Peshawar Zalmi and Quetta Gladiators will Tuesday contest the first eliminator of the third edition of the Pakistan Super League, with the winner taking on Karachi Kings in the second eliminator.
The match, which will be played in Lahore, is the first of the season to be held in the PSL's home country of Pakistan. The second eliminator will also be played in Lahore, but Wednesday, while the final will be played March 25 in Karachi.
Quetta's overseas stars Shane Watson and Kevin Pietersen pulled out of the eliminator due to security concerns over traveling to Pakistan, with the franchise calling up Bangladesh batsman Mahmudullah and Sri Lanka's Thisara Perera as replacements.
None of Darren Sammy-led Peshawar's overseas players has withdrawn from playing in Pakistan, although opener Dwayne Smith is unavailable for selection due to personal commitments. The Zalmi had called up Bangladesh's Shakib Al Hasan to replace Smith, but the all-rounder is nursing a hand injury and will not feature.
Quetta owner Nadeem Omer expressed displeasure at Watson and Pietersen pulling out of the Pakistan leg of the tournament.
"It happens every time, we cannot convince foreign players to travel to Pakistan," Omer told Dawn.
"Shane Watson had earlier committed that he will travel to Pakistan, but [he] backed off at last minute because his family did not agree on his visit [to Pakistan].
"If PCB fails to resolve this issue, the franchise owners will lose the charm."
Where to watch
The first eliminator will start at 7:30 pm IST. The game will be broadcast live on DSport, while live streaming services are available on Jio TV, Airtel TV and cricketgateway.com.
Squads
Peshawar Zalmi: Darren Sammy (c), Tamim Iqbal, Kamran Akmal, Andre Fletcher, Riki Wessels, Hammad Azam, Haris Sohail, Dwayne Bravo, Khushdil Shah, Umaid Asif, Saad Nasim, Mohammad Hafeez, Liam Dawson, Sameen Gul, Hasan Ali, Chris Jordan, Mohammad Asghar, Wahab Riaz
Quetta Gladiators: Sarfraz Ahmed (c), Rilee Rossouw, Rameez Raja, Asad Shafiq, Umar Amin, Thisara Perera, Mohammad Nawaz, Mahmudullah, Jofra Archer, Saad Ali, Saud Shakeel, Anwar Ali, Rashid Khan, Hassan Khan Mohammad, Mir Hamza, Rahat Ali
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