After a terrible season last year, Karachi Kings will try to make a strong comeback in the eighth season of the Pakistan Super League (PSL).
But Karachi, the most populated city in Pakistan, would want to give their fans something to cheer about in PSL 8.
After Babar Azam leaves, the all-arounder Imad Wasim will once again be in charge as captain.
Strengths
Karachi has a powerful batsman at the top of the order in Sharjeel Khan. If he stays at the crease for a long time, he can easily take the game away from the other team.
Shoaib Malik, an all-rounder with a lot of experience, is in the middle of their batting order, which helps keep things stable.
Mohammad Amir, who was the first bowler in PSL history to get a hat-trick, will again lead the Kings’ bowling attack. The team’s chances in the event will depend on how well he plays.
Matthew Wade, who plays T20 cricket for Australia and has a strike rate of 136.53, can also give the team a boost at the end of the innings.
Ben Cutting, an all-rounder, and Imran Tahir, a leg-spinner, have both played a lot in the PSL in the past, which is a plus for Karachi Kings.
Weaknesses
Babar Azam, who left Karachi for Peshawar Zalmi before the PSL draught last year, is a big loss for the team. The prolific batter is one of the best players in the world right now, which is why Karachi will probably miss the stability he brought to the top of the order.
Some 📸 highlights from our second training session. #YehHaiKarachi | #KingsSquad | #HBLPSL8 pic.twitter.com/IjREJooZPH
— Karachi Kings (@KarachiKingsARY) February 10, 2023
Karachi also don’t have a reliable finished in the lower middle-order which could come back to haunt them especially when they are chasing a big target. It also puts a lot of pressure on the likes of Wade and Cutting to come good with the bat throughout the season.
Finishing positions in previous seasons
Karachi Kings have won the title only once during the PSL history, under the leadership of Imad Wasim, which came in 2020 when they defeated Lahore Qalandars in the final.
They also qualified for the playoffs in the first four seasons of the event.
The Kings finished last on the points table in PSL 7 which also marked the first time that they didn’t qualify for the playoffs in the tournament’s history.
Squad
Haider Ali, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Amir, Shoaib Malik, Aamir Yamin, Mir Hamza, Sharjeel Khan, Qasim Akram, Matthew Wade, Imran Tahir, James Vince, James Fuller, Andrew Tye, Tayyab Tahir, Mohammad Akhlaq, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Tabraiz Shamsi, Mohammad Umar, Ben Cutting, Musa Khan, Faisal Akram (partial replacement for Tabraiz Shamsi), Adam Rossington (partial replacement for James Vince)
Probable lineup
James Vince, Sharjeel Khan, Haider Ali, Shoaib Malik, Matthew Wade, Imad Wasim, Qasim Akram, Ben Cutting, Mohammad Amir, Imran Tahir, Mir Hamza.
Fixtures
14 Feb – Karachi Kings v Peshawar Zalmi, National Bank Cricket Arena
16 Feb – Karachi Kings v Islamabad United, National Bank Cricket Arena
18 Feb – Karachi Kings v Quetta Gladiators, National Bank Cricket Arena
19 Feb – Kings v Lahore Qalandars, National Bank Cricket Arena
22 Feb – Multan Sultans v Karachi Kings, Multan Cricket Stadium
26 Feb – Karachi Kings v Multan Sultans, National Bank Cricket Arena
1 Mar – Peshawar Zalmi v Karachi Kings, Pindi Cricket Stadium
3 Mar – Islamabad United v Karachi Kings, Pindi Cricket Stadium
6 Mar – Quetta Gladiators v Karachi Kings, Pindi Cricket Stadium
12 Mar – Lahore Qalandars v Karachi Kings, Gaddafi Stadium