"Major changes” are coming: Javed Afridi after Peshawar Zalmi failed to qualify for PSL X playoffs

[Ball Blazer]

Peshawar Zalmi fail to qualify for playoffs for the first time in a decade-long PSL history as they lost to Lahore Qalandars in a rain-affected match

Who is to be blamed for this - the captain, the players, coaches, team formation, or the poor fielding?

https://twitter.com/x/status/1924192348650766845

 

[pakistani pride]

Start with removing your timid captain.

 

[Rana]

Start with removing your timid captain.

He won’t do that

Even if he does, he will look for some deal to bring in Rizwan.

 

[Rana]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1924349304300359740

 

[Rana]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1924367206164410674

This guy is making nonsense excuses. Even if MS player’s categories went up, they still insisted on keeping Willey and Jordan, this is where everything went wrong. They retained Faisal Akram without giving him more than one game in the season.

 

[Kianig89]

What will JA do, the rule won't permit otherwise he may spend insanely like Qataris , break the bank and assemble a star studded Zalmi.

But the rule only allows 4 OS in playing 11

 

[Rana]

What will JA do, the rule won't permit otherwise he may spend insanely like Qataris , break the bank and assemble a star studded Zalmi.

But the rule only allows 4 OS in playing 11

He can use his brain and get the best available in this draft.

If Babar and Saim are categorised as platinums, then he needs to think hard if he is going to retain them both.

They still had one platinum pick. His management went for TKC instead of Chapman, Allen, Perera, Matt Short.

First get your head in the game. Building the team around Babar who isn’t a T20 player is already the wrong direction.

 

[Kianig89]

JA is keeping Babar in the side for reasons more than cricket, may be for next time he has make a call

 

[Rana]

JA is keeping Babar in the side for reasons more than cricket, may be for next time he has make a call

And do what? Bring Rizwan in for the same reasons? You guys will love him for that too.

 

[Rana]

Who is Haji Akram? Why can’t I find any profile of this guy on the internet? This is some ghost who is being blamed for Zalmi’s direction.

Is Haji Akram basically Muhammad Akram?

 

[RidiculousMan]

Who is Haji Akram? Why can’t I find any profile of this guy on the internet? This is some ghost who is being blamed for Zalmi’s direction.

Is Haji Akram basically Muhammad Akram?

Yes

 

[Rana]

Yes

Ok that clarifies it.

I was under the impression that some unseen bloke known as Haji Akram is the actual owner of Peshawar Zalmi, and he sits in the office somewhere whereas Javed Afridi is his hired front man.

Then rumours started to emerge that this unseen boss Haji Akram started to get more and more involved in team strategy and retention policies.

The word that came out was ‘Haji Akram is the man who threatened Saim and Harris that he will not let them leave, and even if they are successful in leaving they will pull them right back in with RTM and first picks”.

So Haji Akram or Muhammad Akram has been doing things in a pretty aggressive manner. A lot of these guys don’t want to be there but it looks like they have a gun pointed to their heads

 

[zarak]

Any team with Babar, Rizwan, Haris Rauf, Shaheen as platinum will find it hard to do well. They are gold category players. Your average English mercenary t20 player is twice the batter Babar is in this format. Naseem is the only decent player.

 

[The Bald Eagle]

Lol meanwhile Ali Tareen

https://twitter.com/x/status/1924393201353298017

 

[Sachin fan]

Any team with Babar, Rizwan, Haris Rauf, Shaheen as platinum will find it hard to do well. They are gold category players. Your average English mercenary t20 player is twice the batter Babar is in this format. Naseem is the only decent player.

Is this the 35 averaging Naseem you are speaking about? What decent things has he done in this and previous PSLs?

 

[BouncerGuy]

Javaid Afridi should sack the whole coaching staff and revamp it by bringing in someone who understands the needs of the modern-day era... Inzi is a legend, but he is not fit for coaching a T20 team. Akram has been with Zalmi, but really, he has done nothing with the bowling. Clueless.

Babar should also be removed from captaincy... Time to move on from hype.

 

[cricfan432]

Javaid Afridi should sack the whole coaching staff and revamp it by bringing in someone who understands the needs of the modern-day era... Inzi is a legend, but he is not fit for coaching a T20 team. Akram has been with Zalmi, but really, he has done nothing with the bowling. Clueless.

Babar should also be removed from captaincy... Time to move on from hype.

Inzi is alright he understands the game, He was praising Maaz sadaqat's innings, and probably vouched for his inclusion in later matches.

 

[Rana]

Lol meanwhile Ali Tareen

https://twitter.com/x/status/1924393201353298017

The only thing Abdul Rehman will aggressively shut you down on is moving Rizwan from the opening spot. Otherwise you can convince him to try Hasnain as the second opener batter.

 

[BunnyRabbit]

Lol meanwhile Ali Tareen

https://twitter.com/x/status/1924393201353298017

Ali tareen is Khawaja Asif Part 2.

 

[BunnyRabbit]

Inzi is alright he understands the game, He was praising Maaz sadaqat's innings, and probably vouched for his inclusion in later matches.

They need to hire people who can make bold selections to assemble a group of well balanced 16 players. Anyone can praise an inning of a youngster after he's done well. I am unsure if their management is even aware of how the player is doing in domestics before they pick them up. Their coaches may not even know what the attributes of the players are.

 

[RidiculousMan]

Javaid Afridi should sack the whole coaching staff and revamp it by bringing in someone who understands the needs of the modern-day era... Inzi is a legend, but he is not fit for coaching a T20 team. Akram has been with Zalmi, but really, he has done nothing with the bowling. Clueless.

Babar should also be removed from captaincy... Time to move on from hype.

Inzi is fine in his mentor role. They just need a better tactical coach than Akram

 

[Rana]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1924202781155676301

Probably the end of Babar as captain

 

[The_KING]

Any team that has Babar as a captain, not to mention as a star batsman, will always struggle in T20s. Start by removing Babar from your team

 

[Savak]

Darren Sammy played a pivotal role in the fan following and branding of Peshawar Zalmi. Zalmi's have always looked half the side without his prescence in the field and the dug out.

 

[Greenstorm]

What will JA do, the rule won't permit otherwise he may spend insanely like Qataris , break the bank and assemble a star studded Zalmi.

But the rule only allows 4 OS in playing 11

Did they needed to break the bank to get someone like Hales ? I don't think so. A very competitive team (by PSL standards) can be created with little investment based on local players alone if owner/management understands cricket.

 

[Greenstorm]

Babar may end up without a team if he is not in the plans of two newer teams in next PSL. Ofcourse a lot depends upon his international form as well.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Just sell the team to someone with a brain.

That's the only change this team needs.

 

[Greenstorm]

Just sell the team to someone with a brain.

That's the only change this team needs.

PZ has a solid track record in PSL.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

PZ has a solid track record in PSL.

They have one title win that came 8 years ago against a team that was missing all their international players in the final

 

[shamaan]

They need to keep hold of Saim,Arif Yaqoob,Haris,Maaz Sadaqat and Ali Raza

 

[Greenstorm]

They have one title win that came 8 years ago against a team that was missing all their international players in the final

I think they have never been knocked out before playoffs until this season. They have performed consistently but regressed in recent seasons.

 

[Rana]

 

[DeadlyVenom]

Darren Sammy played a pivotal role in the fan following and branding of Peshawar Zalmi. Zalmi's have always looked half the side without his prescence in the field and the dug out.

That's very true. They were the stand out side both on and off the pitch during the Sammy era. They should bring him back as a morale booster.

 

[zarak]

Is this the 35 averaging Naseem you are speaking about? What decent things has he done in this and previous PSLs

Averages are kind of overrated in t20s. Economy is more important. You may disagree.

2025: 8.88 (not great)
2024: 7.56 (great)
2023: 7.64 (great)

I generally like him see Naseem has a high potential player and more thinking than Shaheen or Haris. I have no hope for them.

 

[Major]

Peshawar Zalmi often has had talented youngsters in their team like Saim, Haseeb, Harris etc

If they plan to change captains or trade Babar, they should use him to get some more youngster in either pace bowling or further strengthen the batting.

Lahore I think would be willing to take the bait, but in return Zalmi should ask for a youngster.

Really hate these retention and release laws, where teams are only allowed to keep a few players.

 

[Rana]

Saim, Haseeb, Harris etc

Haseeb is a talented what???

 

[Sachin fan]

Averages are kind of overrated in t20s. Economy is more important. You may disagree.

2025: 8.88 (not great)
2024: 7.56 (great)
2023: 7.64 (great)

I generally like him see Naseem has a high potential player and more thinking than Shaheen or Haris. I have no hope for them.

Lol, Afridia economy is actually lower in that time period and Raufs is almost same despite both having 3 times better average.

 

[BouncerGuy]

Change captain first of all.. Move out of the hype of TKC, he is not a worthy player to retain. Babar needs to be playing at 3. coaching setup needs a revamp also.

 

[zarak]

Lol, Afridia economy is actually lower in that time period and Raufs is almost same despite both having 3 times better average.

lol sorry brother but I got the receipts. PSL stats for last three years. As I type Naseem has been hammered but facts are facts.

Shaheen
2025: 8.13
2024: 8.61
2023: 9.13

Rauf
2025: 10.5
2024: 9.4
2023: 9.3

Naseem
2025: 8.88
2024: 7.56
2023: 7.64