Mustafa Kamal unhappy with Quetta Gladiators

PSP leader feels franchise should pick more Balochistan players

RAWALPINDI: Quetta Gladiators may be one of the most liked teams in the Pakistan Super League but Quetta Cricket Association president Murad Ismail and Pak Sarzameen Party president Mustafa Kamal are unhappy with what they perceive to be the deliberate ignoring of Balochistan players by the franchise.

Neither Ismail nor Kamal minced their words and even called for the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to take action against the Gladiators.

“If they don't want to pick any player from Quetta or Balochistan then they should just change their name from Quetta Gladiators to Karachi Gladiators,” said Ismail. “I appeal to the PCB to take action against this team and hand over its management to someone who will work for players of Quetta.”

Kamal was similarly unimpressed. “It's good that the third edition of the PSL is going to take place but the Gladiators team, which represents Quetta, doesn’t have any player from Balochistan.”

Quetta Gladiators owner Nadeem Omer said his side will be looking to amend this. “We will be picking our 21st player from Quetta; whoever is the best available player,” he said. “It can be an emerging youngster or an experienced senior but there will be one player from Quetta that will travel with the side in PSL3.”

Balochistan-based top-order batsman Bismillah Khan was part of the side in the opening two editions but was not retained for the third edition, with the management insisting that they did so since better players than him were available and they are not bound to pick players from the regions they represent.