LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Tuesday named team of the HBL PSL 9 with Shadab Khan as captain of the team.

The HBL PSL 9 team was picked by an independent panel led by Director International PCB Usman Wahla and comprised independent members Urooj Mumtaz, Mark Butcher, Danny Morrison and Tariq Saeed.

The panel picked five players from Multan Sultans, three players from Islamabad United, two players from Peshawar Zalmi and one player from Karachi Kings.

During the selection process, the independent panel considered various aspects of T20 cricket, including consistency, impact on the team, overall performance, and best possible team combination.

25-year-old Shadab, led United to the third title in HBL PSL, was also named player of the tournament for his all-round performance, which included 305 runs and 14 wickets from 12 matches.

Along with Shadab, two Islamabad United players – Imad Wasim and Naseem Shah also made it to the team of HBL PSL 9. Imad, played a vital role in United’s winning campaign in HBL PSL 9, as his five for 23 in four overs and unbeaten 19 off 17 balls in Monday’s final led his side to a two-wicket win over Multan Sultans at the jam-packed National Bank Stadium.

21-year-old Naseem Shah, who returned from shoulder injury after six months was another vital cog in United’s success. The right-arm pacer bagged 15 wickets at an economy rate of 7.56.

Multan Sultans who played their fourth HBL PSL final (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024) on Monday night, had five players making it to the playing XI, which included three foreign players – Usman Khan (430 runs, 2x100s, 2×50, strike-rate 164.12), Chris Jordan (six wickets, 8.42 eco.) and David Willey (15 wickets, 7.46 eco.). The two local players from the Sultans’ side are leg-spinner Usama Mir, who topped the bowling charts with a record 24 wickets from 12 matches, with six for 40 being his best figures, and Iftikhar Ahmed, who scored 259 runs with a strike rate of 193.28.

Multan Sultans’ captain Mohammad Rizwan is named as 12th man of the side.

The team also includes Karachi Kings emerging category player Muhammad Irfan Khan, who scored 171 runs at a strike rate of 140.16 and also bagged eight catches.

Peshawar Zalmi’s opening pair of Babar Azam and Saim Ayub also made it to the HBL PSL 9 Team. Right-handed Babar topped the batting charts with 569 runs from 11 matches at an average of 56.9 and a strike rate of 142.6. He also struck one century and five half-centuries during the course of the tournament.

Published in The Daily National Courier, March, 20 2024

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