Peshawar Zalmi have signed up Tasmania and Hobart Hurricanes batting all-rounder Mitch Owen for the 10th edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL). Zalmi were left hamstrung with the sudden withdrawal of Proteas all-rounder Corbin Bosch, who chose IPL over the PSL and called up Owen as a supplementary player. The PCB have sent a legal notice to Bosch over his decision to play in the IPL after being called up as a replacement by the Mumbai Indians for injured Lizaad Williams.
Owen grabbed everyone's imagination with a 39-ball century in the Big Bash League (BBL) final and had a breakout season for the eventual champions Hobart Hurricanes before smashing a 48-ball ton for Tasmania in the One-Day Cup hitting 10 sixes and 14 fours. With Saim Ayub and Babar Azam at the top, the Zalmi might have to rejig their batting order with Owen as another opening option, however, the right-hander will add the destruction bit to the batting order. Owen was also picked by Paarl Royals for the business end of the SA20, after his BBL exploits.
Zalmi, who have Alzarri Joseph as their overseas pace bowling option, are sweating over Nahid Rana's availability, who is still awaiting his NOC from the Bangladesh Cricket Board to participate in PSL 10.
In other news, Islamabad United have brought in pacer Muhammad Shehzad as a supplementary inclusion, who recently was the Player of the Final and Player of the Tournament in the President's Trophy, the domestic red-ball tournament and would join the likes of Ben Dwarshuis, Naseem Shah, Jason Holder and Riley Meredith in the pace attack.
Peshawar Zalmi squad for PSL 10: Babar Azam (c), Saim Ayub, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Mitch Owen, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Haris, Abdul Samad, Hussain Talat and Nahid Rana, Arif Yaqoob, Najeebullah Zadran, Max Bryant, Mehran Mumtaz, Sufyan Moqim, Ali Raza, Maaz Sadaqat, Ahmed Daniyal, Alzarri Joseph