The Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2020 has on Thursday (February 20) kick-started with the defending champions Quetta Gladiators led by Sarfaraz Ahmed locking horns with the two-time champions Islamabad United at the National Stadium in Karachi.

The ongoing fifth edition of the PSL 2020 has already grabbed headlines even before the first match of the tournament for the wrong reasons with the Gladiators losing out on the services of experienced Umar Akmal who was suspended by the Pakistan Cricket Board on Thursday.

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The PCB suspended Akmal for breaching its 'Anti-Corruption Code' with immediate effect from all cricketing activities "pending the investigation being carried out by PCB's Anti-Corruption Unit".

The latest setback forced the Quetta Gladiators to rope in all-rounder Anwar Ali as a replacement for suspended Akmal for the ongoing PSL 5 following the approval of the PSL’s technical committee – headed by PCB Chief Executive Wasim Khan before the tournament opener in Karachi.

The 32-year-old Ali came in as a silver category player for the ongoing PSL 2020. He has featured for Quetta Gladiators in all previous editions of Pakistan’s T20 league and managed 191 runs as well as taken 23 wickets in 32 PSL matches.

However, the all-rounder has not featured in the PSL 2020 opener which the Quetta Gladiators won by 3 wickets against the Islamabad United thanks to Azam Khan's brilliant half-century and Mohammad Hasnain's Man of the Match bowling show (4/25) in Karachi on Thursday.

(With ANI Inputs)