Gladiators bank on veterans for PSL glory

Quetta Gladiators have always had the underdogs tag associated with them from the start of the Pakistan Super League (PSL). The franchise had the lowest bid back in 2015 when the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) first auctioned the franchises to initiate the league.

However, Gladiators entered the competition with the actual attitude of gladiators and they got the better of everyone that got in their way.

The franchise has been the most consistent one when it comes to captaincy and coaching staff. Since the first season of the tournament, former Pakistan skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed has led the side, while former captain Moin Khan has been their head coach.

Contrary to that tag, Gladiators have been among the most consistent teams of the tournament courtesy of some of the greats of the game that have represented the franchise, including Shane Watson, Kumar Sangakkara and Kevin Peterson.

The Purple Force, as they like to call themselves, have always serious contenders to lift the cup in almost all the seasons except the last two.

Since the departure of Watson and KP and Sir Viv Richards as the mentor and batting coach, the unit has suffered a dip in form. The former champions have just not been able to sustain their mojo.

Before starting on what the upcoming season of the PSL can hold for Gladiators, let’s have a look at their tournament record.

Past performances

Quetta Gladiators had a dream start in the league. They were a bunch of players who complemented each other’s abilities perfectly.

In the inaugural season of the franchise-based tournament, Gladiators had maintained a 70 per cent winning ratio, standing victorious in seven out of their 10 contests. However, Islamabad United surprised them in the all-important final to become the first-ever PSL champions.

In the second season, Gladiators once again had a killing start and made their way into the playoffs. Sarfaraz was hoping to not face the disappointment again of losing the final, but he had to.

The deciding game of the tournament was played at Gaddafi Stadium Lahore against Peshawar Zalmi and all the key players of the franchise pulled out and decided not to visit Pakistan. As a result, it proved to be an easy game for Zalmi, who defeated the second-time finalists by 58 runs.

In 2018, the Purple Force did not have the best of the day out in the middle. They struggled in the tournament, losing six games out of their 11 and securing just the fourth spot.

Gladiators were on a roll in the fourth edition of the 20-over event. They seem unstoppable and finally managed to lift the trophy in a convincing manner. They played 12 games in the event and won as many as nine of them.

However, this was the last year when Quetta Gladiators’ weaponry looked sharp enough to dominate their opponents.

Till the 2019 instalment of the league, they had the highest winning percentage amongst all franchises of the league. They had won 60 per cent of their games out of 43.

But the next two seasons proved to be forgettable for the team, which is named after the provincial city of Balochistan.

In the 2020 edition of the league, which was disrupted by the coronavirus outbreak, they were involved in 10 encounters and won only four of them. They finished at the second last spot in the points table.

The next season was even worse. Sarfaraz and his men looked in terrible form and ended up at the bottom of the table. The Men-in-Purple played 10 matches and won just two of them. The three-time finalists will be hoping to redeem themselves in the upcoming season.

Strengths 

Decent fast bowling

Young right-arm fast-bowler Mohammad Hasnain was recently featured in Australia’s Big Bash League, where he impressed everyone. However, he also attracted some eyeballs when his action was called suspected during a game.

Apart from the unfortunate conclusion of his season, the 21-year-old was impressive during his short stint. He took seven wickets in five games, including two three-wicket hauls.

The young pacer can be under a bit of stress as his action is due to be scrutinised, but the likes of Sarfaraz and Moin Khan should be able to calm his nerves.

He alongside Naseem Shah can be lethal for the opponents as they are fast and energetic. Moreover, they have seasoned bowlers like Sohail Tanvir and James Faulkner around them who can guide the young duo accordingly.

Destructive batting line

Though partially available, James Vince and Jason Roy at the top of the order could prove to be absolutely lethal. Vince has so far played 276 T20s, where he has scored 7,295 runs with an average of 30.14 with a strike rate of 133.14. He has scored two tons and 44 half-centuries in the format.

Meanwhile, Roy has featured in 262 games in T20 cricket, scoring 6,842 runs with an average of 28.27 at a healthy strike rate of 142.77.

Handy all-rounders

Moreover, Mohammad Nawaz can be extremely useful for the team. He can bowl at different stages of the inning and has been the highest wicket-taker for the franchise with 50 scalps.

His batting has also drastically improved in the last 12 months or so and he has been able to hit the long ball down the order.

Moreover, they have now the services of experienced Iftikhar Ahmed, who can bowl some valuable overs in the middle of the innings, especially against the left-handers.

Meanwhile, everyone is aware of his batting capabilities. If he gets going, he becomes a tough batter to stop. The duo can make a lot of difference for the PSL 2019 winners.

Sarfaraz’s captaincy

Sarfaraz Ahmed’s batting form has declined over the years. His keeping has not been up to the par as well. However, despite his poor form, he is still rated as one of the best leaders in the country right now.

Gladiators have persisted with the Champions Trophy-winning captain as their leader and it can bear fruits for them. If there is any cricketer in Pakistan who can take the team home with his captaincy, it is him.

Weaknesses

Too many old horses

Shahid Afridi had expressed his wish to have his last PSL stint with Quetta Gladiators. And to no one’s surprise, he got the wish. However, it will not be much beneficial for the side.

The Boom Boom is no longer the force that he used to, either with the bat or the ball or even in the field. It will be a pleasant surprise even if the 41-year-old manages to play all the matches, let alone perform in them.

Though the presence of the veteran all-rounder in the squad will help Gladiators in the marketing aspect, it will do little in their cause of winning the title.

Moving on, they have roped in seasoned Sohail Tanvir and James Faulkner in the squad. The duo did pretty well in the last season for Multan Sultans and Lahore Qalandars, respectively. However, what they achieved in the previous season had a lot to do with the playing conditions in the UAE.

One may argue can the left-arm pacers do not look good enough to be a top priority for any side in the world.

Then comes Umar Akmal. Well, it’s a gamble, which has a higher probability of loss. Akmal’s record in the PSL has been impressive, but the once talented batter seems to be out of shape and also out of form.

Having said that, there is still a minute chance that Akmal may fire, and if he does, he can be a game-changer for the Gladiators.

No top performer

Gladiators will be playing without any of their top-performing batters. The top five highest run-getter for the franchise have been Shane Watson, Ahmed Shahad, Sarfaraz, Rilee Rossouw and Kevin Petersen. Among these five, only the wicketkeeper-batter is available for the team. It means that the unit does not have the best of batting options at their disposal.

Players to watch out

Mohammad Nawaz

The bowling ability of Mohammad Nawaz is no secret. However, in 2021, he played 30 matches, where he scored 435 runs at an average of 27.18 with a strike rate of 140.77. He has got two fifties against his name and has hit as many as 26 sixes and 27 fours. On the other hand, he has taken 27 wickets with an impressive economy rate of 7.82. Nawaz’s presence in the playing XI will help Gladiators gain the much-needed balance.

Umar Akmal

If Umar Akmal is in a team, he is surely one of the players to watch out for. The 31-year-old has not played much competitive cricket in recent times and he has been quite vulnerable in whatever games he has played. Having said that, the middle-order batter has the knack and talent to play some impressive innings and get some crucial runs, especially when he is making a comeback. Despite all the ups and downs in his career, he still has an average of 28.95 in 260 T20s with a strike rate of 130.73. Seeing Akmal in the upcoming PSL will be exciting, to say the least.

Prediction

Gladiators have always been among the strongest candidates to win the league. However, this time around, their team just do not look equipped enough to even reach the final.

They have big names who are partially unavailable, they have stars who have long past their prime, they have youngsters who are yet to perform on big stages and they have the baggage of their horrendous show in the last PSL instalment.

Gladiators’ management and fans should celebrate if they manage to qualify for the playoffs stage.

Fixtures

Squad:

Sarfaraz Ahmed (captain), James Vince, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Shahid Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah, Jason Roy, James Faulkner, Umar Akmal, Sohail Tanvir, Ben Duckett, Khurram Shehzad, Abdul Wahid Bangalzai, Muhammad Ashar Qureshi, Noor Ahmad, Ahsan Ali, Luke Wood

Supplementary round: Ghulam Mudassar, Dan Lawrence

Partial replacements: Will Smeed, Ali Imran, Shimron Hetmyer

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