Return of spectators brightens PSL playoffs

By Ehsan Qureshi 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has fulfilled its promise of allowing the spectators to witness all the four playoff matches of the 11th edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL). 

The entire league stage the PSL-11 was played behind closed doors in line with the government’s fuel conservation measures due to the West Asia crisis. It was also decided to limit the event only to Karachi and Lahore, whereas six cities were chosen to host it originally. 

The Qualifier between Peshawar Zalmi and Islamabad United at the National Stadium, Karachi, on April 28 witnessed the return of the crowd and they brightened the proceedings with their active engagement in a game where they got to see a masterclass from Babar Azam. 

It was it the fitness of things that Babar, easily the greatest batsman of the country of his generation, produced one of his best innings to power his team Peshawar Zalmi into the final, with Islamabad now relegated to play one of the Eliminators. 

The action has now moved to Lahore where Multan Sultans and Hyderabad Kingsmen will be the two combatants in the Eliminator 1 on April 29 while their winners will be entitled to play Islamabad in the Eliminator 2 on May 1. 

The curtain will fall to the PSL-11 with the final at the Qaddafi Stadium, Lahore, on May 3. Peshawar Zalmi has already qualified for the title-clash while the winners of the Eliminator 2 will be the other finalists.

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Classy Babar’s delights buzzing crowd, takes Peshawar to PSL final

By Ehsan Qureshi 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Babar Azam, under fire for below par strike rate in the shortest format of the game, dispelled the impression of having lost his top form with a sizzling century which put his team, Peshawar Zalmi, into the final of the 11th edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) as they overwhelmed Islamabad United by 70 runs in the qualifier at the National Stadium, Karachi, under floodlights, on April 28. 

The former Pakistan captain smashed 103 off only 59 balls, treating the returning crowd to an exhibition of classy strokes. His blistering knock lifted Peshawar to a respectable 221 for seven, after being sent in to bat by Shadab Khan. 

Babar reached his 13th T20 hundred in style, launching paceman Richard Gleeson for a straight six to the cheers of a near-capacity crowd, who had braved massive hardships in securing tickets in sweltering heat before making their way into the stadium. 

Peshawar got off a flyer in the powerplay with Babar and his opening partner, Muhammad Haris, adding 72 runs in the first six overs. Wicketkeeper Haris smashed 16-ball 35 with the held of two sixes and five fours. 

The momentum was sustained by Kusal Mendis, who contributed 41 off 26 runs, with Babar going great guns at the other end. A mini-collapse saw Peshawar struggling at 164 for four after being in complete command at 156 for one little while earlier. 

The leg-spin of Shadab pulled it back for Islamabad United but it was going to be Babar’s night. He duly completed his century before perishing in the penultimate over. His knock allowed Peshawar Zalmi to post an emphatic total of 221 in the allotted overs. 

Openers Sameer Minhas (44 off 23 balls) and Devon Conway (20 off 14 balls) allowed Islamabad United to score 56 runs in the first five overs. But the plot was lost after eight overs which saw them slump to 113 for seven from 81 for one. 

Medium-pacer Aaron Hardie returned the figures of 3-24 in four tight overs with Basit Ali (2-19) and Sufyan Muqeem (2-25) also delivering tidy spells as Islamabad was bowled out for 151 in 18.2 overs.

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Rawalpindiz finally open account in PSL in ninth attempt

By Ehsan Qureshi

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

After having endured eight defeats on a trot, debutants Rawalpindiz finally registered their maiden win, overcoming former champions Islamabad United by six wickets in the 11th edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) on April 23. 

In what turned out to be a lacklustre and low-scoring encounter at the National Stadium, Karachi, skipper Mohammad Rizwan led the successful run-chase for Rawalpindiz with 45 while Kamran Ghulam and Daryl Mitchell sustained the momentum with their knocks of 42 and 35 respectively. 

The enterprising Mitchell remained unbeaten on 32 off 25 balls, hitting two fours and a six. It was Dian Forrester, however, who struck Mohammad Hasnain for the winning boundary, finishing 13 not out. 

Captain Rizwan’s 45 came off 38 balls and it included five fours and a six, while Kamran Ghulam’s 42 off 31 balls contained five fours and a six. The pair, in control of the proceedings, added 78 runs in 56 balls for the second wicket after Abdullah Fazal was dismissed for a first-ball duck. 

Earlier, the Kiwi pair of Devon Conway and Mark Chapman added 49 runs for the fourth wicket after Islamabad United had slumped to 30 for three at the start of the seventh over. 

Opener Sameer Minhas fell for six, while Muhammad Faiq (5) and Shadab Khan (1) followed in quick succession. Conway top-scored with 40 off 33 balls, including three fours and two sixes, while Chapman made 23 off 18 balls with a four and a six. 

The decision of the Rawalpindiz captain, Rizwan, to insert the opponents into bat, after calling correctly, paid rich dividends as his bowlers kept chipping in with wickets regularly to prevent the Islamabad United batsmen from freeing their arms. 

Mohammad Amir, Saad Masood and Dian Forrester chipped in with two wickets each while Naseem Shah, Darryl Mitchell and Asif Afridi were also among the wicket-takers to send the Islamabad United outfit tumbling to 137 all out on the last ball of their innings.

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Usman, Labuschagne trump Smith’s ton as Hyderabad edge out Multan

By Ehsan Qureshi 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The enigmatic Usman Khan struck a scintillating century, while Marnus Labuschagne contributed a fluent 61, as Hyderabad Kingsmen pulled off an exciting four-wicket victory over Multan Sultans in the 33rd match of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) Season-11 at the National Stadium, Karachi, on April 22. 

Usman rode his luck as he was initially caught behind for naught off Muhammad Ismail, but Multan failed to review. He went on to become the hero, smashing a dominant 101 off 47 balls, including ten towering sixes and five fours. It was his record fourth ton in the PSL. 

In a tense finish, Hassan Khan chipped in with an unbeaten 24 off just six balls, featuring three sixes and a four, as Hyderabad chased down the target with three balls to spare. 

Hyderabad reached the target of 214 for the loss of six wickets in 19.3 overs with Peter Siddle (3-39) and Muhammad Ismail (3-42) being the successful bowlers for Multan. Usman and Labuschagne added 123 runs off just 64 balls for the fourth wicket after Hyderabad had slumped to 43 for three inside the powerplay. 

Earlier, Steve Smith hammered a brilliant unbeaten 106 off just 50 balls, studded with 12 boundaries and six sixes, to dominate the Hyderabad bowling attack, but his effort ultimately went in vain. 

Opening the innings alongside Sahibzada Farhan, the vastly experienced Smith powered Multan to a fiery start of 132 runs off just 75 balls. 

Pakistan’s premier opener Sahibzada Farhan lent him admirable support, scoring 66 off 43 balls, laced with four fours and five sixes. 

Smith, known and feared the world over for his ability of changing gears at will, also plundered 28 runs in one over from pacer Kunain Shah, striking 4, 4, 6, 4, 6, 4. 

Multan had finished with an impressive total of 213 for seven in the 20 despite Akif Javed picking up three wickets in quick succession.

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