Islamabad United, who lost against the Quetta Galdiators in the opening game of the Pakistan Super League in Dubai on Thursday, will be keen to pick up their first win when they face Peshawar Zalmi on Friday.
Despite possessing batsmen of the calibre of Shane Watson, Babar Azam and Sam Billings, the Islamabad side failed to use their willow to good effect. They lost wickets at regular intervals, and were tottering at 32 for the loss of four wickets in the 10th over at one point.
With such a poor start, they only managed to score 128 runs in their allotted 20 overs, with captain Misbah-Ul-Haq being the highest runscorer, with 41.
These batsmen are expected to start afresh against Peshawar. In Watson, Andre Russell and Billings, Islamabad United have a strong batting lineup, as the trio can thrash bowlers all around the park. However it is not only their batsmen, who need to pull up their socks, as bowlers such as Mohammad Irfan and Samuel Badree also need to perform.
The Islamabad batsmen need to be even more careful when they face Peshawar, who have some lethal bowlers in their lineup. Shaun Tait, who is known for his pace in international cricket, can make life difficult for the batsmen. If Tait gets his line and length right, the Islamabad batsmen could be in trouble.
Apart from Tait, they also have Pakistan pacer Wahab Riaz, who could once again have a mighty duel with Watson, after that unforgettable contest in the ICC 2015 World Cup quarterfinals.
Peshawar, led by Pakistan T20 captain Shahid Afridi, will be playing their first match on Friday and are expected to be one of the most competitive teams in the Pakistan Super League. They have the right mix of players in the team with batsmen such as Kamran Akmal, Mohammad Hafeez and bowlers like Tait, Riaz and Afridi.
Teams: Peshawar Zalmi: Shahid Afridi, Wahab Riaz, Darren Sammy, Kamran Akmal, Mohammad Hafeez, Chris Jordan, Tamim Iqbal, Junaid Khan, James Allenby, Shaun Tait, Aamer Yamin, Dawid Malan, Imran Khan (jnr), Shahid Yousuf, Abdur Rehman, Musadiq Ahmed Ali, HasanAli, Mohammad Asghar, Brad Hodge, Israrullah, Taj Wali.
Islamabad United: Shane Watson, Mohammad Irfan, Brad Haddin, Sharjeel Khan, Imran Khalid, Kamran Ghulam, Umar Amin, Sam Billings Mohammad Sami, Khalid Latif, Babar Azam, Andre Russell, Misbah-ul-Haq, Samuel Badree, , Rumman Raees, Amad Butt, Saeed Ajmal, Hussain Talat Ashar Zaidi, Umar Siddiq.
Where to watch live
Game 3 of the Pakistan Super League -- Peshawar Zalmi vs Islamabad United -- is scheduled for 8pm local time (9:30 pm IST, 9 pm PKT, 4pm GMT) start. Unfortunately there is no live TV coverage in India.
Viewers in Pakistan can watch the -- Peshawar Zalmi vs Islamabad United live on PTV Sports, Ten Sports and Geo Super with the live streaming online option on PTV Sports Live.
OSN will broadcast the Peshawar Zalmi vs Islamabad United live in UAE, with the match can be live streamed on OSN Play.
UK viewers can watch the Peshawar Zalmi vs Islamabad United on Prime TV with live streaming on Prime TV Online.
Viewers from around the world can also live stream the match on Cricketgateway.
