PSL 2021: "Quetta Gladiators need a serious huddle regarding next year's options" - Ramiz Raja
Former Pakistan captain Ramiz Raja has suggested that the struggling Quetta Gladiators need to revisit their options ahead of next year’s Pakistan Super League (PSL).
The Quetta Gladiators were hammered by the Peshawar Zalmi by 61 runs on Saturday. The defeat against the Zalmi was the Gladiators’ sixth in seven matches, putting paid to their hopes of qualifying for the next round.
On Friday, they were trounced by Islamabad United by 10 wickets. The Quetta Gladiators are languishing at the bottom of the points table with two points and a poor net run rate of -1.865.
According to Raja, the Quetta Gladiators think-tank needs to have a serious re-look at the squad if they are to perform better in next year’s PSL. He wrote on Twitter:
“Quetta Gladiators need a serious huddle regarding next years options. Time for a rejig.”
Bowling first in Saturday’s match, the Quetta Gladiators conceded 197 for 7. David Miller top-scored for Peshawar Zalmi with 73 runs off 46 balls and Kamran Akmal scored 59 off 37, while Rovman Powell smashed an unbeaten 43 in just 19 deliveries.
The Quetta Gladiators’ batting crumbled yet again, as they managed only 136 for 9 in their 20 overs. Skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed top-scored with an unbeaten 36 and opener Saim Ayub contributed 35. The rest of the batting could not make much of an impression. Among the Peshawar Zalmi bowlers, Mohammad Irfan claimed 3 for 27.
Quetta Gladiators’ Faf du Plessis involved in nasty collision while fielding
The woes for the Quetta Gladiators went beyond their batting and bowling. One of their star overseas performers, Faf du Plessis, had to be taken to a hospital after he collided with teammate Mohammad Hasnain during the match against the Peshawar Zalmi on Saturday.
The incident occured during the 7th over of the Peshawar Zalmi innings. David Miller hit a stroke towards the long-on boundary, and both Du Plessis and Hasnain tried to field the ball. However, there was no call between the two and they ended up colliding.
As per Pakistani media reports, Du Plessis was taken to a hospital in Abu Dhabi following the collision. Saim Ayub came in as the South African batsman’s concussion substitute for the game.
The Quetta Gladiators were hampered by injury in the previous game as well. West Indies all-rounder Andre Russell was hit on the helmet by a sharp bouncer from Mohammad Musa and had to be stretchered off the ground.