Umar Akmal confident he can turn around his own and Quetta Gladiators’ fortunes this PSL season

Quetta Gladiators' Umar Akmal avoids a bouncer ball during the Pakistan Super League (PSL) Twenty20 cricket match between Multan Sultans and Quetta Gladiators at the Multan Cricket Stadium in Multan on February 15, 2023. (AFP)
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Updated 25 February 2023
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Umar Akmal confident he can turn around his own and Quetta Gladiators’ fortunes this PSL season

  • Pakistani batter Umar Akmal says Quetta Gladiators have been “a bit unlucky“
  • Akmal has played only two PSL matches this year, scoring a total of 15 runs 

KARACHI: Pakistani batter Umar Akmal, under pressure again as his squad falters in the eighth edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), is confident he can turn around the fortunes of both himself and his team.

Re-inducted as a player in Quetta Gladiators for the new PSL season, Akmal has only featured in two matches, scoring a total of 15 runs before being dropped for the next two. His team also finds themselves at the bottom of the table with three defeats and one win in four games. 

On April 27, 2020, Akmal was banned from all forms of cricket for three years after being found guilty of failing to report numerous match-fixing approaches. That sentence was later reduced to 18 months. 

In an exclusive interview with Arab News at the training ground at the National Bank Arena stadium in Karachi this week, Akmal spoke confidently about the crisis of both his team’s performance and his own batting form.

“We have been a bit unlucky in the matches. The team we have, and the big names we have, we should be able to turn it around and we will try our best to improve and win in the future,” he said.
Evaluating the Gladiators’ defeats after the game, he added:

“In the post-match reviews, we learn a lot of things. We have a lot of big-name players, our franchise itself is a big name. We’ve been practicing a lot and have had a lot of discussions with the coaching staff.”
Does Akmal think it would help the franchise’s form if they were able to host matches on home ground in Quetta?

“Look it’s cricket, and we’re playing in Pakistan, whether we play in Quetta, Karachi, Lahore or Rawalpindi, the conditions are mostly the same,” he said. “But obviously playing in front of our home crowd will be a big boost for us, when our crowd supports us, hopefully we will win.”
And what about his personal form?

“No one’s career is decided in two matches,” Akmal said. “That’s all it’s been [so far], I will try and improve things, and I’m practicing and likewise my best wishes are with the rest of my team.”

“Not even half the tournament has passed,” he added.

And there were other things to look out for, he said, such as a number of young players shining through in this year’s edition:
“All the young players performing for every franchise have my best wishes, and I hope they continue to perform well and play for Pakistan.”


Chinese giant Hoymiles enters Pakistani market to provide high-tech energy storage solutions

Updated 05 January 2026
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Chinese giant Hoymiles enters Pakistani market to provide high-tech energy storage solutions

  • The development comes after Pakistan emerges as one of world’s fastest-growing solar markets, importing nearly 50GW of solar panels
  • Hoymiles entry will address long-hour backup and energy storage challenges facing Pakistan’s growing solar sector, local partner says

KARACHI: Renowned Chinese inverter manufacturer Hoymiles has entered Pakistan to provide high-tech, long-duration energy storage solutions for residential, commercial and industrial buildings by utilizing solar systems for electricity consumption, its Pakistani partner said on Monday.

Over the past few years, a large number of Pakistani industrial, commercial and residential electricity consumers have shifted to solar power systems to address frequent power outages and the rising cost of electricity. Reports indicate that net-metering capacity currently stands at 6,000 megawatts (MWs), while off-grid solar capacity has increased to 12,000 MWs in Pakistan by the end of 2025.

Hoymiles has formed strategic partnerships with Superstar, a renowned name in Pakistan’s automotive industry, and Harisun Energy, a new entrant in the energy solutions sector, to explore the Pakistani market, which is witnessing rapid growth in solar power adoption. In this regard, launch events were held simultaneously in Karachi and Lahore, unveiling multiple storage solutions produced by Hoymiles under the brands of Harisun Energy and Superstar.

Speaking as the chief guest at the Hoymiles launching ceremony in Karachi, Ali Rashid, advisor to Sindh chief minister on science and information technology (IT), said the provincial government appreciates foreign investors, particularly Chinese companies, establishing their industries, assembly, and distribution units in Karachi to meet the demand of the local market as well as export solutions to other countries.

“The government is working rigorously to facilitate foreign investors and companies to enhance their business and commercial activities, mainly in the technology and renewable energy sectors, to improve the living standards of the public and boost economic activity within the country and the province of Sindh,” he said.

The Sindh government is currently collaborating with various Chinese companies across different sectors, including logistics and renewable energy, and it welcomes further cooperation between the private and public sectors, according to Rashid.

The provincial government is considering establishing its own regulatory authority and transmission company, aimed at setting up a separate electricity grid system at the provincial level, which could provide affordable electricity to the masses and enhance connectivity to remote areas, preferably through renewable energy resources.

According to a report by the International Energy Agency (IEA), Pakistan has emerged as one of the world’s fastest-growing solar markets, importing approximately 50 GW of solar panels amid falling prices and widespread adoption across sectors in the first half of the year. This surge has made Pakistan the third-largest market for Chinese solar panels, a growth that has attracted global attention.

Superstar Solar Energy and Harisun Energy are introducing Hoymiles’ innovative range of solar inverters, energy storage solutions, and smart energy management systems to the Pakistani market. These solutions are designed to deliver reliable, efficient, and sustainable energy, empowering individuals and businesses to harness solar power as a clean and green energy source.

“Pakistan’s growing solar sector is facing a major challenge related to long-hour backup and energy storage solutions, which will soon be addressed with the entry of a global leader in energy solutions,” said Haris Jamsheed, CEO of Harisun Energy.

“Our partnership with the Chinese company will provide innovative energy storage solutions for residential, commercial, and industrial solar systems, enabling uninterrupted electricity supply at workplaces, factories, and homes during nighttime hours.”

Solarization has continued to expand across the country on a large scale due to prolonged load-shedding in remote areas and the high cost of electricity, which has become unaffordable for many households and industrial units, particularly in recent years.

“We have vowed to bring an energy revolution to Pakistan through innovative storage solutions, as the industrial and commercial sectors can enhance productivity with low-cost electricity backup systems,” said Saleem Umar, Chairman of Superstar.

“Affordable electricity will reduce operational costs at the domestic level, enabling exporters to compete more effectively in global markets.”