Premier League Tips

Lahore, the Pakistan Super League holders, are looking difficult to stop. They beat Multan on Saturday comfortably to notch a double over their rivals this season. Batting sides have no answer to the eight overs from Rashid Khan and Shaheen Afridi.

Possible XI: Fakhar, Baig, Shafique, Billings, Raza, Talat, Wiese, Rashid, Afridi, Rauf, Zaman

Zalmi won last time out against Karchi to help block out memories of a 40-run beating at the hands of Lahore in their previous game. They only found room for three overseas players against Kings. Babar Azam has a duck and seven in his last two knocks.

Possible XI: Haris, Babar, Ayub, Kohler-Cadmore, Haseebullah, Powell, Jamala, Wahab, Omarzai, Arshad, Mujeeb

Pitch report

Of the last 35 matches (before Karachi v Quetta), there have been 19 scores in first-innings of more than 170. Eight of the last 23 have been won by the chaser. Lahore have busted 170 five times in the six matches they have batted first. They took 241 off Zalmi in the previous meet. Lahore for 190 or more may be available around 2.407/5.

How to play

We're a bit surprised that the table-toppers are not shorter here at 1.728/11. They should be in the 1.608/13 region.

Perhaps there is a belief that they will take their foot off the gas or rest some key players.

They may have to leave out a whole bunch, though, because Zalmi are not up to much. Lahore to win.

Tops value

Babar has 211 runs off 160 balls against Rashid, Shaheen, Haris Rauf and Zaman Khan. He is boosted to 23/10 for top Zalmi bat. Opening bat pal Mohammad Haris has faced seven balls against the same lot and has been out twice. His runs can be shorted at 19.5.

Fakhar Zaman has a poor head-to-head against the Zalmi attack so Abdullah Shafique's average of 30 under the same filter may make him more appealing for top bat at 7/2.

Back Babar top Zalmi bat

23/10

Ed Hawkins P-L

2023: +9.45
2022:+16.79
2021: +29.41pts
2020: +5.91pts
2019: +37.25pts
2018: +23.53pts
2017: +12pts
2016: +18.1pts
2015: +38pts
2014: +31.5pts
2013: +25pt

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