per season and taking his side to play offs, finals and championships.

Sarfaraz Ahmed

Sarfaraz has not been having the best of times recently, having been dropped from the Pakistan Test side after working extremely hard to regain that spot. Sarfaraz then suffered another setback after he was removed from the captaincy of Quetta Gladiators after a 8 year reign. Although Sarfaraz was backed to play as the wicketkeeper batsman of the side, a string of poor performances in which he could only add 22 runs in 6 games eventually made him lose his spot in the side, not to feature again for the remainder of the season even with certain combinations involving important overseas players only possible with him as the keeper batsman. It will be interesting to see what the future has in store for the legendary captain, leader, keeper of Pakistan and Karachi. His journey with Quetta may well have come to an end.

Muhammad Hasnain

On the brink of nothingness as a bowler, a lower order batter and an athlete in the field, Muhammad Hasnain really needs to get his act together. Being an on and off part of the Pakistan cricket team since 2019, there has been no progress in his career as a bowler or a cricketer in general. Picking up 4 wickets at an average of 50 and an economy of 11, Hasnain has been a major let down for his side this season who needed an experienced seamer to stand up and bowl well with Amir and the spinners. His performance against Peshawar Zalmi at Rawalpindi may well have been the worst performance by an experienced T20 bowler with international experience as well.

Muhammad Wasim Jr

A lot of time and investment has gone into Wasim Jr to fulfill his potential as a cricketer, and Wasim did emerge as one of the better pace bowlers for Pakistan in the 2023 Word Cup when others were struggling. The confidence he should have gained in his ability to do well on difficult bowling tracks in India should have been on display during the PSL, but this wasn’t to be the case. With 9 wickets at an average of 33, and a poor economy 9.9 is not befitting the standards of a Pakistan first team bowler. His batting has always been hit and miss, and it continues to remain hit and miss with extremely comical dismissals at times.

Shaheen Afridi as captain

Performance as a player wise Shaheen Afridi hasn’t been the worst. Taking 14 wickets with a reasonable economy of 8.5, and scoring some runs by promoting himself up the order at times, Shaheen is still a valuable commodity as a cricketer. But with the added responsibility of captaincy and with the reputation of being the captain of Pakistan, this is one season that Shaheen would wish to have erased and forgotten as soon as possible. His team found themselves in a deep hole early on with loss after loss, and Shaheen couldn’t inspire them to come out of this strut thus reaching a point where the belief had basically diminished as a unit. Winning 2 seasons as the champion captain of PSL, Shaheen has earned his right to have one extremely challenging season. He must have learned some extremely harsh lessons; to never take anything for granted in this sport. Time to reflect and build for a stronger return next year.

Shan Masood as captain and player

Talked into a leadership role with a vacant spot at Karachi Kings, Shan decided to abandon his franchise of Multan, one of the only franchises willing to invest in him as a T20 cricketer. He also learned the hard way that playing cricket and leading a professional side isn’t anyone’s birthright. Mustering 158 runs in 10 innings at a strike rate of 105, eventually moving out of the opening spot in order to allow his side to have a better and more positive start to the innings, Shan’s poor form has been a major reason for Karachi’s poor season once again. Furthermore, the strange decisions to keep out good, talented domestic performers such as Muhammad Akhlaq for no apparent reason is also highly questionable. With some good wins due to his respectable bowling changes, KK are left in a dilemma once again as to how they want to rebuild with Shan at the helm, or whether he remains as their leader?

Haseebullah Khan

Haseebullah has been one of the more fortunate young players recently to be allowed to represent franchise teams, Pakistan first XI and other domestic first XIs. The young left-handed batsman scored a total of 78 runs in 6 innings, 57 of which came in one game. A poor outing for a player provided with a reasonable amount of opportunity and has also been on tour with Pakistan first team.

Khushdil Shah

Although his bowling has been reasonably useful for his side, Khushdil’s primary identity as an ex international cricketer is his ability to play a strong hand as a lower order, left-handed ball striker. Unable to find a regular spot in the side. Scoring a total of 68 runs at an average of 17 and a strike rate of 128, the once promising left hander was all at sea this season. It was highly distressing to see how his shot selection has completely gone out of the window during the final game where he was promoted above Iftikhar in order to do a job for his side, but only returned back to the pavilion having added more pressure.

Asif Ali

The Peshawar Zalmi management were given specific instructions by their captain Babar Azam to pick up Asif Ali in the draft. Although PSL has been one format where Asif Ali has usually thrived and showcased some of his best abilities, however this season has been a struggle for the late innings hitter with a meagre contribution of 72 runs and 2 sixes only. It is fair to say that Asif hasn’t fulfilled the expectations of his captain and franchise, although one brilliant catch of Dawid Malan at Rawalpindi will remain in the history reels of the greatest PSL catches.

A story that will forever remain etched in the history of the PSL

With all the friendly gimmicks, social media trends, brotherhood on display, players and commentators having fun on and off the field, colorful dress ups, competitions engaging the fans whilst promoting the sponsors, Pakistan first team players showing love and respect towards one another; it can be argued that the PSL serves as an entertainment package for the fans and supporters of Pakistan with a wholesome image. Sometimes the fans yearn for something that is real, a true reflection of what the current state of the country is, and the true nature of the society that they live in. From this perspective, a major storyline for this year’s PSL has been the one that was told by Imad Wasim with some of the greatest performances by a Pakistani cricketer in the back end of the tournament.

Imad hasn’t been silent on how he feels Pakistan cricket is being mislead in the way it is approaching the game, nor has he been afraid to become a villain amongst a large majority of fans of one or two current popular players of Pakistan by publicly hanging them out to dry with unsupportive comments, quite contrary to the general narrative peddled by the influential voices of Pakistan about cricket.

For reasons better known to him, Imad took a strange decision to retire from Pakistan cricket following the disastrous 2023 world cup campaign, which he wasn’t a part of. Considered a shoe in for the Pakistan T20 team to be a part of the T20 world cup in 2024, his decision to retire was met with a lot of questions and criticism. In this state of mind, the Karachi Kings, a franchise which Imad has been a part of since the inception of PSL also decided that it was the time to part ways with him as a player and leader. This wasn’t the best time of Imad’s life considering the hurt he was suffering from within for reasons he believed in. In such circumstances, the owners, coach and captain of Islamabad United played an excellent role in taking Imad Wasim in and giving him the chance to potentially finish his playing career at home.

Being outspoken, unafraid of speaking what is in your mind to be true will always have a price to pay. Your strong views are bound to cause distress amongst those that do not agree with them. Some choose to remain silent and accept the notion of free speech, others will not. In this regard, Imad was on the receiving end by fans of Pakistan cricket, or better described as fans of a great cricketer of Pakistan whom Imad has had a history of cricketing disagreements with. With initial performances not quite up to the mark, Imad didn’t make his life easier for himself by providing those fans with the opportunity to continuously make him feel even more isolated than he already felt he was. Once again credit goes to Islamabad United who as a family, continued to support Imad during this dark and troubling phase he was experiencing as a professional cricketer. It was very easy to lose hope in an underperforming player and bench him for the remainder of the season. Islamabad united didn’t, and they were rewarded handsomely for this amazing resilience in backing and trusting Imad Wasim.

On the brink of being eliminated, Imad Wasim lifted his game playing a memorable knock to finish 31* to see United home against the formidable Sultan’s side at Rawalpindi. Injected with a renewed life, Imad produced excellent performances on the trot against a strong Gladiators side, and then became the thorn in the way of Peshawar Zalmi who looked set to play a PSL final with United on the ropes at 90-5, Imad with the support of Haider Ali had other plans as both remained not out to see Islamabad into the final of the tournament. The final was also heavily influenced by the reinvigorated Imad Wasim taking a game changing 5-20, becoming the first player to ever take a 5fer in the final of a PSL, and then ensuring that the runs were chased down with wickets falling around him in the chase of 160 with an important 22*. The fans at Rawalpindi who came to support Islamabad United will regret their decision to taunt their own player, who has also been a good servant of Pakistan cricket.

Imad’s story isn’t the reason why Islamabad United are champions, nor is it intended to be mentioned as if Islamabad United would not have won the PSL without him; Islamabad United performed as a unit, with performances from their captain, their veteran overseas openers, their bowlers working together, and their middle order batsmen giving valuable contributions at the time of need. The story is important because it sets a beautiful example of how a franchise have shown belief and trust in a player, further enforcing the notion that the teams who find glory invest in players and what they can offer to the side on their best days. There are highly ‘consistent’ performers in the PSL that have not been successful, but Islamabad United have tasted success because of their belief in what a player can bring when the stakes are high.

Broadcast and Scheduling

In terms of match presentation and commentary, the PSL has been a great viewing experience this season for all the fans. The league has been blessed with the participation of some of the best voices in commentary, names such as Pommie Mbangwa, Ian Bishop, Simon Doull, Danny Morrison, Mark Butcher, Mike Haysman, Dominic Cork and Ramiz Raja all adding an incredible flavor and excitement to the viewing experience for the fans. The PSL was also blessed with the commentary debut of the former Australian Test and ODI captain Michael Clarke who also added excellent insight in the concluding leg of the tournament at Karachi. The excellent commentators and analysts have played a great role in providing cover for the decent playing standard of the tournament considering the lack of current international superstars not featuring. Their insights into the local players are also important in giving the fans a sense of what they see as their weaknesses and strengths.

There is no doubt that managing a tournament at this scale within a country like Pakistan requires a great amount of effort by the organizers. However, some elements of the fixture scheduling require a strong review going forward. For instance, it is highly strange to have two out of the 6 franchises to have 4/5 consecutive games at one venue at the beginning stage of the tournament. Both teams are given a fair run at winning all 5 of their opening home games and virtually qualifying for the playoffs with 60% of the tournament yet to be played. The tournament can be made more exciting if the home and away game ratio is done fairly for all instead of the current scheduled format. Furthermore, the PCB are also at the point where their premier competition is suffering due to its scheduling at a time when 3 or 4 other franchise leagues are taking place. Perhaps it is time to move the PSL to a more suitable time where they can attract more international quality players. The question then is, what is the right time?

Conclusion

The result of the final of this year’s PSL is no mystery with Islamabad United under the leadership of Shadab Khan lifted the trophy for the 3rd time in their history. The Sultans having featured in 4 finals under the leadership of Mohammad Rizwan have failed to cross the line in their last three attempts having fallen narrowly short once again. Whilst Shadab and United have shown excellent mental fortitude to win the title whilst initially being on the verge of being knocked out earlier, the captaincy of Rizwan has once again answered many questions that his strongest critics have posed before this year’s competition. It was perceived earlier that Rizwan was lucky enough to have a strong unit of overseas talent and good emerging talent from Pakistan to do the heavy lifting for his side and enable the Sultans to regularly reach 3 finals in a row. This year, Rizwan had to make the most out of a severely hampered squad from the previous seasons, yet it seems the Sultans Management know how to do everything right in order to reach a final with whatever tools they have available to them. Indeed, this is a remarkable achievement and credit must be given to Rizwan, Abdul Rehman, the owners and strategists of the Multan Sultans for their incredible run once again this season.

With Rizwan answering the question posed to him with such results, he now poses questions to you as cricket fans and those who love Pakistan cricket; is Rizwan indeed the best captain in Pakistan and is he the best choice to lead the side going into the T20 world cup in the West Indies? Maybe the answer to this is in the affirmative, but one must seek clarity as to what the strategy will be under his leadership if appointed as the captain. Should Rizwan play as an opener in a side that is trusted under his leadership? If no, where does Rizwan bat himself? Whilst he has proven his ability to lead sides well, question marks remain about his own batting position and whether it is proving to be a liability to his team. Rizwan opened the innings with four different partners this season, with Yasir Khan, Dawid Malan, Reza Hendricks and Usman Khan, whereas Rizwan didn’t once try to bat in a different position himself. Everyone in his team was also promoted ahead of Iftikhar Ahmed in the all important final, which reeked of strange panic by a side that has usually been reasonably well composed throughout the tournament.

I have my personal opinions, but I would love to hear yours.​