The Pakistan Super League (PSL) faced criticism again due to a strange team selection issue involving the Quetta Gladiators during Match 26 against Lahore Qalandars.
Before the match, the Gladiators announced that Dinesh Chandimal would take Bevon Jacobs’ place in the squad. Confusion occurred at the toss when captain Saud Shakeel stated that both Chandimal and Jacobs were in the Playing XI, which contradicted the earlier statement.
This unexpected decision led to reactions and criticism on social media as many questioned how both a replacement player and the original player could be in the same lineup. Team General Manager Nabeel Hashmi explained that one player had fallen ill, prompting the team to include both players.
Despite this clarification, concerns about communication and management within the league have increased, adding to the tournament’s ongoing scrutiny.
“Tom Curran was unwell and had to stay back at the hotel. Chandimal came in for Tom in this particular match,” Hashmi said on X.
This situation raised further concerns as having both players meant Quetta Gladiators effectively had an extra overseas player, which some could view as an unfair advantage over other teams.
The Gladiators performed well in the match. Ironically, Bevon Jacobs, who was set to be replaced, scored the winning runs, leading his team to their third victory of the tournament.
Earlier, Usman Tariq excelled with the ball, taking three important wickets that limited Lahore Qalandars to a total of 134. In reply, Rilee Rossouw made a match-winning contribution with an unbeaten half-century, guiding Quetta to a comfortable win with 22 balls to spare.
Here’s how people reacted on X to the squad confusion involving Quetta Gladiators in the Pakistan Super League: