A thorough look into the signings, team news and players availability of the Quetta Gladiators in the 2022 Pakistan Super League (PSL 7) along with a fantasy cheat sheet providing the fantasy potential of the Quetta Gladiators players. Coach: Moin Khan Captain: Sarfaraz Ahmed PSL 6 Finish: Group Stage Exit Quetta Gladiators (PSL 7) – […]
A thorough look into the signings, team news and players availability of the Quetta Gladiators in the 2022 Pakistan Super League (PSL 7) along with a fantasy cheat sheet providing the fantasy potential of the Quetta Gladiators players.
Coach: Moin Khan
Captain: Sarfaraz Ahmed
PSL 6 Finish: Group Stage Exit
Sarfaraz Ahmed remains the only player to be leading his franchise since the outset of the PSL with Moin Khan continuing as the head coach of the Gladiators. While they did make it to the final three times in the first four seasons, they’ve failed to qualify into the playoffs in the last couple of years. Last year, they managed to win only a couple of games finishing last in the points table which meant changes to the squad were inevitable.
Ahead of the PSL 7 draft, Quetta Gladiators retained seven players: S Ahmed, M Nawaz, M Hasnain and Naseem Shah were retained from the original squad while the likes of Shahid Afridi, J Vince and Iftikhar Ahmed(traded for Azam Khan) were bought through trades. With a promising core covering most departments, Quetta entered the draft to fill the other slots in the draft. They picked Jason Roy as their Platinum pick to open with Vince at the top.
The two left-arm seamers S Tanvir and Faulkner add variety to the pace attack. The other overseas contingent includes Hetmyer, Lawrence, Duckett, Smeed, Luke Wood and Noor Ahmad. Bangalzai, an 18-year-old opening batter, Qureshi a legspinner and Mudassar, the left-arm seamer are their emerging players. The Gladiators batting looks strong on paper with capable backups but their bowling attack which looks impressive has some glaring issues. The experienced bowlers in Tanvir, Faulkner and Afridi are well past their prime, while their young bowlers are still raw. Hasnain got reported for a suspect action in BBL and it would be a major blow for the franchise if he’s not on the park.
The players who provide good value for their credits and can be banked upon for consistent returns.
Jason Roy – He’s in a rich vein of form recently and his recent improvements against spin make him a reliable fantasy option.
Sarfaraz Ahmed – He returned 320 runs at an average of 45 last year, his best in a single season of PSL. He’s the seventh-highest run-getter in PSL history, so consistency isn’t an issue with him and his wicket-keeping elevates his fantasy potential.
Ben Duckett – He’s likely to slot in at No.3 for the Gladiators and has been fairly successful in the recently concluded BBL scoring 302 in 12 matches. He’s a better player of spin with his sweeps than pace but one expects him to end up with decent numbers.
Iftikhar Ahmed – He was traded in for Azam Khan from Islamabad United and will be an important cog in the middle order. He was the 2nd highest run-getter in National T20 Cup 2021 scoring 409 at a strike rate of 170.4.
A player who looks like a good buy, but won’t score enough points to be of much use.
Mohammad Nawaz – His batting has been on an upward curve recently but as a finger spinner, he don’t get to pick a lot of wickets which affects his fantasy potential.
Pakistan Super League 2022: Karachi Kings Fantasy CheatSheet for PSL 2022
The players who carry an element of risk with them which may be due to bad form, injury, lack of game time, etc……
James Vince – An average of 18.6 from 8 games in BBL 2021 doesn’t inspire much confidence and he’s also struggling for form in the current WI vs ENG series.
Mohammad Hasnain – The guy who set the stages of fire during his BBL debut is more likely to be Gladiators first-choice death bowler this season but with his bowling action reported for illegality, he’s a risky option.
James Faulkner – He has been a consistent wicket-taker in this form of the game and he even bagged 13 wickets from 6 games last year. With the tournament now happening fully in Pakistan, it remains to be seen if he can replicate it.
S Afridi and S Tanvir – Both of them are at the twilight of their career and their performances have faded out over the years.
The players who provide decent enough value but is undervalued or is just not well-known player.
Naseem Shah – He showed great promise with the ball playing for St.Kitts and Nevis Patriots in CPL. He did decently well in the National T20 and this could be a breakout season for him.
The players whose credit values are less but still provide some decent value and so help balance out the lineup.
Ali Imran and W Bangalzai – Either one will open the innings at least until Roy and Vince arrive and an opener is always a safe bet from a fantasy point of view.
Ashir Qureshi – With Afridi out of the initial games due to COVID and Noor Ahmad on international duties, Qureshi is the only other wrist-spinning option in the squad and requires less credit.
