KARACHI: Quetta Gladiators came into the ninth season of the HBL Pakistan Super League with renewed hopes under a revamped management structure and a new captain.

The changes seemed to have worked right away, as the former champions got off to a flying start in the campaign, as they won their opening three matches and despite a few jitters later, they managed to make it to the playoffs after a gap of four years.

When Mohammad Wasim’s powerful hit for six got them across the line against Lahore Qalandars in their penultimate league-stage match, wild celebrations went off in the Gladiators camp.

At that point it looked like the Gladiators of the past, ones who carried the image of the relentless underdogs, were back to challenge for their second title.

It wasn’t meant to be like that, though. In their last league-stage match, they let Multan Sultans bulldoze them by 79 runs, as the Quetta outfit lost out on the Qualifier spot.

In the Eliminator against Islamabad United on Friday night, they crumbled like a schoolboys’ team.

They had lost five wickets well before the end of the powerplay as they chased 175. All they could manage was 133, and had it not been for Omair Bin Yousuf’s valiant fifty, it would have been a more disastrous result.

”I think our top order batted in a hurry and lost their wickets cheaply as a result,” Omair told reporters after the match. “All teams face ups and downs, but we are willing to learn from this campaign.”

Omair praised Gladiators’ head coach Shane Watson — who had replaced Moin Khan ahead of the season — and Rilee Rossouw — who had taken over as captain after Sarfraz Ahmed was removed from the position — for creating a conducive environment in the team’s dressing room.

“I think I’ve learned a lot from both, because they have been very good players, and both have been among the best in this format,” said the right-handed batter. “… both have kept a very good atmosphere.

“They have given me a new perspective on how to take my cricket forward and I’m sure that’s the case with other young players in the team as well.”

Published in Dawn, March 17th, 2024