Peshawar Zalmi, a franchise that has played in the most PSL finals, has been the most consistent franchise throughout all PSL seasons. Turning towards PSL 9, let’s see what challenges lie ahead for them if they aim to become PSL champions again.
Reimagining Zalmi’s Strategy with Power Hitter Asif Ali:
When we examine their phase-wise striking trends in PSL 8, we find that they were the top team during the powerplay and middle overs among all PSL teams, striking at rates of 161 and 153, respectively, in these phases. However, as we move to the deathovers, their strike rate drops to the bottom of the chart. In this phase, they scored at a strike rate of 141, significantly trailing behind the other PSL teams. This clearly indicates that Zalmi lacked the firepower to finish the innings effectively.
The question then arises: what have they done to address this shortcoming in their squad?
To bolster their finishing capabilities, they have recruited the renowned Pakistani power hitter Asif Ali to their ranks. They were very strategic in acquiring Asif Ali right away during the PSL 9 draft. In fact, the Zalmi coach Muhammad Akram mentioned that Babar Azam, who was engaged in a Test series against Australia at the time of the PSL 9 draft, called him requesting, “Mjhy Asif Ali Chahiy” meaning, I need Asif Ali at any cost.
Hopefully, Asif Ali will prove to be the missing link for the finishing role in the Peshawar Zalmi squad. With a T20 strike rate of 147.0, he is regarded as one of the best six-hitters in the Pakistani cricket circles.
Peshawar Zalmi’s Middle Overs Conundrum: The Noor Ahmad Dilemma
Last season’s analysis of Peshawar Zalmi’s bowling in the middle overs reveals a critical weakness, positioning them as the least effective team in this crucial phase. Their spin attack, in particular, lagged considerably behind the competition, averaging 44 runs per wicket—a figure that starkly highlighted their struggles compared to the rest of the PSL teams.
With an eye on addressing this gap, Peshawar Zalmi strategically selected Afghan leg spinner Noor Ahmad in the Platinum category of the PSL 9 draft, aiming to bolster their spin department. However, in an unfortunate turn of events, Noor Ahmad will not be available to play for Peshawar Zalmi in PSL 9. His absence poses a significant challenge for the team as they navigate the upcoming season. While they have another promising mystery spinner, Sufyan Muqeem, in their ranks, the quest for a like-for-like replacement for Noor Ahmad is imperative to ensure their middle-overs do not become a vulnerability once again.
Peshawar Zalmi’s Quest to Reinforce Their Death Overs Lineup:
Similar to their struggles during the middle overs, Peshawar Zalmi’s performance in the final overs of the game, known as the death overs, was particularly disappointing in PSL 8. In fact, during PSL 2023, Zalmi’s bowlers were the most heavily scored against in these crucial last overs. The statistics, as highlighted in the graphics above, show that Zalmi’s bowlers allowed runs at an alarming rate of 12.89 per over during this phase.
This rate of conceding runs underscores their difficulties; for example, they were unable to defend a massive total of 242 runs against Multan Sultans last year. The Multan Sultans chased down this daunting target with 5 balls remaining, showcasing the extent of Zalmi’s bowling issues at the end of an innings. Currently, Salman Irshad stands out as the only specialist for bowling in the death overs. However, it’s clear that Zalmi needs to quickly find and develop additional bowlers who can effectively handle the pressure and demands of this critical phase of the game.
Quotes:
“The Plan on our horizon is to continue amassing titles not merely as a testament to our cricketing prowess but as a promise to the people of Peshawar.”
Javed Afridi, Owner of Peshawar Zalmi
From Regular Season Success to Playoff Pressures: Zalmi’s PSL 9 Challenge
As highlighted previously, Zalmi boasts an unparalleled record of consistently making it to the playoffs each season. Yet, when the spotlight of the playoffs shines brightest, Zalmi has, more often than not, let crucial victories slip through their fingers. To date, Peshawar Zalmi has competed in a total of 18 playoff matches, but disappointingly, they have been on the losing end in 10 of those encounters.
Furthermore, delving into their finals performance, Zalmi has the distinction of appearing in the most PSL finals – four times in total. However, their success rate tells a different story; they’ve only clinched the championship once, back in 2017, and have endured defeat in three finals. Hence, for Peshawar Zalmi to ascend to PSL Champions in 2024, a significant focus needs to be placed on enhancing their ability to triumph in high-pressure games, particularly during the playoffs, where their performance has historically waned.
For Peshawar Zalmi’s PSL 2024 squad and schedule, visit here.
