RAWALPINDI: Heavy rain marred the start of Rawalpindi leg of the HBL Pakistan Super League here on Saturday as both the matches were abandoned without a ball being bowled.

Defending champions Lahore Qalandars, led by Shaheen Shah Afridi, were scheduled to face Babar Azam-captained Peshawar Zalmi in the day game whi­ch was to be followed by a night clash between Shadab Khan’s Islamabad United and Rilee Rossouw-skip­pered Quetta Gladiators.

However, a heavy downpour which left the Pindi Cricket Stad­ium soggy made any action impossible resulting in both the games getting called off, and all the four teams were given a point each. Rain had prevented teams from holding any training session on Friday too.

Multan Sultans of Mohammad Rizwan lead the six-team league with 10 points (five wins and one loss). Just one point below them are the Gladiators (four wins, one loss and one no-result). Third-placed Zalmi have seven points from six games (three wins, two losses and one no-result) followed by the United who have earned five points in six matches (two wins, three losses, one no-result). Shan Masood-led Karachi Kings with four points in their bag from five outings are fifth (two wins, three losses) while winless Qalandars are placed at bottom with a solitary point which they got on Saturday.

Though there was a forecast of heavy rains on Saturday, still several fans had opted to witness the games. But unfortunately they could not see their favourite players in action.

Rain continued throughout the day with intervals.

Shahid Hussain, an enthusiastic fan who came all the way from Peshawar to support Zalmi and see Babar’s willow work, was left disappointed.

“I came here on Thursday to watch this match, but rain washed away my plan,” he said, and added that he would now extend his stay in Rawalpindi for two days to watch the Zalmi-United clash on Monday.

On Sunday, the Kings face the Sultans on Sunday at the National Bank Stad­ium in Karachi before the action returns to Rawa­lpindi on Monday when United take on Zalmi.

Published in Dawn, March 3rd, 2024