Gladiators take on Zalmi in PSL final

Quetta Gladiators and Peshawar Zalmi will lock horns in the Pakistan Super League T20 final at Karachi’s National Stadium today. A star-studded closing ceremony will be held before the much-anticipated final.Quetta are hoping their in-form opener Shane Watson will make them third time lucky as they look to avoid another knock-out punch from a spirited ZalmiQuetta have beaten Peshawar in both the league games this season, before having the better of their arch-rivals in the Wednesday’s Qualifier. But they will be wary of Daren Sammy-led Peshawar today.Despite beating Peshawar in the Qualifiers in 2016 and 2017 in thrilling last-over finishes by one-run, Quetta lost in the 2017 final by 58 runs in Lahore and in the Eliminator 1 last year. Quetta captain Sarfaraz Ahmed hoped it will be a case of third time lucky. “We are playing the final for the third time, so we will do our all-out effort to play in the same manner which we have done in the whole tournament,” Sarfaraz said yesterday.“If you look at the previous years, there were some factors which hurt us as some players didn’t come,” said Sarfaraz of the Lahore final when Kevin Pietersen and Rilee Rossouw were not available.Last year, Watson decided to stay away for the Eliminators in Lahore, leaving Quetta depleted. But this time Watson, who has amassed 423 runs in the tournament, made a late decision to play in Karachi.“This time, we are at our full strength, so we will do our best to play like we have done and win the tournament. Obviously, winning the trophy is every captain’s wish. We have come close, but were not able to win. This time, we will do our best, though we have a strong team against us,” he said.It is befitting for the Pakistan Super League final that the two most in-form teams are in the final, finishing with seven wins and three losses each in the first phase. Peshawar skipper Sammy admitted Watson was the danger man for his team. “Shane Watson has really been the pain for us,” said Sammy of the former Australia opener, who has 265 runs at 66.25 in five matches against Peshawar in two years. “He is pretty experience and he is enjoying his form.”But Sammy hoped his team will give another knock-out punch. “Quetta has had the better of us throughout the season and I always tell my boys that everything in life happens for a reason. If it is one time we chose to beat them, whey not in the final when it really matters. Hopefully, it’s a cracker of a game and we find ways and means to execute our plans against them and we will need that but that Shane Watson guy is pain for us.”