Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan are up against each other as they lead their sides Peshawar Zalmi and Multan Sultans in the 21st match of the Pakistan Super League at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. Rizwan’s Multan Sultans have already qualified for the playoffs, while Babar’s Peshawar Zalmi are in a mid-table muddle, occupying the 4th spot in the six-team points table. 

The players of the two teams have a tweak to their sporting gear for the clash. Both sides are sporting pink caps instead of their traditional colours and have put a pink ribbon on their shoulders. The stumps being used for the clash are also pink in colour. 

Why is there a change in sporting gears for the clash?

The Pakistan Cricket Board is using the PSL platform to raise awareness about breast cancer on March 5. In this regard, the Peshawar and Multan players are donning pink caps and ribbons in their clash. “The Pakistan Cricket Board is set to make use of the platform of HBL Pakistan Super League, as part of its corporate social responsibility, to raise awareness regarding breast cancer and childhood cancer,” PCB wrote in a media statement on March 4.

“In this connection, the match between Peshawar Zalmi and Multan Sultans scheduled on 5 March at the Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi will be marked by the Pink Ribbon Day creating awareness regarding breast cancer.

The teams will wear pink ribbons and pink caps while the commentators will also put on pink ribbons meanwhile messages regarding breast cancer awareness will be displayed on the big screen and also announced during the commentary,” PCB added.

The PSL social media handle also shared photos of the pink caps and stumps ahead of the toss. “In Pakistan, one in every nine women may eventually develop breast cancer. We are partnering with @pinkribbonorgpk to increase public awareness of breast cancer. Today we go pink Pink Ribbon,” PSL wrote in a caption to a picture.

At the toss, the captains of both teams also exchanged their jerseys. Peshawar won the toss and opted to bat first at the Rawalpindi Stadium.  Multan, who have already qualified for the playoffs, made two changes by bringing in Dawid Malan and Aftab Ibrahim, while Usman Khan and Faisal Akram sat out.  Peshawar made four changes, bringing in Haseebullah Khan, Asif Ali, Naveen-ul-Haq and Mehran Mumtaz and excluding Mohammad Haris, Paul Walter, Mohammad Zeeshan and Arif Yaqoob.