Islamabad United PSL 7 Discussion

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Two-time winners Islamabad United, following successful trade of Azam Khan (Gold), have retained Asif Ali (promoted to Platinum), Hasan Ali (Platinum), Faheem Ashraf (Diamond), Shadab Khan (Diamond, Brand Ambassador), Alex Hales (Gold, Team Mentor), Azam Khan and Mohammad Wasim Jnr (both Gold) and Paul Stirling (Silver).

Player retention list (each side were allowed to retain a maximum of eight players from the last event):

Islamabad United (8) - Asif Ali, Hasan Ali (both Platinum), Faheem Ashraf (Diamond), Shadab Khan (Diamond, Brand Ambassador), Alex Hales (Gold, Mentor), Azam Khan, Mohammad Wasim Jnr (both Gold) and Paul Stirling (Silver)

Final squad:

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They threw away Iftikhar Ahmad. What a shame. If it was a category issue, they could had let him go back in the draft and use the right to retain. Infact, they would had taken that option on Faheem Ashraf as many teams would had been getting their hands on Iftikhar but Faheem not so much, besides IU was on 3rd to make the diamond pick.

Its ridiculous what these guys have done and I just cant see myself supporting the, Iftikhar Ahmad is such a great player of T20, he is the daddy of domestic T20 cricket. How can you let him walk away.

And to trade him for Azam khan of all the people just adds insult to injury. Iftikhar is the most valuable player in T20, even if you want to give him away than get some good quality return. Could have got one of the pick selections in trade and get a your hands on Hasaranga.

Anyways, I just cant find myself supporting this team because they not only let me favorite player go, but they in return bought in the most hated cricketer......

Many Islamabad fans on social media are already angry at this.
 
Overall, I'm ok with the retentions.

It's good to see we have finally moved on from Talat. I remember he played match-losing innings for United and Pakistan. He did not improve one bit in the T20s.

I'm hoping we pick either Roy, Munro, or Miller in the platinum category. If we get Miller or other middle-order batsmen, then I hope we pick Abdullah or Ali Imran.
 
Faheem, Paul Stirling, Shadab Khan and Azam Khan....

Man will Islamabad United will need Hales & bowlers to fire.
 
Faheem, Paul Stirling, Shadab Khan and Azam Khan....

Man will Islamabad United will need Hales & bowlers to fire.

They have good Pakistani players.
Lower order is strong shadab,Fahim,Hassan Ali,Wasim Jnr
 
Azam's selection has left me with a bad taste.

It is actually good that Talat has been let go. If one can't improve in 5-6 seasons, it's time to give him to some other setup. Just hoping there aren't any pseudo oversees players like Ali Khan and Fawad Ahmed in IU squad this time around.
 
Azam's selection has left me with a bad taste.

It is actually good that Talat has been let go. If one can't improve in 5-6 seasons, it's time to give him to some other setup. Just hoping there aren't any pseudo oversees players like Ali Khan and Fawad Ahmed in IU squad this time around.

Talat has improved a lot. He’s a reliable run scorer.

But he just does not have the gift of timing - you can’t learn that. Even someone like Hafeez has it so he can time it over the ropes. Talat has good size / build but even with all his power he never gets it over the rope.
 
Really surprising to me that they traded Chacha Iftikhar and that too for the nepotist Azam Khan.
 
surprised that no one mentioned that shadab khan needs to perform - especially with the ball, he's been far too quiet.

He cannot bat himself at no.4 for Islamabad, - doesnt have to bat at 8 either - 7 should be fine - but he must learn how to compose himself in this PSL.

Seems he's happy to be under the radar
 
Interesting mixture of a squad.

1. Colin Munro
2. Muhammad Akhlaq (WK)
3. Alex Hales
4. Mubashir Khan (E)
5. Asif Ali
6. Danish Aziz
7. Shadab Khan (C)
8. Mohammad Wasim Jnr. (want to see him given more responsibility with the bat)
9. Hasan Ali
10. Marchant de Lange
11. Reece Topley

Zeeshan Zameer, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Zafar Gohar should get some game time as well, but no Azam Khan as his fitness is appalling and needs to improve massively.
 
1. Colin Munro
2. Alex Hales
3. Mubasir Khan
4. Shadab Khan
5. Azam Khan
6. Asif Ali
7. Faheem Ashraf
8. Waseem Jr.
9. Marchant De Lange
10. Hassan Ali
11. Reece Topley
 
Stirling F
Hales F
Munro F
Mubasir Khan E
Azam Khan
Asif Ali
Shadab
Fahim Ashraf
Wasim Jnr
Hassan Ali
Topley F

Powerful batting line up with depth in batting all the way to 10.An exciting E category player.Should be in the Finals.
 
WOW. Trading Iftikhar for Azam Khan is beyond baffling.

Azam Khan's biggest selling-point that he can hit spin. Iftikhar is complete player. He can play at 5 or 6. He can hit spin, pace, medium pace. He can roll his arm and bowl a few overs. And he has unquestionably been the best limited-overs batsman on the domestic circuit for a number of years now.

On top of that, Azam's keeping skills are atrocious. Just like his fielding. I would be surprised if he even has the gloves over Akhlaq.
 
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Alex Hales
Paul Stirling
Colin Munro
Mubasir
Asif
Azam
Shadab
Faheem
Hassan
Waseem Jr
Reece Topley


Best xi. Know very little about the emerging player just seems to be most selected.
 
Statement by Shadab Khan via Islamabad United media:

It is an honour to captain Islamabad United. This team gave me my breakthrough as an emerging player and then groomed me as a captain.

Through my tough times, this team has always supported and backed me. When I have fallen, they have picked me back up. When we finished bottom of the table in PSL 5, the team still showed their faith in my captaincy. I would like to thank Mr. Ali Naqvi for staying calm under those circumstances. When the leadership is calm, the players are also calm. That faith meant we won 8 out of 10 group games in PSL 6, unfortunately we couldn’t do well in the playoffs. However like always, there is a method at Islamabad United, a method based on evidence and data, we believe if you follow the method, results will eventually come. We will try to give it our all this season to win that 3rd PSL trophy.

Our plans are in place & as always they are flexible. We prepare for each match and each opponent differently. At this franchise, as a captain, I have freedom to improvise. We don’t only believe in winning, we believe in innovation. You can clearly see that in our flexible batting orders, our matchups approach and our use of low-value-wickets. We never shy away from trying new things. Through Islamabad United we want to pave the way for innovative modern cricket in Pakistan.
 
Alex Hales on PSL:

I am looking forward to joining Islamabad United again in this season’s PSL. I played my first PSL match in Pakistan for Islamabad United back in PSL 4. Conditions in Pakistan are really good, I really enjoy the ball coming on to the bat, these are very different conditions to other Asian venues.

PSL is a really high quality league, the quality of local players, especially bowlers, is really high making the league extremely competitive. In this league you don’t know which 4 teams will qualify until the very last day and that makes it even more exciting.

I love the freedom Islamabad United gives to its players. There is a plan & the team backs its players. That is how a team culture should be. I have always been a fan of Asif Ali, have seen how much Islamabad United trusts him hence it was no surprise to me when he lit up the T20 World Cup. My role here as a senior pro is to guide the new local talent on how to manage expectations and above all how not to worry too much if things are not going your way. My experiences have taught me these things & I intend to pass this over to the younger guys.
 
Hales has probably realized his international career to be over now. Hoping his performance doesn't suffer from that. Would be nice to see him doing a Ronchi this year.
 
Today's additional players and partial replacements for PSL7:

Islamabad United – In supplementary round: Musa Khan and Zahir Khan (Silver).

In replacement round: Mohammad Huraira (Emerging)
 
Really chuffed that Hurraira got picked. HOWEVER, given how incredibly loaded ISLU are, can’t help thinking he won’t get many goes. Would have been better at a Karachi or a Quetta
 
Huraira doesnt seem like a T20 player. I wonder how many chances he will actually get here.
 
I think hurraira will prove some doubters here. Emerging spot he will nail throughout the campaign.

Hurraira
Stirling
Hales
Munro
Asif
Azam
Shadab
Waseem Jr
Hassan
Faheem
De Lange

So much fire power for ISLU
 
They should make the Final.The best xi in the league by a country mile.

Hales
Stirling
Munro
Mubasir Khan E
Azam Khan WK
Asif Ali
Shadab
Hassan Ali
Wasim Jnr
Fahim Ashraf
Topley
 
PSL 7 Preview : Islamabad United look to Shadab Khan for inspiration

Many thanks to [MENTION=142432]Titan24[/MENTION] for this write up.


Islambad-United-Shadab-Khan-PSL1610427936-0.jpg



Two times PSL champions and table toppers of the 2021 season, Islamabad United will definitely be a team to watch out for this season as well. With a traditionally long batting line-up, aggressive approach at the top and a variety of all-rounders they are once again looking very strong on paper.

After the departure of Mohammad Sami, Islamabad had lacked an experienced pacer to lead their attack and they tried few things to fill in the gap left by Sami and injury of Rumman Raees but the results were not up to their expectations. Last season saw United picking Hassan Ali in the platinum category which covered the missing aspect for them, and fans could see the difference he made straight away with the new ball as well as crucial overs in the match.

With the top order of Alex Hales, Paul Stirling, Collin Munro and having a finisher like Asif Ali in the lower middle order makes Islamabad a formidable batting unit while players like Shadab Khan, Danish Aziz, Azam Khan can provide some solid middle order options as well giving a lot of depth to their batting order. The only blemish one can think of is lack of a consolidator in the potential lineup but then the long batting order covers for it more often than not.

Johan Botha who was the Head Coach of Islamabad United in 2021 was not able to join the team in 2022 and the experienced Azhar Mahmood who has been the bowling coach for Pakistan, Multan Sultans, bowling consultant for England and also had a stint with the Oval Invincibles in the Hundred will be replacing him. A Shadab-Azhar partnership could well be the winning formula Islamabad need to pick-up their 3rd title.

Key players: Shadab Khan, Hassan Ali, Alex Hales, Asif Ali, Colin Munro, Paul Stirling, Mohammad Wasim Jr

Strengths: Dynamic top order and long batting depth

Weakness: Not many around to anchor the innings if required


Full Squad:

Asif Ali, Hasan Ali, Shadab Khan, Faheem Ashraf, Alex Hales, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Azam Khan, Paul Stirling, Colin Munro, Marchant de Lange, Muhammad Akhlaq, Reece Topley, Danish Aziz, Zafar Gohar, Mubasir Khan, M. Zeeshan, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ather Mehmood

Supplementary draft: Musa Khan, Zahir Khan

Partial replacement: Mohammad Huraira
 
Update - All Islamabad United players who checked-in on 20th January have tested negative & have now officially joined the bio-secure bubble.

Players who checked-in later will join the bubble once their 3 day isolation is complete, after their 2nd negative test.
 
Many thanks to [MENTION=142432]Titan24[/MENTION] for this write up.


Islambad-United-Shadab-Khan-PSL1610427936-0.jpg



Two times PSL champions and table toppers of the 2021 season, Islamabad United will definitely be a team to watch out for this season as well. With a traditionally long batting line-up, aggressive approach at the top and a variety of all-rounders they are once again looking very strong on paper.

After the departure of Mohammad Sami, Islamabad had lacked an experienced pacer to lead their attack and they tried few things to fill in the gap left by Sami and injury of Rumman Raees but the results were not up to their expectations. Last season saw United picking Hassan Ali in the platinum category which covered the missing aspect for them, and fans could see the difference he made straight away with the new ball as well as crucial overs in the match.

With the top order of Alex Hales, Paul Stirling, Collin Munro and having a finisher like Asif Ali in the lower middle order makes Islamabad a formidable batting unit while players like Shadab Khan, Danish Aziz, Azam Khan can provide some solid middle order options as well giving a lot of depth to their batting order. The only blemish one can think of is lack of a consolidator in the potential lineup but then the long batting order covers for it more often than not.

Johan Botha who was the Head Coach of Islamabad United in 2021 was not able to join the team in 2022 and the experienced Azhar Mahmood who has been the bowling coach for Pakistan, Multan Sultans, bowling consultant for England and also had a stint with the Oval Invincibles in the Hundred will be replacing him. A Shadab-Azhar partnership could well be the winning formula Islamabad need to pick-up their 3rd title.

Key players: Shadab Khan, Hassan Ali, Alex Hales, Asif Ali, Colin Munro, Paul Stirling, Mohammad Wasim Jr

Strengths: Dynamic top order and long batting depth

Weakness: Not many around to anchor the innings if required


Full Squad:

Asif Ali, Hasan Ali, Shadab Khan, Faheem Ashraf, Alex Hales, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Azam Khan, Paul Stirling, Colin Munro, Marchant de Lange, Muhammad Akhlaq, Reece Topley, Danish Aziz, Zafar Gohar, Mubasir Khan, M. Zeeshan, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ather Mehmood

Supplementary draft: Musa Khan, Zahir Khan

Partial replacement: Mohammad Huraira

If picked mubasir can be that anchor.
 
Foreign player Availability:

-Hales, Stirling, Gurbaz, De Lange, Zahir Khan will all be available for Islamabad's opening match vs Peshawar Zalmi

-Munro will at most be unavailable for only the 1st match

-Topley will join Islamabad after the #EngvWI series
 
As per reports

Colin Munro, who had tested positive for COVID-19 during the Big Bash League, has arrived in Pakistan.

As per the medical panel rules “if you had COVID-19 in the last 28 days, you do not need to isolate”.

Sources privacy to the matter, however, said that Munro is unlikely to play today's game against Zalmi.
 
Islamabad United have acted quickly to replace Reece Topley after the England bowler withdrew from his scheduled stint in the Pakistan Super League.

Topley, who is currently in the Caribbean with England's T20 squad, was due to fly out to the PSL at the conclusion of the tournament.

However, he will no longer make the trip, and has been replaced in the Islamabad setup by Waqas Maqsood.
 
Damn, if they replace de lang with Munro this team is gonna be again tuff to beat
 
there were far better picks than de lange available. IU always make some mistakes in terms of bowling department.
 
If Munro comes in they can easily replace De Lange, ISLU have enough bowling in the ranks.

Can even mean Gurbaz keeps wickets.
 
Karachi, 29 January 2022: Islamabad United have made a temporary replacement of Reece Topley, who is unavailable for the entire HBL Pakistan Super League 2022, with left-arm medium-pacer Waqas Maqsood.

According to the HBL PSL replacement protocols, a foreign player can be replaced with another overseas player. As such, Islamabad United are entitled to replace Topley with a foreign player.

The temporary replacement has been approved by Event Technical Committee, which is headed by Zakir Khan (Director – International Cricket Operations), and includes Nadeem Khan (Director – High Performance) and Sameer Khosa.

https://www.pcb.com.pk/press-release-detail/islamabad-united-replace-reece-topley.html
 
Islamabad United will replace Paul Stirling, who began the HBL Pakistan Super League 2022 with a scintillating 57 off 25 against Peshawar Zalmi, with Liam Dawson after the former will leave the side for international duty from 7 February.


The replacement has been approved by Event Technical Committee, which is headed by Zakir Khan (Director – International Cricket Operations), and includes Nadeem Khan (Director – High Performance) and Sameer Khosa.
 
Islamabad United will replace Paul Stirling, who began the HBL Pakistan Super League 2022 with a scintillating 57 off 25 against Peshawar Zalmi, with Liam Dawson after the former will leave the side for international duty from 7 February.


The replacement has been approved by Event Technical Committee, which is headed by Zakir Khan (Director – International Cricket Operations), and includes Nadeem Khan (Director – High Performance) and Sameer Khosa.

Munro adequately covers Stirling's spot.
 
Topley's absence will be a concern. Maqsood had an awful PSL last time.
I would have liked Junaid Khan. Will be excited to see Zeeshan Zameer as well once he returns from u19wc.

Liam Dawson is a very good replacement. Economical spinner and can hit as well.
 
Captain Shadab Khan have announced Asif Ali as their new Vice Captain
 
What I like the most about this Islamabad team under Shadab is that they play T20 cricket the way it is supposed to be played: they go for their shots right from the first ball and don't change their game, even if they're losing wickets in cluster. Now, this may not be the most ideal approach, and may even end up costing them in one of the big games, but I really appreciate this style of cricket in league cricket. They remind me of how England play at the international level. Above all, I wonder whether Shadab as the skipper of this team might've shown Pakistan as to how he should be used by the team at the international level in IT20 cricket. He looks okay in terms of technique and temperament, so why not give him a chance higher up the order there as well? Surely, the only thing that can happen by having him bat lower down the order is that his ability can be wasted. I would give him a chance. A blistering innings by him today, and it's not his first either for Islamabad.
 
Topley's absence will be a concern. Maqsood had an awful PSL last time.
I would have liked Junaid Khan. Will be excited to see Zeeshan Zameer as well once he returns from u19wc.

Liam Dawson is a very good replacement. Economical spinner and can hit as well.

I think they will play Hurraira instead of Mubasir once Stirling leaves the squad and Hurraira could open.
 
What I like the most about this Islamabad team under Shadab is that they play T20 cricket the way it is supposed to be played: they go for their shots right from the first ball and don't change their game, even if they're losing wickets in cluster. Now, this may not be the most ideal approach, and may even end up costing them in one of the big games, but I really appreciate this style of cricket in league cricket. They remind me of how England play at the international level. Above all, I wonder whether Shadab as the skipper of this team might've shown Pakistan as to how he should be used by the team at the international level in IT20 cricket. He looks okay in terms of technique and temperament, so why not give him a chance higher up the order there as well? Surely, the only thing that can happen by having him bat lower down the order is that his ability can be wasted. I would give him a chance. A blistering innings by him today, and it's not his first either for Islamabad.

I think he made a mistake in asking Mubasir to come ahead of Hassan Ali and Wasim Jnr he should either batted in the middle or right at the end.
 
I think they will play Hurraira instead of Mubasir once Stirling leaves the squad and Hurraira could open.

Munro is a like for like or even better replacement for Stirling. Think Huraira is there for presence. Won't get more than 2 or 3 games IMO.
 
I think he made a mistake in asking Mubasir to come ahead of Hassan Ali and Wasim Jnr he should either batted in the middle or right at the end.

It was young guy's first game on the big stage. He was visibly very nervy as the situation was very tricky to debut in(in terms of batting). He should get better with time.
 
It was young guy's first game on the big stage. He was visibly very nervy as the situation was very tricky to debut in(in terms of batting). He should get better with time.

It wasn't his first game.hes a good player and proberly will present Pakistan in next couple years in tests but if he is to play t20 he must play in the middle overs we're he can rotate strike he also should be bowling 1-2 overs.
 
It wasn't his first game.hes a good player and proberly will present Pakistan in next couple years in tests but if he is to play t20 he must play in the middle overs we're he can rotate strike he also should be bowling 1-2 overs.

It was his first innings as a batter I believe in PSL.
 
A lot to like the way IU go about the cricket. Attack from ball one and go until the last ball seems to work well.

But with these glass pitches and small boundaries I think it’s the best way to go about it.
 
A lot to like the way IU go about the cricket. Attack from ball one and go until the last ball seems to work well.

But with these glass pitches and small boundaries I think it’s the best way to go about it.

The problem is they capitulate in the knockouts when pressure is on. Like English t20i team.
 
Let's waite and see how they do against the best bowling line up in the tournament Lohare.
 
Liam Dawson has joined the squad.
 
Islamabad United - Shadab Khan: “I am really pleased with our performance in Karachi and despite a narrow loss to Lahore Qalandars, being top two on the points table at the half-way stage is impressive. The team has played the brand of cricket that we are known for and have shown full commitment which as a captain is all I ask for.

“I am also happy with my own performances and contributing to the team's success, and want to continue to lead my team from the front. We are fully focused on not only qualifying for the play-offs but on regaining the trophy that we last won in 2018. The United squad is full of talent and the players in our squad are willing to give it their all for the team.

“The Lahore-leg promises to be even more exciting with maximum attendance expected at the Gaddafi Stadium for the business end of the tournament and I am sure that the fans in Lahore will be as entertained as the Karachi fans were with some world-class performers from all six sides on show.”
 
Paul Stirling made a 51-42balls - 121.42% against oman, yet he was around the 180-200strike rate in the psl
 
Islamabad United being brought back down to Earth after a mauling from King Umar… you love to see it.
 
Not a good return game to the PSL for Dawson in his IU debut.

Hasan Ali and M Wasim Jr are pretty average. Sometimes good, sometimes totally awful and can lose you a game at the death
 
Will Jacks, of England, will be replacing Rahmanullah Gurbaz, once he leaves for his international commitments. Jacks' arrival to be confirmed in due course.
 
Big blow - Alex Hales pulls out of PSL 7 for personal reasons.
 
Big blow - Alex Hales pulls out of PSL 7 for personal reasons.

Management should approach david warner & mitch march. Ask them to arrive a little earlier in Pakistan & play for united.
 
Management should approach david warner & mitch march. Ask them to arrive a little earlier in Pakistan & play for united.
David Warner won’t risk alienating his enormous Indian fanbase by playing in the PSL. His Instagram account, which he works so hard to maintain, will be turned upside down
 
Management should approach david warner & mitch march. Ask them to arrive a little earlier in Pakistan & play for united.

naaa, to be selected you need to be part of the original draft. I dont think he was...

But would had beena good decision if CA also allowed
 
Faf or Moeen could also be enticed to play as BPL is ending in 2 days.
 
Big blow - Alex Hales pulls out of PSL 7 for personal reasons.

Necessity is the mother of invention

This could be an ideal opportunity to launch Asif Ali or Azam Khan as the opener. They are already heavily stacked with 4 gun hitters at the back end. Nothing wrong with throwing one of them up to utilise the powerplay
 
Islamabad lower order is so powerful that it can transform 120-5 after 15 into 190-8 in 20

Asif
Azam
Faheem
Hassan
Wasim JR

5 genuine six hitters, all can hit big against pace.

I would honestly throw Azam khan or Asif Ali into the openers role and see if it comes off, the other 4 are still capable of recovering a score if need be so.
 
Necessity is the mother of invention

This could be an ideal opportunity to launch Asif Ali or Azam Khan as the opener. They are already heavily stacked with 4 gun hitters at the back end. Nothing wrong with throwing one of them up to utilise the powerplay

I think they will play Hurraira.
 
Islamabad lower order is so powerful that it can transform 120-5 after 15 into 190-8 in 20

Asif
Azam
Faheem
Hassan
Wasim JR

5 genuine six hitters, all can hit big against pace.

I would honestly throw Azam khan or Asif Ali into the openers role and see if it comes off, the other 4 are still capable of recovering a score if need be so.

Asif is weak against spinners, opposition would just start opening the bowling with spin. Azam could be tried but I think IU would give Huraira the chance.
 
IU say they're waiting for medical reports on Shadab Khan and Zeeshan Zameer.

However from what I've been told, Zeeshan is out of PSL7.
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Shadab Khan and Zeeshan Zameer will not be available for tomorrow's game against Peshawar Zalmi due to respective injuries <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PSL7?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PSL7</a></p>— Saj Sadiq (@SajSadiqCricket) <a href="https://twitter.com/SajSadiqCricket/status/1493928758620966913?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 16, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Leg-spinner Zahid Mehmood has joined Islamabad United <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PSL7?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PSL7</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cricket?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cricket</a></p>— Saj Sadiq (@SajSadiqCricket) <a href="https://twitter.com/SajSadiqCricket/status/1493966403564670976?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 16, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Saqib Mahmood returning to England to prepare for the series against West Indies.
 
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