Ahead of the ninth edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), Quetta Gladiators have removed wicketkeeper batter Sarfaraz Ahmed from captaincy. Notably, Quetta had a terrible season in the previous edition where they finished on the last spot on the points table with just three wins from ten matches.
Quetta’s owner Nadeem Omer revealed that Sarfaraz wanted to take a break from captaincy and a new captain will be announced after consulting with head coach Shane Watson. South Africa batter Rilee Rossouw and Pakistan batter Saud Shakeel are reportedly two contenders to replace Sarfaraz.
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“Sarfaraz wants to take a break from captaincy with new head coach Shane Watson set to decide who will lead the side after consulting with the team management,” Nadeem Omer was quoted as saying by Geo News.
Sarfaraz had a brilliant run as Quetta’s captain as he led them to three finals and also helped them lift their first and only title in 2019. In the previous season, the 36-year-old played eight games and scored 162 runs at an average of 27 and a strike rate of 104.51.
Meanwhile, Quetta will start their campaign in PSL 2024 against Peshawar Zalmi on Sunday, February 18 at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore. Notably, the ninth edition of the tournament in will be held in four cities namely Karachi, Lahore, Multan and Rawalpindi. A total of six teams will be seen participating in the league with the final set to be played on March 18 at National Bank Stadium, Karachi.
PSL 9 will take place in two legs
Like the previous edition, PSL 9 will take place in two legs with Multan Cricket Stadium and Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium hosting 14 matches from February 17 to 27. The next 16 matches will be held across two venues in Rawalpindi’s Pindi Cricket Stadium and Karachi’s National Bank Stadium from February 28 to March 12. The four knockout matches will be played entirely in Karachi.
Quetta Gladiators’ PSL 9 squad
Rilee Rossouw (Platinum), Mohammad Wasim, Jason Roy, Wanindu Hasaranga (all Diamond), Sarfaraz Ahmed (Brand Ambassador) Abrar Ahmed, Mohammad Hasnain (all Gold), Mohammad Amir, Will Smeed (Silver) Saud Shakeel, Sajjad Ali, Usman Qadir, Adil Naz, Khawaja Nafay, Akeal Hosein, Sohail Khan, Omair Yousuf, Sherfane Rutherford, Bismillah Khan (partial replacement for Wanindu Hasaranga), Sufiyan Muqeem