Tier Two Previews - Week Three - September 26th

Yaqeen vs Haya

Were those white shirts or white flags worn by Yaqeen last week? It was hard to hard to tell as they registered an abysmal performance in their season opener. The good news is that things should not get any worse. Look for GM Abbas Amarshi to plug the gaping holes on defense. Goaltender Saboor Mian will have to step things up if this game is to remain close. Likewise the offensive has to make an appearance. Captain Qamar Mian and 1^st round pick Taqi Ahmed must lead this ship. The anticipated debut of Aamir Haniff will aid the team greatly but will it be enough?

Surprisingly this team looks better in person than it does on paper. Coach K’s troops came to play on both ends of the floor and it appears things just may stay that for the season. The A-Team (Aazar Zafar, Ali Murtaza, and Arif Khan) is expected to wreak havoc in the Yaqeen zone but expect league MVP Waseem Bangash to continue unleashing his booming shots. With only four natural defenseman two forwards will need to be dropped below the blue line. Will they hold their ground or be exposed by the speedy Yaqeen forwards?

Player to Watch:
A former Tier-1 player, Aamir Haniff can quickly change the tempo on either ends of floor. We haven’t seen him in a while and it will be interesting to see if he has shaken off any rust.

Burning Question:

Yusuf Kapoor was solid in net last week but can he put up a repeat performance?

Who’s Hot
Would you believe Khalid Bhatti? The ageless wonder continues to laugh in Father Time’s face. He registered two helpers last week and chances are there are more to come.

Zuhd vs Shukr

I love you. You love me…. Sorry, but that’s not Barney behind those purple shirts. This is a team of gritty and bruising players. Anyone that extends mercy to these men will have it slapped back in their face. Zuhd may have lost their opener but don’t think for a minute that it will remain this way. Fahad Mallik is expected to return and lead his team on the floor. The debut of the relentless Abdu Sharkawy should also bolster an offense that only generated 7 shots on net. The dominating presence of Naeem Akhter will also help neutralize a Shukr team that has no shortage of size. Rizwan Ali was solid between the pipes keeping his team alive and much of the same will be expected. Expect Huzaifah Manjra and Faisal Mehboob to wake up from their slumber and tear into the Shukr defense.

The GM trio of Firasath Ali, Ahmad "The Mountain" Ibrahim, and Mohammad Hamoud may have been the lowest ranked talented GM trio but yet again they have proven that they are geniuses at making teams. Shukr looked brilliant top to bottom in their shellacking of Yaqeen. Saqib Khokhar, Tariq Hathout, and Talib Contractor make up the core of speedy forwards that can leave the opposition defense with migraines. Waseem Kalair and Ozair Naveed were virtually impenetrable from the blue line and were key to Shukr’s transition game. Will they be good enough to keep Zuhd at bay? Expect Sadiq Rehman to put down the TV remote control. Unlike last week he won’t have any time to spectate in this game and will be required to be on full alert.

Player to Watch:
He may have banished himself from Tier-1 but the ball handling skills of  Fahad Mallik just can’t be ignored. He has the talent to go end to end or set up plays. His presence will be immediately felt on the floor.

Burning Question:

Just about every rookie on Shukr registered a point. Was this just beginner’s luck or is there be more to come from these newcomers?

Who’s Hot
None other than Captain Mohammad Hamoud. The gentle giant was on a tear last week. He registered three points and left two Yaqeen forwards squirming in pain on the floor. Expect him to dish out more pain.

Tier Two Previews - Week Two - September 19th

Shukr vs Yaqeen
Shukr always had the reputation of drafting wise and chasing pivotal players. In efforts of living up to that standard, Shukr prompted in employing Talib Contractor as their poster boy for the blue shirts. Smothered with many speedsters upfront, has the Blue Crew's back end been complimented coequally. Will Waseem Kalair and Samad Hamidi be able to prop Shukr's spine? GM Ahmad Ibrahim's roster will be very telling come Friday night so it's tough to get a gauge on what Yaqeen will be encountering. Emad Hussain and Saqib Khokhar will need to get their scoring caps on as the bulk of offensive production rests on their wings. Can goaltender Sadiq Rehman craft a win for his squad?

Yaqeen steps onto the arena floor for the first time this season and attempts to do diligence with Shukr. GM Abbas Amarshi fixated into carving a balanced team and selected Taqi Ahmed as Yaqeen's big point-getter. Captain Qamar Mian will try to lead the Winter Warriors to their first victory, but that'll be contingent on how Amarshi and his defensive core perform in front of netminder Saboor Mian. Yaqoob Jamal and Aamir Haniff will join the offensive wave and try to interrogate Sadiq Rehman to the maximum. Will the white shirts be able to contain Talib Contractor and Tariq Hathout? Shukr on paper does the appear like a powerhouse, but then again, don't we all?

Player To Watch:
Ambidextrous on the offence and defence, Mohamad Hamoud will be on Yaqeen's radar all night long.

Burning Questions?
Who will win their first game?

Who's Hot?
No one yet...

Ridha vs Ikhlas
The Orangemen were minus a few good men last match and dropped their first game in a 3-1 trouncing to Haya. Call it cold feet but the orange shirts appeared perplexed both on and off the floor. Hopefully management can resolve the nitty gritty on the squad cause up next for Ridha is Ikhlas. Any gambling man will take Ikhlas to win on this one, but like I always say, this is i-Slam and anything is possible. Ridha has gotta show up in every aspect, that's it! Lucky for them Imran Lakhanpal managed to crack the egg on Yusuf Kapoor's shutout and made the last week's result somewhat respectable. Netminder Yasir Hussain was pretty much left isolated last game and will need the shielding versus Ikhlas's high octane game.

The Green Machine came out on all cylinders last game and cranked out a hard working 3-2 win. The shots on net radiated on its own with Ikhlas pelting the opposition 17-7 in shots. Now this might be a cakewalk for the green shirts but unless green classically chokes then we got a night for Ridha to celebrate. There's no doubt that the Orangemen's vulnerabilities reside on defence, on top of that Ikhlas has been solid with pressuring down low. Defensively, Wajahat Khan, Zuhair Fancy and Farrukh Khan have been monstrous for the green shirts while Khalid Mufti proves time and time again why he reigns the best goalie for tier two. Will Ikhlas be able to stretch their on streak to two?

Player To Watch:
There's a substantial amount of pressure riding on Faheem Kotwal. Not a foreigner to the game, Faheem will need to provide some of his expertise in getting his squad back on track.

Burning Questions?
Which goalie will take home the bragging rights? Hussain or Mufti?

Who's Hot?
Where did this guy come from? Azim Siddique pulled off a stellar 3 point night for Ikhlas. Is there more where that came from?

Tier Two Previews - Week One - September 12th

Zuhd vs Ikhlas

GM Fahad Malik and his band of Purple Platoons will share the honour of banging heads with Ikhlas as both teams finally lift the veils off I-Slam's hallmark season. Endorsed with an overkill of speedy wonders that can hit the twine; will Zuhd be able to demolish Ikhlas's defensive fortress? Though the purple shirts weigh heavily offensively, how has their drafting been compensated on defence? To me, the buck stops at GM Fahad Malik, Amir Baig and Farhan Siddiqui, so is this team's back end sufficient enough to rebuff Ikhlas's army? Huzaifa Manjara, Usamah Rao and Faisal Mehboob must lend their legs and display consistency when it comes to playing a two way game. Will Rizwan Ali be able to steal Zuhd their first win? 

Rookie GM Amir Multani makes his GM debut, and quite honestly, has the most defensive team in the league. So defensive that the origin of offence remains trivial. Drafting a powerhouse netminder like Khalid Mufti might've been an intelligent plot, but will this risk pay any dividends? Nonetheless, Ikhlas will be steadfast in making a fierce impression with their abundance of seasoned players. Expect Wajahat Khan and Adnan Siddiqui to shoulder most of the defensive responsibilities while Zuhair Fancy and Sajid Khan lead the offensive party. Can Ikhlas's formulated cast be able to vanquish game one? Will the Pathan's (Khan's) on this team churn out a victory or kabuli pilao (afghan pilaf dish)?

Player To Watch:

It's obvious that Sajid Khan will be in the limelight till the final buzzer. Known for his robust two way game, Khan will be an obvious hazard for Zuhd.

Burning Questions?

Which team will come on top at the end of the night?

Who's Hot?

No one yet...

Haya vs Ridha

In attempts to crafting a competitive roster, GM Kashif Taqiuddin has been an engaged individual post draft day. While showtime slowly creeps for the grey shirts, can notables like: Arif Khan, Ali Murtaza and Aazar Zafar make a splash for Haya? As tempting it is to treasure the positives of this team, the deficiencies remain screaming for aid, most notably the thin blue line. Humza Hussain and Zahid Merchant will not be enough! Can Haya hold its own in the back end versus Ridha? Yusuf Kapoor looks to turn over another leaf this season as the young goalie visualizes a better year. Can Kapoor bare the raft of a Ridha's onslaught of forwards? 

The only solace for any GM is to start the season off on a winning note. GM Zaid Mahmood has that same yearning, and to have a stud goaltender like Yasir Hussain manning the pipes is nothing short of welcoming. Presently, the offensive cast is candidly hoisted on Farooq Sani and Imran Lakhanpal, let's just hope there's more firepower than that for the Orangemen. Ibrahim Abhoghodieh and Faheem Kotwal will be on their feet in attempts to cut goaltender Yasir Hussain's work to the bare skeleton. Do the orange shirts have the potential to win their first game? Will Tariq Hathout and Shaan Abbasi be able to provide a preeminent role against Haya?

Player To Watch:

Regarded as one of the stalwart tenders of tier two, all eyes will be plastered on Yasir Hussain. Will Yas get this squad in the win column?

Burning Questions?

Which team will come on top at the end of the night?

Who's Hot?

No one yet...