RAWALPINDI: Rain is the most likely to be the winner in the HBL Pakistan Super League at the Pindi Cricket Stadium on Saturday as Islamabad United and Peshawar Zalmi brace themselves for another abandoned fixture.

The unseasonal rainy weather has severely played havoc with the tournament with one match — ironically involving the same teams — here already completely washed out on Feb 29 and two shortened.

Zalmi were one of the competing sides in the curtailed fixtures and won both. On Feb 28, they won a 12-over encounter versus Lahore Qalandars by 16 runs and then sealed a 30-run victory over defending champions Quetta Gladiators after Thursday’s tie was reduced to a 15-overs-a-side affair.

According to the local meteorological office, persistent rain is forecast along with thunderstorm for Saturday while more showers are also predicted for Sunday — when Islamabad United play hosts to Multan Sultans.

The last two of the eight-match schedule for Rawalpindi are day games, starting at 2:00pm. But the bleak weather, it rained virtually the entire day on Friday and more of the same is expected for the night, could result in huge disappointment for the ardent cricket fans as one of the wettest weekends on record approaches.

Published in Dawn, March 7th, 2020