After a two-day rest, the Pakistan Super League 2017 has moved to Sharjah, where defending champions Islamabad United take on Quetta Gladiators on Wednesday.
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The PSL 2017 did not start well, with the competition bagging headlines for all the wrong reasons in the first few days. Some players were involved in a fixing scandal, and since then Islamabad United have gone through a torrid time, with two of their players — Khalid Latif and Sharjeel Khan — suspended for the same reason.
However, Islamabad needs to forget all the things that have happened, and one hopes that the two-day rest has helped them settle down. They have a tough task against Quetta, who have been brilliant in PSL 2017 so far, winning both their matches. Islamabad will be looking to become the first team in PSL 2017 to defeat Quetta.
Both the teams know that they will have to be consistent throughout the competition to go all the way. Islamabad and Quetta look good on paper, with both the teams comprising some quality players in their ranks. Islamabad have wonderful batsmen, including Dwayne Smith, Sam Billings, Brad Haddin, Misbah-ul-Haq and Shane Watson, who can win matches on their own.
One look at their bowling line-up, and it looks equally strong. Mohammad Sami and Saaed Ajmal are quality bowlers, who will look to trouble the Quetta batsmen. The Gladiators are equally strong, and when Quetta have players like Ahmed Shahzad, Kevin Pietersen and Rilee Rossouw, one can expect these batsmen to perform and score big.
With both teams possessing some dangerous batsmen, a feast for the eyes is in store for fans in Sharjah. Though the T20 format is primarily said to be a batsman's game, bowlers have a huge role to play to contain the batsmen and dismiss them for cheap runs.
Both Islamabad and Quetta look equally balanced, and the team that plays consistent cricket will have a greater chance of winning the match.
Where to watch live
The Pakistan Super League 2017 match between Islamabad United and Quetta Gladiators is scheduled for 8pm local time (9:30 pm IST, 9 pm PKT, 4 pm GMT) start. Here is the live streaming and TV option.
India: TV: No coverage.
Pakistan:TV: Ten Sports, PTV and Geo Super. Live streaming: PTV Sports Live.
UAE: TV: OSN Sports. Live streaming: OSN Play
UK: TV: Prime TV. Live streaming: Prime TV Online.
Bangladesh: TV: Gazi TV.
West Indies: TV: Flow TV.
