Islamabad United name Martin Guptill as a replacement of Mohammad Waseem

Pakistan Super League franchise Islamabad United have brought in veteran New Zealand batsman Martin Guptill as a replacement for UAE’s Mohammad Waseem.

Waseem will be missing out on the ninth edition of the tournament due to international commitments after being earlier signed by the franchise. Martin Guptill has played a total of 122 matches for New Zealand and has hit 3531 runs with two centuries and 20 half-centuries.

Mohammad Waseem, who won the best home player award for the second consecutive season in the ILT20, was signed by Islamabad midway through the campaign.

They were unable to use his services owing to a scheduling conflict with the PSL and the UAE’s Cricket World Cup League 2 campaign, which begins next week in Dubai. That tournament concludes on March 9, and Islamabad United’s final league match is on March 10.

Getting back to Martin Guptill, the right-handed Kiwi batsman has represented Quetta Gladiators and Karachi Kings in the Pakistan Super League before representing Islamabad United.

Mohammad Waseem ended up scoring 321 runs from 12 matches of the ILT20 2024 and smashed 2 half-centuries. His highest score was 89*.

Islamabad United brings in Martin Guptill as a replacement for Mohammad Waseem

The current edition of the Pakistan Super League 2024 started on February 18 with the first match being played between Islamabad United and Lahore Qalandars. United made a brilliant start to their campaign and won the first match of the competition by eight wickets. However, they ended up losing to Multan Sultans in their previous game by five wickets.

Islamabad United are currently placed in the third spot in the Pakistan Super League points table with 2 points from 2 games. Multan Sultans currently top the table with 2 wins from 2 games, and the same is the condition with the Quetta Gladiators.

Just like the Indian Premier League, the Pakistan Super League is a platform for Pakistani players to showcase their talent on the world stage. Many young Pakistani players have performed well in the competition and have made their way to the national team.

The ninth edition of the PSL will once again bring the same opportunity for the young Pakistani players to showcase their talent and once again make their way to the national team.

There has also been a significant rise in the brand value of the Pakistan Super League. Before the publication of the tournament schedule, the PSL won a 113 and 45 percent increase in TV and streaming rights for the competition. Local TV channel A Sports was able to get the TV rights, while Walee Technologies was able to obtain the digital rights.

The tournament, which started on February 18, will be contested in four cities: Karachi, Lahore, Multan, and Rawalpindi. Throughout the tournament, 34 matches will be played, with Karachi hosting 11 of them, including the qualifier, two eliminators, and one final.

Islamabad United and Lahore Qalandars have won two titles in eight editions, while Multan Sultans, Karachi Kings, and Quetta Gladiators have each won one. Peshawar Zalmi has yet to win the PSL trophy. Wahab Riaz, a veteran Pakistani pacer, is the tournament’s leading wicket-taker with 113 wickets, while Babar Azam has scored 2935 runs.