Sami appointed Islamabad United captain for PSL4

Islamabad United — the winners of the inaugural Pakistan Super League (PSL) and the defending PSL champions — has announced that pacer Mohammad Sami will captain the side in the fourth edition.

Sami was picked up by Islamabad United in the Gold Category Draft for PSL1. Since then he 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 fellow United left-arm fast-bowler Rumman Raees, among pacers in PSL history.

Sami, who played 136 international matches for Pakistan, has been an ever present for the franchise, and is the senior-most member of the squad for PSL4.

Regarding the appointment, Ali Naqvi, the owner of the franchise 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.”

Sami welcomed this appointment, saying: “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.”

The fourth edition of PSL will begin on February 14, 2019 in United Arab Emirates.