Multan Sultans arrive in PSL semi-finals depleted by COVID-19 but confident of victory

Having won the group stage in any other year, Multan would now have two bites at the cherry in order to the reach the final showpiece

Ordinarily, Multan Sultans would have two opportunities to qualify for the final of the Pakistan Super League, having convincingly finished top of the initial league phase.

This, however, is not a normal situation. Multan arrive in Lahore without Rilee Rossouw and James Vince, both key cogs in their sojourn through the round-robin phase. The pair have headed home, given the COVID-19 outbreak.

Moeen Ali, Ravi Bopara and Imran Tahir remain, but Rossouw and Vince made 344 runs between them. Of the six players at the franchise to have topped 100 runs, none have done so with a better strike rate than the pair.

Their absence leaves a major weight on the shoulders of Shan Masood, the captain, who has enjoyed a fine campaign. If there were questions beforehand about the aptitude of a Test specialist in the shortest form of the game, then those doubts have surely been extinguished in recent weeks.

Only five players – Shadab Khan, Ben Dunk, Chris Lynn, Luke Ronchi and Babar Azam – have outscored him. Curiously, though, he has passed fifty just once – a measure of his overall consistency, but also an area where he will have to improve should the pace-setters reach the final they will believe they deserve.

It is one of the complexities of the late changes to the tournament’s format. Granted, given the circumstances, it seems a feat of sorts to have organised any kind of conclusion to this landmark edition back in Pakistan.

^{Chris Lynn struck an unbeaten hundred as Lahore Qalandars beat Multan by nine wickets}

Having won the group stage in any other year, Multan would now have two bites at the cherry in order to the reach the final showpiece.

Not this time. One chance. That is all. It is hard to read too much into a brutal defeat at the hands of Lahore Qalandars in the final group game for Andy Flower’s side.

Veteran leg-spinners Shahid Afridi and Imran Tahir were both rested, as were left-armers Mohammad Irfan and Sohail Tanvir and impressive youngster Mohammad Ilyas.

There were positives to take from that drubbing, even as Chris Lynn and Fakhar Zaman tucked in and completed a challenging chase with ease.

Khushdil Shah’s 29-ball 70 was an enterprising display of showmanship, while Rohail Nazir – at just 18 years of age – played a startling cameo, including a reverse-scoop off Shaheen Afridi that sent social media spiraling.

Given their dominance through the initial part of the tournament, it would almost be a shame if Multan weren’t present in its final come Wednesday.

But if the past week has taught the world anything, it is that there are more important things in life.