The remaining 20 matches of PSL 6, which were postponed due to corona virus, will be played in Abu Dhabi.
The event was made possible by the tireless efforts of the UAE government, their National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority, Emirates Cricket Board and Abu Dhabi Sports Council and the tireless efforts of the PCB.
Pakistan Super League started in 2016. All 24 matches of the first edition of the league, 23 matches of the second edition, 31 matches of the 2018 edition and 26 matches of the 2019 edition were played in the United Arab Emirates. Sheikh Zayed Stadium Abu Dhabi has previously hosted 4 matches of HBL Pakistan Super League. The fifth edition of the league was played entirely in Pakistan while the first edition of 2021 edition was played on March 4 due to the spread of corona virus. The collegium was postponed. Six captains of all the teams in the league are now waiting to fight for the trophy in the deserts of the United Arab Emirates. Defending champions Karachi Kings are currently top of the points table with six points from five matches (3 wins, 2 losses). Interestingly, apart from Karachi Kings, three teams, Peshawar Zalmi, Islamabad United and Lahore Qalandars also have 6 points, but based on better net run rate (0.697), Karachi Kings has the first position in the points table.
Edition 2017 champion Peshawar Zalmi also won three matches and lost two during the early stages of the league. Peshawar Zalmi, who scored six points, has a net run rate of 0.273. The 2016 and 2018 winners Islamabad United are third in the points table with a net run rate of 0.202. The Lahore Qalandars, who lost in one, are fourth in the points table.
Multan Sultans are fifth with just one win in five matches of the event while Quetta Gladiators are last in the points table.
Karachi Kings captain Emad Waseem says the resumption of PSL 6 is very good news for the players and fans of the league, we topped the points table in Karachi and now the same performance continues in the UAE. Will try to keep He said that veterans like Martin Guptill and Thessara Pereira would take full advantage of his inclusion in the squad through the replacement draft of the T20 specialist. Emad Wasim further said that Sharjeel Khan has performed well for Karachi Kings while Mohammad Amir will be the most important weapon of our bowling attack.
Peshawar Zalmai captain Wahab Riaz says he is excited about the resumption of the league, Zalmai’s record in the UAE has been excellent and the conditions there have always been conducive for Zalmai. Like the teams, we have picked alternate foreign players. Fabian Allen, Roman Powell and Fidel Edwards are T20 specialists. We will try to take advantage of the presence of these three players to play our best game in the UAE. Riaz says he, Ameed Asif and Mohammad Irfan will also try to maintain a good performance in Abu Dhabi.
Islamabad United captain Shadab Khan says that despite the global outbreak of corona virus, holding the remaining matches of HBLPSL 6 is a big step. There are many fond memories of cricket in UAE, United played here. The last edition was won in 2016. In 2017, I was made a part of the national cricket team due to my excellent performance during the event. “We are hopeful of doing well again in the UAE and the presence of foreign players like Usman Khawaja has further strengthened our batting line-up. Hussain Talat, Iftikhar Ahmed, Hassan Ali, Asif Ali and In the presence of talented players like Faheem Ashraf, he has high expectations from his team.
Lahore Qalandars captain Sohail Akhtar said that the league matches played in Karachi were very thrilling, although the Qalandars team is currently in the fourth position, but the points of the teams in the first three positions on the points table are equal to the Qalandars. Are “The rest of the edition matches are in the UAE, giving us an opportunity to improve our old record in the UAE,” he said.
Multan Sultans captain Mohammad Rizwan said that of course our performance in the opening matches of the league played in Karachi was not impressive but after selecting the best foreign players in the replacement draft, now we hope for a better game in the UAE. “Our bowling and all-rounder’s strengths have been strengthened. Our squad is much better with the presence of T20 specialists like Shahid Afridi and Usman Qadir,” he said.
Quetta Gladiators captain Sarfraz Ahmed said that Karachi League was challenging for us but successfully defending the target in the last match before the adjournment of the league increased our confidence. We turned to the UAE grounds with the same confidence. Yes, the pitches and conditions there are always favorable for us. “With the arrival of West Indies T20 specialist Andre Russell, our squad will be even stronger,” he said.