PSL 11: Moeen Ali explains David Warner's absence from Kingsmen clash

KARACHI: Karachi Kings' stand-in captain Moeen Ali on Saturday revealed that their regular skipper David Warner has a "bad back" and will therefore miss the upcoming Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 match against Hyderabad Kingsmen, scheduled to be played here at the National Bank Stadium.

The experienced all-rounder provided the update at the toss, sharing that Reeza Hendricks has replaced the left-handed opener due to a back issue as Kings make three changes to their lineup, which marked the return of seasoned pacer Hasan Ali, while emerging speedster Ihsanullah is set to make his debut for the 2020 champions.

"He's not playing. He has a bad back, so unfortunately, he misses out," Ali said at the toss.

"Yeah, three changes. David Warner misses out, so Reeza comes in. Ihsanullah comes in as well to give us that pace in the middle, and Hasan is back too," he added.

Notably, Warner has thus far been unable to showcase his brilliance with the bat in the ongoing eight-team tournament as he could muster just 93 runs in four innings at a modest average of 23.25 and a strike rate of 136.76.

He fell for a golden duck in the Kings' previous fixture, which saw them succumb to a record 159-run defeat against Peshawar Zalmi.

Consequently, the upcoming fixture is of great significance for the 2020 champions as they would strive to get back on a winning track by defeating Kingsmen, who are yet to taste a triumph in the PSL 11.

The Kings are fourth in the standings with six points after four games, earned through consecutive victories over Quetta Gladiators, arch-rivals Lahore Qalandars and RawalPindiz.

Karachi Kings playing XI: Reeza Hendricks, Muhammad Waseem, Salman Ali Agha, Saad Baig, Moeen Ali (c), Khushdil Shah, Azam Khan (wk), Abbas Afridi, Hasan Ali, Adam Zampa and Ihsanullah.