Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchise Quetta Gladiators may see a new captain in the upcoming season as there are talks about Sarfaraz Ahmed getting a break from the captaincy. Nadeem Omar, owner of Quetta Gladiators spoke about the performance of the franchise in recent seasons and has indicated a change in leadership.
Quetta Gladiators invited Shane Watson as the new head coach of the franchise and suggested that Sarfaraz Ahmed should take a break from captaincy and that they have Rilee Rossouw as an alternative.
Rilee Rossouw has never led a team in any format and that is the Gladiators’ biggest concern about giving the South African batsman a chance to lead the Quetta-based franchise in the PSL.
Rilee Roussow is a great batsman in the shortest format known for his big hits and wonderful strike rate. He has played 29 T20Is for South Africa and has scored 767 runs in 27 innings, which includes three half-centuries and two centuries and an excellent strike rate of 159.79.
Nadeem Omar has said that a decision on Sarfaraz’s future will be made soon and whether Rilee Rossouw will be the new captain or not will be decided between Sarfaraz and Watson.
Sarfaraz Ahmed led Quetta Gladiators to the PSL title in 2019 when they defeated Peshawar Zalmi in the final. However, apart from that title, the team has not achieved success and is therefore looking for some change in the squad.
“Rilee Rossouw, a possible alternative, has not managed any team yet, so we are confused. Whether Sarfaraz is the captain or not, this team will remain his. If we feel satisfied, we will make a decision. We have left this decision to Sarfaraz and Watson. The way the team has performed, people also want a change. We have made enough changes,” said Nadeem Omar (Quetta Gladiators owner).
Quetta Gladiators will begin their PSL 2024 campaign against Peshawar Zalmi
Quetta Gladiators will take on Peshawar Zalmi in their first match of this year’s Pakistan Super League and the team is looking strong this year. The Pakistan Super League will begin on Saturday, February 17 with the opening match to be played between defending champions Lahore Qalandars and Islamabad United.
Lahore Qalandars enter the tournament after winning the league twice in a row and are looking to win it for the third time in a row, while Quetta Gladiators finished in the bottom two during the last season.
This season will be the 9th season of HBL Pakistan Super League, six teams will participate in the league, each team will play 10 matches and then the top four teams in the points table will qualify for the playoffs.
The two best teams will play in the first qualifier, where the winner will directly qualify for the final and the loser will have another chance in the second qualifier. The Quetta Gladiators hope to at least qualify for the playoffs this season and it will be an advantage if they finish in the top two.
