MUHAMMAD SALEEM

LAHORE: Islamabad United, one of the franchises of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) Monday announced Mohammad Sami and Shadab Khan as captain and vice captain, respectively, for the fourth edition of the PSL which will kick off on 14th February, 2019 in Dubai.

The tournament will culminate on 17th March with the final match that will be played in Karachi’s National Stadium. The last eight matches out of 34 of the forthcoming tournament will be played in Pakistan. The seven matches of the tournament will be played in Dubai until 17th February, while the eight matches will be staged in Sharjah from 20th to 24th February, 2019. Again on 26th February, the other seven matches will be in Dubai, after that the four matches of the tournament will be played in Abu Dhabi on 4th and 5th March. The rest of the matches of the Pakistan Super League 4th Edition (PSL-IV) will be played in Lahore and Karachi from 8th March, including the qualifying rounds, eliminators and the final.

Mohammad Sami has been part of Islamabad United, the winners of the inaugural PSL and the current defending champions. Since then, Sami has taken 37 wickets in 27 PSL matches at an economy rate of just 6.55. Sami is also the second highest wicket-taker in PSL history – the highest for Islamabad United – and his economy rate is second only to Rumman Raees among pacers in the tournament’s history.

Regarding the appointment, Ali Naqvi, the owner of the Islamabad United said, “Sami has always served the franchise with utmost respect and honour. He has always conducted himself in way that defines us and has been one of the stars for the team over the past three years, winning multiple matches on his own. Furthermore, he has years of captaincy experience – he has captained various Karachi teams, on and off, for almost a decade now, and has been successful in that role. He was our first choice for the role, and we are pleased that he will be leading the franchise for this edition of the PSL.”

Welcoming the announcement, Sami said, “It’s an honour for me that Islamabad United and Ali Naqvi have selected me to lead the franchise. I have always aimed to give my all to the team, to repay the faith that they have vested in him, and I hope that I will be able to rise to this challenge too. I feel privileged to have been given this opportunity and I hope that I will continue Islamabad United’s tradition of success.”