Tag: Karachi Kings

  • Naseem Shah disappointed after Quetta loses to Peshawar in PSL

    Naseem Shah disappointed after Quetta loses to Peshawar in PSL

    Quetta Gladiators’ young pacer Naseem Shah is disappointed after his side lost to Peshawar Zalmi during the Pakistan Super League (PSL) match at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore on Tuesday.

    Shah impressed one and all with his bowling, bagging figures of 4/27. However, Gladiators fell short by 24 runs against Zalmi.

    “I think that a player enjoys his personal performance more when his team wins and the entire squad celebrates the win,” said Naseem in a video released by the Quetta Gladiators.

    “Since my childhood, I always feel weird even if I lose a game at home. I’m happy with my own performance but my team didn’t win which makes me sad,” he added.

    Shah also stated that Gladiators can qualify for the playoffs “if they win their last two games”.

    “We have good openers and middle-order. We just need one win to turn things around,” he added.

    It must be noted that Quetta’s last two matches in the round-robin stage are against Multan Sultans and Karachi Kings, respectively.

    Team Quetta is standing at fifth position at the points table with six points.

  • Karachi Kings spinner Imad Wasim fined for breaching PSL Code of Conduct

    Karachi Kings spinner Imad Wasim fined for breaching PSL Code of Conduct

    Karachi Kings’ former captain Imad Wasim has been fined five per cent of his match fee for breaching Level 1 one of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) Code of Conduct during his team’s clash against Islamabad United at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Monday.

    Read More – Quetta’s Jason Roy fined for breach of code of conduct

    The incident happened in the first over of the match when Imad Wasim used inappropriate language after dismissing opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who had earlier hit him for a couple of sixes. Wasim was found to have violated Article 2.5 of the PSL Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel.

    While he also celebrated in a teasing style when he got the wicket of Islamabad captain Shadab Khan.

    The Article relates to “using language, actions or gestures which disparage or which could provoke an aggressive reaction from a batter upon his/her dismissal during a PSL Match”.

    Meanwhile, Imad admitted the offence and accepted the sanction proposed to be imposed by the match referee Ranjan Madugalle and, as such, there was no need for a formal hearing.

    The charges were levelled by on-field umpires Asif Yaqoob and Richard Illingworth, third umpire Rashid Riaz and fourth umpire Nasir Hussain.

  • Seventh consecutive loss: New record for Karachi Kings

    Seventh consecutive loss: New record for Karachi Kings

    Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchise Karachi Kings has set a new record of losing in the history of PSL. This year, the Babar Azam-led Kings lost their seventh consecutive match against Islamabad United at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore on Monday.

    Read More – All you need to know about today’s PSL fixtures

    Chasing 192, Kings were given a boost when two key Islamabad United bowlers, Shadab Khan and Zeeshan Zameer, were forced off the field with injuries, leading to Asif Ali needing to bowl three overs, and taking two wickets in his first over.

    It was some generous fielding from United at the death and a spirited stand between Imad Wasim and Qasim Akram that even made this game a contest.

    It came down to a nail-biting final over from Waqas Maqsood, in which Kings needed eight. A boundary off the second ball brought it down to a run-a-ball, but two wickets took the game right down to the final delivery, off which the Kings needed two. Chris Jordan spooned it back to Waqas, who somehow dropped it, but managed to gather and effect a direct hit at the non-striker’s end.

    Jordan was inches short of the crease that would have guaranteed the Kings a Super Over, and United had just about a hold on to victory in a game they should have sealed long ago.

    Karachi remains without points after seven matches in the ongoing tournament. Before this, the unwanted record of most consecutive defeats in a single edition of PSL was with Lahore Qalandars. Qalandars were beaten in six consecutive games in the 2018 season of PSL.

  • PSL teams to arrive in Lahore today and tomorrow

    PSL teams to arrive in Lahore today and tomorrow

    Pakistan Super League (PSL) teams will be arriving in Lahore today for the second leg of the tournament. The teams will be arriving in Lahore through chartered flights in two phases on Monday and Tuesday.

    As per reports, the teams that will be arriving today are Multan Sultans, Peshawar Zalmi and Islamabad United.

    The remaining teams — Lahore Qalandars, Quetta Gladiators and Karachi Kings — will reach Lahore on February 8.

    The teams will practice in High-performance Centre and LCCA grounds. The Lahore leg will start on February 10 with the final to be played in the Gaddafi Stadium on February 27.

    It should be noted that the last match of the Karachi leg will be played today between Quetta Gladiators and Lahore Qalandars. English cricketer Jason Roy will join the Gladiators today.

    The match between Gladiators and Qalandars will be played at the National Stadium Karachi. Both the teams have played four matches each from which Lahore has won three and Quetta has managed to win only one match.

  • Angry Inzamam schools Babar after Karachi Kings’ fourth consecutive defeat

    Angry Inzamam schools Babar after Karachi Kings’ fourth consecutive defeat

    Former captain of Pakistan cricket team Inzamam-ul-Haq has schooled Karachi Kings captain Babar Azam for not finishing the match on Friday despite playing complete 20 overs against Peshawar Zalmi at National Stadium Karachi.

    Kings’ poor performance continued to frustrate the fans in the seventh edition of Pakistan Super League (PSL) as the Babar-led side has lost all their matches in the tournament.

    Speaking on Geo News programme ‘Jashn-e-Cricket’, former chief selector Inzamam criticised Babar for not being able to finish the match with a win.

    “If you are the world’s number one cricket player and stands on wicket throughout 20 overs, then you should be finishing the match, otherwise get out without playing complete overs,” said Inzamam after the Kings failed to achieve the target of 174.

    Azam’s 63-ball 90 included 12 fours and a six.

    The former captain was also not pleased with the home team’s selection and batting order in the PSL 2022.

    Inzamam-ul-Haq also criticised Australian authorities for declaring Mohammad Husnain’s bowling action illegal.

    “Hasnain has been playing cricket for 2-3 years and his bowling action did not seem to be illegal,” he said.

    “Why do 90% of players get banned after going to Australia?” he questioned.

    Inzamam said that Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) should have sorted out Hasnain’s bowling action issue before the start of PSL.

    Meanwhile, PCB has said in a statement that the board will work on the young pacer’s bowling action and get it cleared as soon as possible.

  • Babar Azam optimistic to turn the tables after three consecutive defeats

    Babar Azam optimistic to turn the tables after three consecutive defeats

    Karachi Kings has been unable to win a single match in the seventh edition of Pakistan Super League (PSL) and their performance in the ongoing tournament wasn’t expected of them, especially after a change of leadership. But Pakistan’s all-format captain and Karachi’s first-time skipper Babar Azam is optimistic that the tables will be turned.

    Taking to his social media, Babar shared a picture of a team meeting and wrote: “Not the start we were preparing for but there’s a lot more to come and we believe we can turn this around. It’s never over until it’s over.”

    Kings have been failing miserably to defend their totals in the last matches played at the National Stadium in Karachi.

    They have lost by seven wickets to Multan Sultans, six wickets to Lahore Qalandars, and eight wickets to Quetta Gladiators.

  • Twitter lauds ‘Mardan ka’ Fakhar Zaman for his maiden PSL century

    Twitter lauds ‘Mardan ka’ Fakhar Zaman for his maiden PSL century

    Pakistan’s left-handed hitter Fakhar Zaman has been highly appreciated by the Pakistani Twitter after he has scored a century in the highly anticipated match between Karachi Kings and Lahore Qalandars at National Stadium Karachi on Sunday.

    Pakistani term clash between Lahore and Karachi as ‘Desi El Clásico’ while the power hitter scored 106 runs off 60 balls with the help of 12 fours and four sixes in this encounter, completing 15,00 runs in the Pakistan Super League (PSL).

    He has become the fourth cricketer to achieve the feat. Prior to him, Babar Azam, Kamran Akmal, and Shoaib Malik have achieved the feat. He also bagged Player of the Match award for his outstanding performance.

    In the post-match ceremony, the Captain of Lahore Qalandars, Shaheen Shah Afridi said: “Fakhar Zaman is improving day by day. We know he is a game-changer. He deserves a lot of credit for the way he managed the innings and his century. I pray that he continues to perform well for Qalandars and for Pakistan.”

    Netizens and his team mates of national team showered their praise to the cricketer for single handedly clinching the match from the Kings.

    https://twitter.com/MandyHox/status/1487852686871609345?s=20&t=PY2zP9O6OpxgQLc0CWdd9Q

  • Babar, Rizwan face-off: Both ready to face each other in first PSL 7 match

    Babar, Rizwan face-off: Both ready to face each other in first PSL 7 match

    The stage is set for the seventh edition of Pakistan Super League (PSL) to begin on January 27 at the National Stadium in Karachi with defending champions Multan Sultans facing off 2020 champions Karachi Kings following a curtain-raiser opening ceremony.

    Babar Azam, who made the record for most T20I wins as captain in a calendar year with 20 in 2021, will lead Karachi Kings. Mohammad Rizwan, first-ever batter to score more than 1,000 T20I runs in a calendar year, will lead Multan Sultans.

    Babar in a statement issued by PSL, said: “I am very excited to be leading Karachi Kings this season. This is the first instance that I will be captaining a side in the HBL PSL and I am looking forward to it.

    “The first match of the tournament always has a lot of eyeballs and Multan Sultans can prove to be a tough opposition. I am sure the fans will get to see a thrilling contest.

    “Peter Moores is a seasoned coach and I have had fruitful discussions with him. Karachi Kings will display good, competitive cricket this season.”

    While Rizwan said: “We have all the potential to defend our HBL PSL title and we will be taking the field tomorrow with that mind set. This season will present us new challenges and we will have to plan accordingly.

    “Babar Azam is a wonderful batter and captain, and his leadership will certainly have a good impact on Karachi Kings. I am hopeful that the HBL PSL 7 will kick off with a great contest between the two sides.”

  • Wasim Akram, Wahab Riaz, Haider Ali test positive for Covid ahead of PSL 7

    Wasim Akram, Wahab Riaz, Haider Ali test positive for Covid ahead of PSL 7

    Former cricketer and Karachi Kings’ President Wasim Akram and two Peshawar Zalmi’s players — Wahab Riaz and Haider Ali — tested positive for Covid-19 ahead of the seventh edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL).

    As per The News, Wasim Akram and the players of the PSL franchise have quarantined themselves after their test for the virus came back positive.

    It is a big blow for Zalmi as its two key players tested positive for the virus days before the start of the mega event.

    It is pertinent to mention here that the total toll of coronavirus positive players for the Zalmis has reached four as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Monday confirmed the franchise’s Kamran Akmal and Arshad Iqbal had tested positive for Covid-19 and were replaced by players from the reserves pool.

    The replacement, according to the PCB, will be temporary and the replaced players can re-integrate into the squad after completing isolation and receiving negative PCR results.

    On January 21, the PCB had confirmed that three cricketers and five members of the support staff from different franchises had contracted the virus.

    Earlier, 40 staff memebers of the hotel reserved for PSL 7 bio-secure bubble had tested positive for Covid-19.

    The seventh edition of the PSL is scheduled to kickoff at Karachi’s National Stadium from January 27. The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) had allowed 25 per cent crowd attendance for the Karachi-leg of the tournament after the surge in cases in the city. NCOC will make a decision closer to the time for the Lahore-leg matches scheduled to be played at the Gaddafi Stadium from February 10-27.

  • Here is what you need to know about PSL 7 draft, schedule

    Here is what you need to know about PSL 7 draft, schedule

    The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced that Pakistan Super League’s (PSL) seventh edition will begin on January 27, 2022, with the draft to be held on December 12. The league, which begins about a month earlier than usual to make room for Australia’s upcoming tour in March-April, will have the final take place on February 27.

    “Following an opening ceremony, defending champions Multan Sultans will take on hosts and 2020 champions Karachi Kings at the National Stadium with the first ball to be bowled at 7pm” on January 27, a PCB press release said, adding that 2019 champions Quetta Gladiators would go toe to toe with 2017 winners Peshawar Zalmi the following day.

    “After Karachi, which will host 15 matches from January 27 to February 7, action will shift to the Gaddafi Stadium where the remaining 15 league matches and the four play-offs will be played from February 10-27,” the PCB said.

    It will be the first time since 2017 when the headquarters of Pakistan cricket will host the PSL final.

    The National Stadium in Karachi had staged the league’s finals from 2018 to 2020, while Abu Dhabi was the venue for the 2021 final, where Multan Sultans defeated Peshawar Zalmi by 47 runs.

    Speaking on the matter, PCB Chairperson Ramiz Raja said: “I am delighted that the HBL PSL 7 schedule has been announced. This will now get the ball rolling with the teams to start planning and finalising their line-ups and the PCB increasing the pace of the operational delivery to ensure they provide quality playing facilities for the players as well as a five-star experience to the fans and our valued commercial partners.”

    “The HBL PSL 7 will also kickstart what will be a bumper year for Pakistan cricket with the Australia men’s cricket team to play a full series in March-April with England men’s cricket side to tour Pakistan twice for white-ball and red-ball cricket,” Raja added.

    Player draft

    According to the press release, the PCB has decided to hold the player draft for the league at its National High Performance Centre in Lahore on December 12.

    “Each side will come to the draft with a maximum of eight-player retentions from the last event,” it further stated. “Following the finalisation of player categories, the transfer and retention window is now officially open and will close on December 10.”

    According to the press release, Lahore Qalandars will have the first pick in the Platinum category, Diamond category, Gold category and Emerging category, Peshawar Zalmi will have the first pick in the Silver category, and Quetta Gladiators will have the first pick in the Supplementary category.

    Local players’ category renewals

    The press release said the PCB, after a review and assessment process, had updated local players’ categories.

    “In the biggest moves, Pakistan wicketkeeper/batter and Multan Sultan’s captain Mohammad Rizwan (previously Silver), Asif Ali of Islamabad United (previously Gold) and Lahore Qalandars’ Haris Rauf (previously Diamond) have been placed in Platinum Category.”

    Moreover, Multan Sultans’ Sohaib Maqsood, who was named the Player of HBL PSL’s sixth edition, and Haider Ali of Peshawar Zalmi have moved up from Silver and Gold categories to Diamond category, respectively.

    Schedule for matches in Karachi:

    • Jan 27: Karachi Kings vs Multan Sultans

    • Jan 28: Quetta Gladiators vs Peshawar Zalmi

    • Jan 29: Multan Sultans vs Lahore Qalandars; Karachi Kings vsQuetta Gladiators

    • Jan 30: Peshawar Zalmi vs Islamabad United; Karachi Kings vsLahore Qalandars

    • Jan 31: Quetta Gladiators vs Multan Sultans

    • Feb 1: Islamabad United vs Multan Sultans

    • Feb 2: Peshawar Zalmi vs Lahore Qalandars

    • Feb 3: Quetta Gladiators vs Islamabad United

    • Feb 4: Karachi Kings vs Peshawar Zalmi

    • Feb 5: Islamabad United vs Lahore Qalandars; Peshawar Zalmi vs Multan Sultans

    • Feb 6: Karachi Kings vs Islamabad United

    • Feb 7: Quetta Gladiators vs Lahore Qalandars

    Schedule for matches in Lahore:

    • Feb 10: Multan Sultans vs Peshawar Zalmi

    • Feb 11: Lahore Qalandars vs Multan Sultans

    • Feb 12: Islamabad United vs Quetta Gladiators

    • Feb 13: Peshawar Zalmi vs Karachi Kings; Lahore Qalandars vs Quetta Gladiators

    • Feb 14: Islamabad United vs Karachi Kings

    • Feb 15: Peshawar Zalmi vs Quetta Gladiators

    • Feb 16: Multan Sultans vs Karachi Kings

    • Feb 17: Islamabad United vs Peshawar Zalmi

    • Feb 18: Multan Sultans vs Quetta Gladiators; Lahore Qalandars vs Karachi Kings

    • Feb 19: Lahore Qalandars vs Islamabad United

    • Feb 20: Quetta Gladiators vs Karachi Kings; Multan Sultans vsIslamabad United

    • Feb 21: Lahore Qalandars vs Peshawar Zalmi

    • Feb 23: Qualifier (1 vs 2)

    • Feb 24: Eliminator 1 (3 vs 4)

    • Feb 25: Eliminator 2 (Loser Qualifier 1 vs Winner Eliminator 1)

    • Feb 27: (Qualifier v Eliminator 2) Final