The Quetta Gladiators had a rather poor season in the 2022 edition of the Pakistan Super League. With the hope of changing that, the Sarfaraz Ahmed-led side has made some strong signings and will take on the Multan Sultans on their very first match of the season at the Multan Cricket Stadium.
Meanwhile, ahead of the new season, the franchise has retained its skipper, Jason Roy, Muhammad Nawaz, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Hasnain, Will Smeed, Umar Akmal and Naveen ul Haq Murid. They have built the squad around these players and overall, the team looks decent and can challenge for the title but there are some major worries that the team management needs to work on. Overall, how are they looking ahead of the new season, let’s talk about that –
Strength:
Top-order batting is by far their strength ahead of the new season. They have two quality openers in the form of Martin Guptill and Jason Roy and that can eventually prove to be a masterstroke for the franchise. Both these players can play an aggressive brand of cricket, which can help the Gladiators get a perfect start. Will Smead at number three is also a fantastic addition but it’s very unlikely that the cricketer will feature in playing XI.
Weakness:
Even though their top-order looks rock solid, the same cannot be said about their middle order. Iftikhar Ahmed is inconsistent while Sarfaraz Ahmed hasn’t been at his best in T20 cricket. Odean Smith and Wanindu Hasaranga are quality players but they haven’t proved themselves as batters who can change the momentum of the match.
Opportunity:
The franchise can join Islamabad United and become the second team in PSL history to win the tournament on two different occasions. They will also have the opportunity to once again qualify for the playoffs of the competition.
Threats:
Jason Roy and Wanindu Hasaranga are among few others who are expected to leave in the mid-way of the tournament. Even though like Will Jacks will replace Roy but there’s no replacement of Hasaranga as of now. Overall, there’s no proper backup of their important players and thus, if anyone gets injured, the team will be under tremendous pressure.
