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Karachi Kings: Preview, fixtures and probable lineup for PSL 8

The team will be led by Imad Wasim

By Web Desk

February 11, 2023

Karachi Kings players during a training session — Twitter/Karachi Kings

Karachi Kings will be looking to make a strong comeback in the upcoming eight edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) after a disastrous campaign last year.

However, Karachi, which represents the most populous city in Pakistan, would be looking to give their fans something to cheer for in PSL 8.

After the departure of Babar Azam, the burden of captaincy will once again be shouldered by all-rounder Imad Wasim.

Strengths

With Sharjeel Khan at the top of the order, Karachi have a explosive batter who can easily take the game away from the opposition if he stays at the crease for a significant period of time.

Meanwhile, they also have the experience of veteran all-rounder Shoaib Malik in the middle-order to give some stability to the batting lineup.

Pacer Mohammad Amir, who is the first bowler to pick up a hat-trick in PSL history, will once again lead the bowling attack for the Kings. His form will be crucial to the side’s chances in the event.

Australia’s Matthew Wade, who has a strike-rate of 136.53 in T20 cricket, can also provide impetus at the backend of the innings.

Additionally, all-rounder Ben Cutting and leg-spinner Imran Tahir have also regularly featured in the PSL, in the past, which is an advantage for Karachi Kings.

Weaknesses

A glaring weakness in Karachi squad is the absence of Babar Azam, who left for Peshawar Zalmi before the PSL draft last year. The prolific batter is one of the best players in the world at the moment, which is why Karachi are likely to miss the stability he provided at the top of the order.

Karachi also don’t have a reliable finished in the lower middle-order which could come back to haunt them especially when they are chasing a big target. It also puts a lot of pressure on the likes of Wade and Cutting to come good with the bat throughout the season.

Finishing positions in previous seasons

Karachi Kings have won the title only once during the PSL history, under the leadership of Imad Wasim, which came in 2020 when they defeated Lahore Qalandars in the final.

They also qualified for the playoffs in the first four seasons of the event.

The Kings finished last on the points table in PSL 7 which also marked the first time that they didn’t qualify for the playoffs in the tournament’s history.

Squad

Haider Ali, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Amir, Shoaib Malik, Aamir Yamin, Mir Hamza, Sharjeel Khan, Qasim Akram, Matthew Wade, Imran Tahir, James Vince, James Fuller, Andrew Tye, Tayyab Tahir, Mohammad Akhlaq, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Tabraiz Shamsi, Mohammad Umar, Ben Cutting, Musa Khan, Faisal Akram (partial replacement for Tabraiz Shamsi), Adam Rossington (partial replacement for James Vince)