The Pakistan Super League 2023 is nearing its conclusion, and on Friday, Peshawar Zalmi and Multan Sultans will square off in a key match (March 10). Both teams are in the running for playoff qualifying because they each have four victories out of their eight group-stage games. If they win their final two games, they might finish in second place, but they won’t have certain important players available.
In their respective final group-stage matches, Peshawar Zalmi will be without standout all-arounder Rovman Powell while Multan Sultans will be without Akeal Hosein. The West Indies ODI team for the forthcoming series against South Africa, which begins March 16, includes both players. Odean Smith, a fast bowler and all-around player for Quetta Gladiators, will also miss their final contest against Multan Sultans because of national duty.
The West Indies are now playing the Proteas in a two-match Test series. After that, the team will play three ODIs, and the tour will come to a close with three T20Is on March 25. This will be their first series following the selection of Rovman Powell as the new T20I captain and Shai Hopes as the permanent ODI captain. In addition, Powell has been named the new vice-captain for ODIs, and Kyle Mayers will serve as his replacement for T20Is.
With 187 runs from seven innings, one fifty, and a wicket for the Babar Azam-led Peshawar Zalmi, Rovman is having a strong PSL 2023. His white-ball cricket international statistics, though, unquestionably require improvement. He currently has a century in each of the white-ball forms, scoring 897 runs in 45 ODIs at an average of 23.00 and 890 runs in 55 T20Is at an average of 23.42.
For Multan Sultans in PSL 2023, Akeal Hosein has only made three appearances and taken one wicket. Although having great stats in international cricket, he struggled with Abu Dhabi Knight Riders in the ILT20 2023, taking just seven wickets in nine games. Odean Smith has also been ineffective for the Quetta Gladiators, taking just five wickets in six innings while maintaining an economy rate of 10.34. With only three victories this year, the Gladiators have already lost the chance to qualify for the playoffs.
