KARACHI: Rival skippers J.P. Duminy of Islamabad United and Peshawar Zalmi’s Darren Sammy have both predicted a closely-contested battle for the 2018 HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) title when the two franchises clash in the final here at the National Stadium on Sunday.

Duminy, taking over the captaincy after regular skipper Misbah-ul-Haq and vice-captain Rumman Raees were both sidelined by injuries, told the pre-match media conference on Saturday he was excited about the prospects of playing in front of a capacity turnout.

“It is good to see the logistical work done behind the scenes and we have been brought here safely in this wonderful city. I am extremely grateful for the handwork put behind the scenes,” the South African batsman told reporters at the National Stadium.

“We are excited about tomorrow [Sunday] and it would be a big occasion for all of us. A lot of young guys in the Islamabad team have not played in the final and for them it will be exciting times.”

Sammy, the former West Indies captain, admitted that he was still troubled by a knee injury but there was no way he will miss the high-profile decider.

“I’m feeling the same way as I was a few days ago. There is no secret that I am not 100 per cent fit and still hobbling around in the field. [But] No matter what I have to take part for the sake of my team and tomorrow that is what I intend to do,” Sammy said while talking to the media.

The popular Peshawar captain observed that the two eliminators his side had to play in Lahore showed the real character of his players under his command.

“Yeah, those two matches in Lahore were eventful, especially the first eliminator against Quetta Gladiators. I can tell you that game was not good for the weak hearts,” he remarked.

“We had to win both of these games to get into the final here. And I’m happy that we are once again in the final and looking forward to tomorrow’s big match.”

Duminy maintained that Peshawar would be very tough to play against, adding Islamabad needed to be at their best to clinch the title.

“It was amazing to see how semi-final [referring to the second eliminator against Karachi Kings] went down in Lahore. The passion behind the game and support for the local teams was pretty electrifying. It is a thrilling occasion to be part of the PSL final and more specifically to be playing in Karachi,” the Islamabad stand-in skipper stated.

Speaking about the team’s preparations following their crushing victory over Karachi Kings in last Sunday’s qualifier, Duminy revealed a few days’ rest was necessary after playing four matches in a short span of time.

“As professional cricketers you welcome the break because it has had been a jam-packed schedule in the league stage. “To have four to five days rest is welcome since it makes you feel good,” Duminy pointed out.

“Obviously, the guys got nicely gelled in Dubai a couple of days ago. And the players participated in few activities such as going to the water park and playing golf. The guys are pretty relaxed coming into the final.

“We know we are coming to Karachi and we have to understand that it’s all having our training sessions and making final preparations for tomorrow. Moreover, it’s difficult to sum up the conditions here in Karachi. In the UAE, the pitches we played were definitely different in character. We have to assess the [National Stadium] conditions and try to get acclimatise to them as quickly as possible.

“I think the team who adapt the quickest will give themselves a better chance of winning.”

Sammy, meanwhile, stressed Peshawar are ready for the grand finale especially if Kamran Akmal continues his brilliant run-making form.

“There is no doubt we are pumped up from the time the word went around that we would not qualify for the playoffs,” he said.

“My team has shown great character and the guys stood up when we needed them to be. Look at the start of the tournament when I said to the lads: ‘Look we are here to defend our title. We knew that it wouldn’t going to be easy. But the journey has been a great one and we have one more knockout game and Islamabad is in our way, so we have to stop them.

“If people are saying that Luke Ronchi is in great nick then look at Kamran Akmal, who is also in red-hot form. So they [Islamabad] have to stop him also. We respect the opposition and so far our bowlers have come up with a plan against their batters and which is why we are in the final. Tomorrow will be no different to my mind,” Sammy continued.

Meanwhile, Misbah — who is handicapped by a hairline fracture in his wrist sustained during the last league-round fixture against Karachi Kings — came up for the unveiling ceremony of the PSL trophy alongside Sammy.

But it is almost certain the veteran player is unlikely to play on Sunday, a point mentioned by Islamabad United team director Waqar Younis who accompanied Duminy during the media conference.

Published in Dawn, March 25th, 2018