Inzamam questions leadership credentials of young captains in HBL PSL 5

Pakistan’s legendary former batsman Inzamamul Haq, in a Youtube video on Saturday, questioned the leadership credentials of the young captains in the ongoing Habib Bank Limited (HBL) Pakistan Super League (PSL) 5.

The 49-year-old claimed that teams with relatively inexperienced captains such as batsman Sohail Akhtar and leg-spinner Shadab Khan are struggling because of their young leaders.

“If we look at it from a cricketing perspective, in the previous few matches [for Lahore Qalandars] I think there is an issue of captaincy. They brought in a new captain like many other franchises. One or two overs can change the entire game and that is why this element is so important. You can see the contrast with other teams in terms of captaincy. You have a very small margin in the T20 format. Teams that have made relatively young players captain are struggling. Islamabad United is also struggling because of Shadab Khan’s captaincy,” Inzamam said.

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The former legendary batsman believed that everyone in Pakistan was hoping for a better performance from Lahore Qalandars while praising the Multan Sultans’ captain Shan Masood for leading the side in an effective manner.

“I think everyone is disappointed with Lahore Qalandars’ loss. Everyone wishes that Lahore Qalandars can do well. They always make a good team with a good combination. No one knows why they still keep on losing,” he said. “Multan is playing really well. They are utilising their weapons really nicely. Shan Masood is also a young captain and has faced some problems, but he has led really well. He has been performing well too. The Multan Sultans’ management is also very strong with the presence of people like Andy Flower, Azhar Mehmood and Mushtaq Ahmed.”

Inzamam highlighted the spin department of the Multan Sultans’ franchise as their biggest strength which makes the job of their batsmen easier.

“The biggest advantage Multan Sultans have is their spin department. They have Shahid Afridi, Imran Tahir and Moeen Ali who can take wickets in the middle overs which can change the entire match. This is their strength. Sohail Tanvir and Mohammad Irfan are also bowling really well. Their batting is not under pressure to chase a very high score,” he said.

The former legendary batsman praised Quetta Gladiators and Islamabad United as balanced side while giving the edge to the latter.

“Quetta Gladiators is a seasoned team which plays with a great combination. Even if you see their tailenders, they score for the team to chase down big totals. Sarfaraz Ahmed has been leading the side for five seasons. He has an edge because he knows all the players very well. They play balanced cricket,” he said. “I think Islamabad United is the most balanced side in this year’s PSL. They have a long batting line-up along with very good bowlers. They are depending on their all-rounders who will have to keep performing for their side. Islamabad can post huge totals if their all-rounders continue to perform.”

Inzamam pointed out the lack of a proper spinner as the reason for the lackluster performances of the Peshawar Zalmi franchise.

“Peshawar Zalmi has a lot of openers. They don’t have a great middle-order. They struggled against Multan Sultans because of the fall early wickets. Their batting is struggling big time. Their bowling, however, is very strong. They don’t have a regular spinner though. If I could change something, I would add a spinner to their line-up, which could be a major change for them,” he concluded.