Umar Akmal, Narine to represent Gladiators in PSL-4

LAHORE: Pakistan middle-order batsman Umar Akmal and West Indies spinner Sunil Narine will represent Quetta Gladiators in Pakistan Super League 4 (PSL-4).

According to a press release, Quetta Gladiators will have T20 specialist all-rounder Sunil Narine and Umar Akmal in their ranks for the fourth edition of the PSL as they traded the duo with Lahore Qalandars for medium-fast Rahat Ali and young left-arm orthodox Hassan Khan.

Narine joined Qalandars in the second PSL edition and over the course of his stay picked up 20 wickets at an average of 20.65. He famously secured Qalandars a super-over win over arch-rivals Karachi Kings as his right-arm off breaks allowed Kings’ batsmen only eight runs in their pursuit of 12.

Since his phenomenal run in the first edition that saw him score 335 runs, the highest in the season, at an average of 83.75, Akmal’s form went downhill. He managed only 164 runs at 20.50 in the next edition and in the previous edition he was given only five matches in which he scored 57 runs as his attitude issues were the talk of the town.

In a statement upon the inclusion of the two in his team, Quetta Gladiators owner Nadeem Omar said: “Sunil Narine and Umar Akmal are world-class additions to the Gladiators squad ahead of PSL season 4. Sunil Narine is a magician with the ball and one of the best match winners when in T20 cricket. Umar Akmal, too, remains one of the most destructive batsmen in Pakistan and he will add much-needed firepower in our batting.”

Making his PSL debut in the 2018 edition, Rahat Ali finished the season with 15 wickets in 11 matches at an average of 21.46. He was the fourth-highest wicket-taker in the season. Twenty-year-old Hassan Khan took six wickets in 11 matches. But it was his economy of 6.67 that made him a regular feature in the Sarfraz Ahmed-led playing XI.