After the conclusion of the Lahore and Multan leg, the HBL PSL season 9 is beginning to reach its climax. Plenty of hype was created before the start of the tournament and it is safe to say that the tournament has managed to live up to its expectations up till now. The Lahore and Multan crowds have been entertained by exhilarating cricketing action with some breathtaking finishes. Most Pakistan players have managed to bring their A-game to the fore, but for some players, things have not panned out according to their plans.
Which Pakistan players have struggled to get going in PSL season 9 so far?
As always, the HBL Pakistan Super League has brought new and exciting faces to the forefront. The likes of Khawaja Nafay, Arif Yaqoob, Hunain Shah, and Faisal Akram have been a revelation this season. With half of the season still left to be played, we might see a few more individuals make a name for themselves in PSL season 9.
Unfortunately, some of the Pakistan players have struggled to make a mark in the HBL PSL 2024 so far. With the T20 World Cup scheduled to take place this year, the performance of these players is a cause of concern for Pakistan fans.
The five Pakistan players who have struggled to get going this season are as follows.
Zaman Khan – Lahore Qalandars
Lahore Qalandars played a masterstroke when they picked up Zaman Khan in the PSL season 7 draft. The right-arm pacer impressed a lot in his debut season by picking up 18 wickets. Since that campaign, the 22-year-old has gone from strength to strength. He played such an important part in Lahore’s title-winning campaign last season that he was rewarded with a place in the national team.
Unfortunately, Zaman has been a bit off-color this season. The fast bowler has only picked up six wickets in six innings so far. Moreover, the major concern for Lahore Qalandars is that he has been leaking away too many runs. Zaman’s average economy rate has been 10.28 this year, as compared to 8.53 and 8.26 which he managed in the previous two seasons.
Maybe this could explain why Lahore has not been able to defend their totals in four out of the six innings so far. With Haris Rauf’s poor form and recent injury concerns, Zaman has an ideal opportunity to convince the captain and selectors that he deserves a spot in Pakistan’s playing eleven for the T20 World Cup. But for that, he will have to up his game as soon as possible.
Fakhar Zaman – Lahore Qalandars
After Zaman Khan, another Lahore player who has struggled to get going this season is Fakhar Zaman. The 33-year-old has managed to score only 93 runs this season at an alarming strike rate of just 102.19. The dynamic power hitter has smashed just two sixes in six innings so far. His current form is a real concern for not only Lahore Qalandars but for the Pakistan team as well.
But the left-handed batter is no stranger to being in such a situation. In the build-up to the 2023 ICC World Cup, Fakhar was going through a rough patch that led to him being dropped from the playing eleven. But later on, he made a comeback into Pakistan’s team and was back to his fluent best. He went on to finish the tournament having smashed the highest number of sixes by a Pakistani batter in the tournament.
Fakhar’s career has been a story of ups and downs. With the T20 World Cup looming just around the corner and the likes of Saim Ayub and Muhammad Haris knocking on the door, Fakhar is beginning to run out of time. His position in Pakistan’s playing eleven is in jeopardy If he fails to perform in the remainder of PSL season 9.
Shan Masood – Karchi Kings
After two back-to-back poor seasons, where Karachi Kings failed to make the playoffs, the Karachi management decided to revamp the core of the squad. As part of the squad rebuild, Shan Masood was roped in from Multan Sultans and handed over the captaincy..
Karachi had high hopes from the recently crowned Test captain of the Pakistan team. And Shan Masood has not let them down. The Karachi-based franchise has already won two out of four games this season, as compared to the four games that they managed to win in the previous two seasons combined. The Kings seem to be making good progress under his captaincy.
Shan Masood has been great as a captain this season, but unfortunately, his performances with the bat have not been great. The opener has 79 runs to his name at a strike rate of just 98.75 this season. Karachi have made a decent start to the season, but they need to capitalize on this to make it to the playoffs after a gap of two years.
For that to happen, Shan needs to lead his side from the front. The left-handed batter has all the capabilities to do so as he did for the Multan Sultans for so many years. It is just a matter of innings before the 34-year-old returns to his best.
Mohammad Nawaz – Karachi Kings
Mohammad Nawaz is another player who has failed to meet the expectations of the Karachi management after they signed him for this season from Quetta Gladiators. The 29-year-old has picked up just 2 wickets in four innings so far this season.
Playing as an allrounder in the squad, Nawaz has not been great with the bat in hand either. He has managed to score 28 runs in three innings at a strike rate of 90.32. Playing in the middle order for the Karachi side, the management would prefer his strike rate to be more than 130 at least.
Phil Simmons would be hoping that the 29-year-old could replicate his performances from the recent Bangladesh Premier League. Where Nawaz scored 100 runs in three innings at a blistering strike rate of 142.85 while playing for Khulna Tigers.
Mohammad Haris – Peshawar Zalmi
Mohammad Haris is a well-known name in Pakistan’s domestic circuit. The stylish batter is renowned for his fearless and explosive batting. He burst onto the scene in PSL season 7 when he scored 166 runs for Peshawar Zalmi at an astonishing strike rate of 186.51.
Since that, he has impressed in both domestic competitions and in various franchise leagues, but he has yet to make his mark for the Pakistan national team. The 22-year-old has represented Pakistan in the 50 overs and 20 overs formats but has failed to play a big inning so far.
With the T20 World Cup scheduled for June, it was expected that Haris would make a serious claim regarding his involvement in the World Cup squad. Unfortunately, the right-handed batter has failed to hit his usual standards so far. He has scored 46 runs in five innings in PSL season 9 at a strike rate of 115.
Zalmi fans would be hoping that his mentor, Babar Azam, could help the youngster in coming out of this rough patch. After all, Mohmmad Haris is not only a great asset for Peshawar Zalmi but for the Pakistan national team as well.
