Day: March 9, 2023

Rawalpindi, March 09, 2023 (PPI-OT): Quetta Gladiators’ Jason Roy has termed his 145 not out against Peshawar Zalmi as his best T20 innings, adding it was also a great advert for the HBL Pakistan Super League. Roy clobbered 20 fours and five sixes in a 63-ball blitz as the Gladiators chased down an improbable 241 for the loss of two wickets with 10 balls to spare to keep his side’s slim chances of qualifying for the play-offs alive.

“It was a great advert for the HBL PSL and T20 cricket. Obviously, bowlers don’t want to be turning up and playing on these wickets every single game, but people and kids are watching and loving this sort of a game.

“This is the sort of game I remember as a kid that really drew me to cricket and the people. For sure, this is the sort of stuff that excites, draws and attracts the next generation of players,” Roy said at the post-match press conference on Wednesday evening.

Roy became the highest individual scorer in HBL PSL, beating Colin Ingram’s 127 not out for Karachi Kings against Quetta Gladiators in 2019, as the Gladiators completed the fourth-highest T20 chase of all time. Roy’s 44-ball century was the second quickest in HBL PSL history after Rilee Rossouw 43-ball century for Multan Sultans against Quetta Gladiators in 2020. The match aggregate of 483 runs was the highest in HBL PSL history as well as in Asia, and seventh highest overall.

“It’s an incredible, incredible feeling. For me in T20 cricket, it’s up there as one of my favourite innings ever because I was there till the end. A lot of the times when I’ve batted in limited overs as an opening batter, I have scored a 100 and then I got out with 20 or so runs still required. But tonight, I was there till the end, which is an incredible feeling as an opening batter. Definitely this innings will live in my memory for a long time.

“We knew chasing 240 convincingly in 13 or 14 overs was probably out of reach. So, it was just a case of trying to hit as many fours and sixes as possible on a great wicket and fast outfield, and get close to the title and then see where we are at.

“In the change room, it was just one of those things that you’ve got to pad up, all the fear of failure goes out of the window and you just have a lot of fun with Martin Guptill, who has done it all around the world and scored thousands of runs. We walked out there very relaxed. We didn’t feel any pressure on our shoulders at all. And on that wicket with that crowd, it was electrifying.

“It has been a tough season for us and we’ve not been able to put together the performances we would have wanted to, but we’ve got a great group of people and they do a lot for me. So, I’m just really pleased I was able put a performance together to put some smiles on their faces.”

Roy heaped a lot of praise on Babar Azam, who scored 115 off 65 balls with 15 fours and three sixes at a strike-rate of almost 177 but still ended up on the losing side. It was Babar’s eighth century in T20 cricket, second most after Chris Gayle (22).

“That was an incredible (innings) to watch, unfortunately, it was against us. It’s the sort of stuff I’ve watched on TV loads of times, but to watch it first-hand was extremely special.

“Babar was helped extremely well from the other end with his opening partner (Saim Ayub), a youngster coming through. So, to watch it first-hand was very special, though he could have done with getting a little less to make it easier for us!

“It made for an incredible game of cricket, one that I’ll remember for the rest of my life, for sure.”

Points table:

Team – Played – Won – Lost – Points – Net Run Rate

Lahore Qalandars – 8 – 6 – 2 – 12 – 0.938

Islamabad United – 8 – 6 – 2 – 12 – -0.036

Multan Sultans – 8 – 4 – 4 – 8 – 0.473

Peshawar Zalmi – 8 – 4 – 4 – 8 – -0.58

Quetta Gladiators – 9 – 3 – 6 – 6 – -1.12

Karachi Kings – 9 – 2 – 7 – 4 – 0.358

Upcoming HBL PSL 8 matches:

9 Mar – Islamabad United v Lahore Qalandars, Pindi Cricket Stadium

10 Mar – Peshawar Zalmi v Multan Sultans, Pindi Cricket Stadium

11 Mar – Quetta Gladiators v Multan Sultans, Pindi Cricket Stadium

12 Mar – Islamabad United v Peshawar Zalmi, Pindi Cricket Stadium; Lahore Qalandars v Karachi Kings, Gaddafi Stadium

15 Mar – Qualifier (1 v 2), Gaddafi Stadium

16 Mar – Eliminator 1 (3 v 4), Gaddafi Stadium

17 Mar – Eliminator 2 (loser Qualifier v winner Eliminator 1), Gaddafi Stadium

19 Mar – Final, Gaddafi Stadium

For more information, contact:
Pakistan Super League (PSL)
Pakistan Super League Secretariat, Gaddafi Stadium,
Ferozepur Road, Lahore, Pakistan
Email: info@psl-t20.com
Website: http://www.psl-t20.com/

Rawalpindi, March 09, 2023 (PPI-OT): Fakhar Zaman punished Islamabad United for letting him off twice by belting a swashbuckling century that earned defending champions Lahore Qalandars a place in the 15 March HBL PSL 8 Qualifier in Lahore with a thumping 119 runs victory in front of another full-house at the Pindi Cricket Stadium on Thursday.

Fakhar made the best of the dropped catches at two (by Asif Ali off Hasan Ali) and 72 (by Hasan Ali off Shadab Khan) to score 115, his second HBL PSL century, as Lahore Qalandars posted 226 for five after electing to bat first.

Islamabad United, which has already qualified for the play-offs, had no chance against a world-class Lahore Qalandars bowling attack after they managed 50 for two in the Power Play overs before Rashid Khan ran through the middle-order on way to figures of four for 21 as the home side was spun out for 107 in 15.1 overs with Azam Khan absent hurt after injuring his left hand while keeping wickets.

The 119-run defeat was the heaviest in the history of HBL PSL, while it was Lahore Qalandars’ second successive victory over Islamabad United by a margin of over 100 runs. The champions had recorded a 110-run victory at the Gaddafi Stadium.

Lahore Qalandars’ opponent on 15 March at the Gaddafi Stadium will be decided on Sunday in Rawalpindi when Islamabad United will take on Peshawar Zalmi at 2pm. Meanwhile, Friday’s winner between Peshawar Zalmi and Multan Sultans will become the third side to qualify for the play-off, with the winner of Quetta Gladiators and Multan Sultans match in Rawalpindi on Saturday will complete the play-offs line-up.

Returning to their tested and successful winning formula of batting first, Lahore Qalandars lost an in-form Abdullah Shafique on the third ball before Fakhar Zaman and Kamran Ghulam stitched a 122-run second wicket partnership off 62 balls to put the defending champions back on track.

The partnership ended when Kamran perished after scoring a 30-ball 41 with four fours and two sixes. At that stage, Fakhar found another depending ally in Sam Billings as the two batters added 70 off 43 for the third wicket. Lahore Qalandars did well to collect 72 runs in the final five overs after they were 122 for one at the halfway stage.

The star of Lahore Qalandars’ imposing 226 for five was Fakhar Zaman, who destroyed Islamabad United bowlers with his trademark and signature shots to walk away with the player of the match award.

Fakhar, who was dropped on the fourth ball he faced by Asif Ali in the first slip, drove elegantly, pulled convincingly and slog-swept emphatically to send Islamabad United bowlers on a never-ending leather hunt.

Fakhar’s 57-ball 115 included eight fours and eight sixes. His first 50 runs came off 24 balls with six fours and two sixes, while his second 50 runs came off 26 balls with two fours and four sixes. It required an excellent catch by Mohammad Wasim at deep backward square leg off Hasan Ali to terminate Fakhar’s onslaught that thoroughly entertained an excited and jubilant crowd.

Fazalhaq Farooqi, who dismissed Abdullah Shafique in the first over, added the scalps of Billings and David Wiese to finish with figures of three for 40.

In their chase, Islamabad United started aggressively but it was a very brief period where they looked like in some sort of control. The dismissal of Rahmanullah Gurbaz (15) and Colin Munro (11) off Zaman Khan inside the Power Play with Azam Khan unavailable to bat meant it was just the delay of the inevitable.

Wrist spinner Rashid Khan sealed Islamabad United’s fate when he accounted for Shadab Khan (12), Mubasir Khan (3), Asif Ali (7) and Faheem Ashraf 4) before Haris Rauf returned to account for Hasan Ali (18) and Mohammad Wasim (8) to wrap up a comfortable win for the title-favourites.

Scores in brief

Match 26 – Lahore Qalandars beat Islamabad United by 119 runs

Lahore Qalandars 226-5, 20 overs (Fakhar Zaman 115, Kamran Ghulam 41, Sam Billings 32; Fazalhaq Farooqi 3-40)

Islamabad United 107 all out, 15.1 overs (Alex Hales 18, Hassan Ali 18; Rashid Khan 4-21, Haris Rauf 2-16, Zaman Khan 2-17)

Player of the Match – Fakhar Zaman (Lahore Qalandars)

Friday’s fixture Peshawar Zalmi v Multan Sultans, Pindi Cricket Stadium

Points table:

Team – Played – Won – Lost – Points – Net Run Rate

Lahore Qalandars – 9 – 7 – 2 – 14 – 1.494

Islamabad United – 9 – 6 – 3 – 12 – -0.713

Multan Sultans – 8 – 4 – 4 – 8 – 0.473

Peshawar Zalmi – 8 – 4 – 4 – 8 – -0.58

Quetta Gladiators – 9 – 3 – 6 – 6 – -1.12

Karachi Kings – 9 – 2 – 7 – 4 – 0.358

For more information, contact:
Pakistan Super League (PSL)
Pakistan Super League Secretariat, Gaddafi Stadium,
Ferozepur Road, Lahore, Pakistan
Email: info@psl-t20.com
Website: http://www.psl-t20.com/