Quetta Gladiators train for their maiden title

KARACHI: Eyeing their maiden title victory, Quetta Gladiators on Friday held a long training session here at the National Stadium for the Pakistan Super League (PSL) final which they will play on Sunday (tomorrow).

The winners of the Friday's eliminator, between two-time winners Islamabad and one-time champions Peshawar Zalmi, will face Quetta Gladiators in the final.

Quetta came to the stadium on Friday amid water-tight security as usual around 11:30am. They kept doing work-out till 2:30pm. However, their key Australian batsman Shane Watson and Dwayne Bravo of the West Indies skipped the training session. "We gave them some rest today," Quetta Gladiators manager Azam Khan told 'The News'.

The 37-year-old Queensland-born all-rounder Watson has been handy with the bat for Quetta Gladiators so far, having scored 423 runs in 11 matches at a staggering average of 47. He is the leading scorer of the six-team event. His superb feat with the willow includes four fifties.

On a warm day, Quetta troops also played football at the National Stadium before doing some catching and fielding practice on the lush green outfield. Every player seemed focused and their body language showed that they would not this time drop another key opportunity of wearing the crown.

Quetta in the first two editions of the PSL faltered in the finals despite having done superbly throughout. In the 2018 PSL, Quetta had lost their eliminator against Peshawar Zalmi by just one run at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore.

But this time Azam Khan said they would win the title. "You are right. We faltered twice in the finals but this time InshaAllah we will win," Azam said.

During training a group discussion was also held among the players and officials. Captain Sarfraz Ahmed was seen doing warm-up by making rounds around the ground. National selectors a few days ago decided to rest Sarfraz and five other key players for the five-match one-day series against Australia, which begins in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) next week.

After Friday prayers the players did some net practice at the High Performance Centre at the National Stadium. Beating former champions Peshawar Zalmi in the qualifier by ten runs the other day Quetta showed that they are well-poised to win the final.

Quetta Gladiators are lucky to have the assistance of Sir Viv Richards of the West Indies, one of the greatest cricketers of all time, as mentor. He has been working particularly on the mental strength of the players. Quetta's opener Ahmed Shehzad the other day conceded that his sessions with Richards helped him rise to the occasion.

Azam said that the Australian leg-spinner Fawad Ahmed would play the final. "Yes, he is fit now and will play the final," Azam said.

Fawad had been hit in the face by a return drive from Peshawar Zalmi's opener Imam-ul-Haq during the qualifier, which left him with his one tooth broken. He was shifted to the hospital where on Thursday he underwent gum surgery. He is now feeling well, said the manager. Fawad has got ten wickets in 11 matches of with his best being 3-15.