PSL Match 22: PZ vs QG PREVIEW

This will be the 22nd match of the Pakistan Super League 2022 and will be played between the Peshawar Zalmi and the Quetta Gladiators. 

Peshawar Zalmi have been a little inconsistent in the tournament. They are at the 5th position with 3 wins and 4 defeats in 7 matches. They won their last game against the Karachi Kings by a big margin of 55 runs. Peshawar’s batting unit started off a little shaky but looks settled now with Liam Livingstone joining in and Ben Cutting getting back in form. Hazratullah Zazai has been consistent as well while they found an excellent new prospect in Mohammad Haris who played super aggressively in his first game of PSL 2022. Shoaib Malik has been consistent as ever in the middle-order. They’ll need Haider Ali and Sherfane Rutherford to be back amongst the runs and that will make their batting unit one of the best in the league. 

Wahab Riaz found some form in the last couple of games and has picked 2 wickets each in the last two matches. Salman Irshad has assisted him quite well with 2 wickets each in the last two games. They don’t have a quality spinner but Liam Livingtone is bowling both off-spin and leg-spin for them. Overall, their bowling is their weak link and they'll have to do something about that. 

Quetta, meanwhile, are at the 4th position with 3 wins and 4 defeats after 7 matches. Their net run-rate (NRR) is better than Zalmi. Quetta struggled in the initial few games but since Jason Roy has joined the team they’ve been brilliant. They defeated Lahore and Islamabad who are the top teams in PSL 2022 in consecutive games. Jason Roy and Ahsan Ali are two good opening batters for them. Sarfaraz Ahmed finding scoring runs in the middle-order is something they needed the most. Iftikhar Ahmed and Umar Akmal have done well in the last two games at the lower order. 

Their bowling received a big blow after Mohammad Hasnain was suspended from bowling in PSL 2022. Naseem Shah, Ghulam Muddassar, Sohail Tanvir, and Hassan Khan have to take responsibility in the pace department alongside James Faulkner. They’ve got Noor Ahmad as an excellent young spinner in their eleven. Overall, they are looking quite balanced as a unit.

Probable Playing XI

Peshawar Zalmi: Mohammad Haris (wk), Hazratullah Zazi, Liam Livingstone, Haider Ali, Shoaib Malik, Sherfane Rutherford, Ben Cutting, Amad Butt, Wahab Riaz (c), Salman Irshad, Mohammad Umar

Quetta Gladiators: Jason Roy, Ahsan Ali, James Vince, Sarfaraz Ahmed (c & wk), Umar Akmal, Iftikhar Ahmed, Sohail Tanvir, Naseem Shah, Noor Ahmad, Ghulam Muddassar, Hassan Khan

Pitch Report

The pitch will be a belter for batting with a flat wicket. The short boundaries will help the batters as well. The new ball will move a little and the spinners will get some purchase as well. Overall an excellent wicket for T20s. 

Head to Head

Overall: Peshawar leads 10-8
Last 5 matches: Peshawar leads 5-0

Match Ups

Peshawar Zalmi
Malik vs Tanvir: 79 runs for 3 dismissals
Rutherford vs Tanvir: 44 runs off 21 balls with no dismissals
Hazratullah vs Noor: 16 runs off 7 balls with 1 dismissal

Quetta Gladiators
Vince vs Riaz: 41 runs off 28 balls with 1 dismissal
Iftikhar vs Riaz: 11 runs off 11 balls with 2 dismissals
Sarfaraz vs Riaz: 83 runs off 53 balls with 4 dismissals
Ahsan Ali vs Sohail : 20 runs off 7 balls with no dismissals
Vince vs Livingstone : 34 runs off 19 balls with no dismissals
Roy vs Malik : 64 runs off 46 balls with no dismissals

Key Players

Peshawar Zalmi 

● Hazratullah Zazai: Zaza has been very consistent for Peshawar. He scored 52 in the last game and his scores before that are, 43 and 41. Zazai is providing a good start at the top which is a good thing for Zalmi. 

● Shoaib Malik: Malik has carried the Zalmi middle-order throughout this tournament. He has scored in almost every game and been the main batter for his team. He has 218 runs at an average of 43.60 and striking at 138.85.  
 
● Liam Livingstone: Liam Livingstone is one of the best T20 players in the world. He is a hard hitter of the ball and can bowl off-spin and leg-spin as well. He is yet to go big with the bat in PSL 2022 but a crucial player for Peshawar. 

● Ben Cutting: Ben Cutting has been excellent in the lower order for Zalmi. He has scored quick runs down the order. He struggled initially but has scored 161 runs, averaging 32.20 and striking at 154.80.
 

Quetta Gladiators

● Jason Roy: Roy has proved to be the much needed medicine for a struggling Quetta side which defeated two of the best teams (Lahore and Islamabad) since he joined them. Roy got out for a duck but has a fifty and a hundred to his name in 3 games. He has scored 170 at an average of 56.66 and has struck at 197.67. 

● Ahsan Ali: Alongside Roy, Ahsan Ali is another excellent opener for Quetta. The youngster has scored 249 runs in 7 games. His average is 41.50 and his strike-rate has been 139.88. He has been a consistent performer for the Gladiators at the top. 

● Sarfaraz Ahmed: Skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed has looked in excellent touch in the last couple of games. He scored a brilliant 50* in the second last game against Islamabad and took his Disclaimer:  These teams are based on the writer's understanding of the game and do not guarantee to win in fantasy cricket. Users are advised to create their own teams with the information provided.team over the line. Him getting back in form is just what Quetta needed in this important phase of the tournament. 

● Umar Akmal: Umar Akmal has played 2 games and hasn’t scored a lot but he is batting in the lower-middle order and has scored 48 runs in just 27 balls in the two games. This has been a valuable effort from him as his team was chasing a big total in one of the games where he scored 23 off just 8 balls. His strike-rate of 177.77 has been game changing for Quetta. 

Fantasy Tips

Top Captain and vice-captain picks for this match:

● Jason Roy
● Liam Livingstone
● Hazratullah Zazai
● Shoaib Malik
● Sarfaraz Ahmed
● Salman Irshad 

Dream11 Team

Disclaimer:  These teams are based on the writer's understanding of the game and do not guarantee to win in fantasy cricket. Users are advised to create their own teams with the information provided.