Why have Haider Ali and Umaid Asif been suspended from PSL 2021 final between Multan Sultans and Peshawar Zalmi?

Haider Ali and Umaid Asif: A batsman and fast bowler from Peshawar Zalmi will miss the final match of Pakistan Super League 2021.

Peshawar Zalmi have received a massive blow on the day of PSL 2021 final against Multan Sultans in Abu Dhabi after batsman Haider Ali and fast bowler Umaid Asif have been “suspended” from playing tonight.

In addition to missing this match, 20-year old Ali has also been sidelined from Pakistan’s squad which is scheduled to tour England and West Indies right after Pakistan Super League.

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Multan Sultans batsman Sohaib Maqsood, the last of whose 46 white-ball matches at the highest level had come five years ago during the tour of New Zealand, has earned a national recall in place of Ali. Having scored 363 runs in 11 PSL 2021 matches at an average and strike rate of 40.33 and 152.52 respectively, Maqsood is the third-highest run-scorer in the tournament.

Why have Haider Ali and Umaid Asif been suspended from PSL 2021 final?

It is worth mentioning that Ali and Asif have been suspended for violating the tournament’s health and safety protocols as they had met people from outside their biosecure bubble.

“The two cricketers were found not to have interacted with any other squad members at any time after the incident and have been placed in room isolation,” a Pakistan Cricket Board release said with respect to the incident.

Ali, who was dropped from the XI in the knockout phase, has scored a total of 166 runs in nine PSL 2021 innings at an average and strike rate of 20.75 and 137.19 respectively.

Asif, on the other hand, had played Zalmi’s most recent second eliminator against Islamabad United. In nine matches this season, Asif’s eight wickets have come at an average of 38.25, an economy rate of 9.71 and a strike rate of 23.6.