Hyderabad Heroes bat first after losing toss

Hyderabad, Oct 10:Lahore Badshahs won the toss and decided to bowl first against Hyderabad Heroes in the inaugural match of ICL season 2 here today. James Maher and Abdul Razzaq opened the innings for the home team. Hyderabad Heroes were off to a good start but Mohammad Sami struck for Lahore to reduce the Heroes for 18/1.

The second season of the Indian Cricket League is all geared up to play its inaugural match between Hyderabad Heroes (last season’s champions) and Lahore Badshahs (previous year’s runners up). The home team had surprised the Inzamam ul Haq led Lahore Badshahs to claim the first ever trophy of the tournament.

Hyderabad`s strength lies with players like Alfred Absolem, Stuart Binny, Ambati Rayudu and Ibrahim Khaleel, who have had a great domestic season. Skipper Chris Harris asserts that their strength increases down the batting order.

Inzi, however, hopes to revert back the loss in a much tougher manner this time. The fact that the Pak boys were practicing on the nets with coach Moin Khan as dress rehearsals of the opening ceremony were going on alongside proves how determined the team is. Lahore’s biggest strength is their experience of international cricket.

The players to watch out this time would be Imran Farhat and Imran Nazir, who form a deadly opening pair for the Pakistani side.

Mushtaq Ahmed too awaits his share of victory in the shortest format of the game. Having won a World Cup and a County Championship already, an ICL trophy won’t be that bad for the leg spinner. “Our team is a big hit in Pakistan,” Mushtaq said. “They see it as an extension of the national side. We want to win for them. "I feel like a newborn in this format. They say the spinners don`t do well in Twenty20, I want to prove them wrong.”

As far as the Hyderabad Heroes are concerned, Justin Kemp would be the man to watch. Hyderabad`s star recruit, the big-hitting allrounder will be one of the key players for the team. Not to forget Ambati Rayudu; coach Steve Rixon has instilled a lot of faith in the right arm off-break spinner.

Hyderabad Heroes (Playing XI): James Maher, Abdul Razzaq, Alfred Absolem, Ambati Rayudu, Anirudh Singh, Justin Kemp, Stuart Binny, Nicky Boje, Chris Harris(c), Ibrahim Khaleel(w), Pagadala Niranjan

Lahore Badshahs (Playing XI): Imran Nazir, Imran Farhat, Inzamam Ul Haq(c), Hasan Raza, Naved Latif, Humayun Farhat(w), Azhar Mahmood, Mohammad Sami, Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, Mushtaq Ahmed, Arshad Khan