DUBAI: Peshawar Zalmi won the toss and invited Islamabad United to bat first during the third qualifying final match being played at Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
Battle to reach Pakistan Super League (PSL)’s final has begun between Zalmi and United led by Shahid Afridi and Misbah-ul-Haq respectively.
The match will decide that who will join Quetta Gladiators in the final, will it be Islamabad United or Peshawar Zalmi, who face off in the all-important third Playoff, on Saturday.
The Islamabad outfit, come into this game on a three-match unbeaten run, impressing everyone with their fight and tenacity. Forgotten man, Mohammad Sami was the star for Islamabad in the second qualifying final on Saturday, ripping through the Karachi Kings line-up to end with figures of 5 for 8.
The team led by Misbah-ul-Haq , started the tournament slowly but peaked at the right time, however they are yet to beat a team other than Karachi and Lahore. In Dwayne Smith and Brad Haddin, they have two experienced T20 players, while Andre Russell provides that added spark to the side. Azhar Mahmood and Saeed Ajmal were dropped for the last game against Karachi, but are expected to play in the third game.
Islamabad United Team
DR Smith, Sharjeel Khan, BJ Haddin†, Asif Ali, Misbah-ul-Haq*, Khalid Latif, AD Russell, Imran Khalid, S Badree, Mohammad Irfan, Mohammad Sami, Amad Butt, Rumman Raees, Umar Amin, Kamran Ghulam, Saeed Ajmal, Ashar Zaidi, Azhar Mahmood
Peshawar Zalmi Team
Mohammad Hafeez, Kamran Akmal†, Shahid Yousuf, BJ Hodge, JM Bairstow, DJG Sammy, Shahid Afridi*, Wahab Riaz, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Asghar, SW Tait, Aamer Yamin, Abdur Rehman, Imran Khan (1), J Allenby, DJ Malan, Junaid Khan, Tamim Iqbal
