Tag: (PSL)

Lahore, March 04, 2023 (PPI-OT): Table-toppers Lahore Qalandars put another fantastic performance on Saturday night at the Gaddafi Stadium to defeat Multan Sultans by 21 runs. Sam Billings’ maiden half-century of the season and Abdullah Shafique’s 48 helped Lahore Qalandars to 180 for nine after which a splendid show with the ball, in which Rashid Khan stood out with three for 15, restricted Multan Sultans to 159 for seven.

 

Lahore Qalandars lost Fakhar Zaman on only third ball of the match after Shaheen Afridi elected to bat. Abdullah made his intentions clear from the first ball as he drove Sameen Gul down the ground for a boundary. The right-hander has been in good touch this season and his bat continued to ooze runs as he added 50 runs for the second wicket with Mirza Tahir Baig (17 off 11) and 69 for the third with Billings in an innings of 35 balls in which he smashed six fours and a six.

 

Billings smashed six fours and two sixes in his 35-ball 54 before he became Kieron Pollard’s second wicket. The all-rounder had caught and bowled Abdullah earlier. Anwar Ali, Ihsanullah and Abbas Afridi also took two wickets each.

 

Multan Sultans had a slow start to the run chase than they would have liked and they faced first blow in the seventh over when Shaheen took a brilliant catch to send back Shan Masood (19 off 20) off Zaman Khan. They sent in Usama Mir at one-drop, but that gamble did not pay off, as the leg-spinner could only muster 17 off 11 – hitting one six and a four.

 

Mohammad Rizwan was trapped in front by Sikandar Raza in the 10th over, but the actual turning point came when Rashid dismissed Usama and David Miller in a span of four balls in the 11th over. The leggie bowled Rilee Rossouw in his next over – 13th of the innings – to reduce Multan Sultans to 87 for five.

 

Pollard did put up a show with the bat towards the end, but by then, it was all too late. The West Indian hit three sixes and two fours in his 39 off 28.

 

Rashid finished with incredible figures of three for 15

 

Scores in brief:

 

Lahore Qalandars 180-9, 20 overs (Sam Billings 54, Abdullah Shafique 48; Kieron Pollard 2-16, Anwar Ali 2-21, Abbas Afridi 2-25, Ihsanullah 2-33)

 

Multan Sultans 159-7, 20 overs (Kieron Pollard 39, Mohammad Rizwan 30; Rashid Khan 3-15)

 

Player of the match – Rashid Khan (Lahore Qalandars)

 

Tomorrow’s fixture:

 

1900 – Islamabad United v Quetta Gladiators at Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi

 

Points table:

 

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

 

Lahore Qalandars – 6 – 5 – 1 – 10 – 1.367

 

Multan Sultans – 6 – 4 – 2 – 8 – 0.844

 

Islamabad United – 6 – 4 – 2 – 8 – -0.184

 

Peshawar Zalmi – 6 – 3 – 3 – 6 – -0.896

 

Karachi Kings – 8 – 2 – 6 – 4 – 0.437

 

Quetta Gladiators – 6 – 1 – 5 – 2 – -1.768

 

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/

Lahore, February 26, 2023 (PPI-OT):Karachi Kings proved to be too good for Multan Sultans at their home as thumped the visitors by 66 runs at the National Bank Cricket Arena on Sunday evening. Multan Sultans, playing their first match out of Multan, were all out for a paltry 101 in 16.3 overs after they were set 168 to win.

Tayyab Tahir had a fantastic HBL Pakistan Super League debut as the right-hander scored 65 off 46 (eight fours and a six) after Mohammad Rizwan inserted Karachi Kings.

Tayyab, who earned a maiden call up in Pakistan’s ODI squad for a series against New Zealand in January, put a solid 109-run partnership with Matthew Wade, who scored 46 off 47.

Both were dismissed by Ihsanullah (two for 22), while Anwar Ali removed James Vince (27 off 12) as Karachi Kings made 167 for three.

The second half of the match was dominated by Karachi Kings’ spinners as Shoaib Malik (three for 16), Tabraiz Shamsi (three for 18) and Imad Wasim (two for 34) took eight wickets, while left-arm pacer Akif Javed took two wickets for eight.

The partnership of 41 between Shan Masood (25 off 16) and Mohammad Rizwan (29 off 25) was the only positive for Multan Sultans. The fall of the former in the fifth over sparked a collapse which no batter below the order could arrest.

Multan Sultans remain at the top of the points table with four wins and two defeats in six matches. Karachi Kings now have two wins from six matches and move to third, ahead of Lahore Qalandars because of a better net run rate.

Scores in brief:

Karachi Kings 167-3, 20 overs (Tayyab Tahir 65, Matthew Wade 46, James Vince 27; Ihsanullah 2-22)

Multan Sultans 101 all out, 16.3 overs (Mohammad Rizwan 29, Shan Masood 25; Shoaib Malik 3-16, Tabraiz Shamsi 3-18, Akif Javed 2-8, Imad Wasim 2-34)

Player of the match – Tayyab Tahir (Karachi Kings)

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/

Lahore, February 26, 2023 (PPI-OT):Fans in Lahore could not have asked for a better match than what they were treated to on Sunday night as a terrific 96 by Fakhar Zaman, a sublime half-century from Abdullah Shafique and Shaheen Afridi’s scorching five-wicket powered Lahore Qalandars’ to a 40-run win over Peshawar Zalmi at the Gaddafi Stadium.

Lahore Qalandars posted their highest HBL PSL score as incredible knocks from Fakhar, Abdullah and Sam Billings propelled them to 241 for three, which is also the third best score in the tournament history for any team.

Abdullah’s first HBL PSL 8 outing turned out to be an exciting one as he made 75 off 41 with the help of five sixes and as many boundaries. He arrived in the middle when Wahab Riaz rattled Mirza Tahir Baig’s stumps in the second over. He played the role of aggressor in chief during his 120-run partnership with Fakhar Zaman.

But, when Abdullah fell in the 13th over, Fakhar unleashed his batting firepower and at times it seemed that the Peshawar Zalmi bowlers had nowhere to hide.

Fakhar smoked 10 sixes – the joint-second most in an HBL PSL innings – in the 45 balls he played, along with three fours. He was supported well by Sam Billings, who returned not out on 47 after playing 23 balls, as the two racked up 88 runs in just 30 balls, before Fakhar fell in the 18th over.

Shaheen produced a scintillating opening spell accounting for Mohammad Haris on the very second ball with a perfect yorker and striking Babar Azam’s middle stump in the third over. That fiery burst upfront took away the realistic chances of the run chase, but Saim Ayub’s 34-ball 51 – full of gorgeous-looking strokes as he struck seven fours and two sixes – and Tom Kohler-Cadmore’s defiant 55 off 23, which was studded with five sixes and three fours, made for fantastic viewing for the jam-packed crowd.

Saim and Kohler-Cadmore added 91 for the third wicket before the latter was removed by Haris Rauf in the 11th. Saim Ayub fell in the next over to Rashid Khan. Three overs later, Zaman Khan dimissed Bhanuka Rajapaksa, who holed out to deep long on off Zaman Khan after an exciting cameo of 24 from 14 balls, and bowled Rovman Powell.

From there on, it was Shaheen’s show as he first sent back Wahab in the 17th and removed Saad Masood and Jimmy Neesham in the 19th. Peshawar Zalmi finished on 201 for nine.

Lahore Qalandars now have three wins from four matches and host Islamabad United tomorrow night. Peshawar Zalmi – who have lost three matches and won two – travel to Rawalpindi to play Karachi Kings on 1 March.

Scores in brief:

Lahore Qalandars 241-3, 20 overs (Fakhar Zaman 96, Abdullah Shafique 75, Sam Billings 47 not out; Wahab Riaz 2-45)

Peshawar Zalmi 201-9, 20 overs (Tom Kohler-Cadmore 55, Saim Ayub 51, Bhanuka Rajapaksa 24, Rovman Powell 20; Shaheen Afridi 5-40, Zaman Khan 2-28)

Player of the match – Fakhar Zaman (Lahore Qalandars)

Tomorrow’s fixture

1900 – Lahore Qalandars v Islamabad United at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore

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/

Lahore, February 24, 2023 (PPI-OT):Azam Khan’s thunderous 97 helped Islamabad United thump Quetta Gladiators by 63 runs in match 13 of the HBL Pakistan Super League 8 at the National Bank Cricket Area, Karachi, on Friday night.

Twenty-four-year-old Azam played a sensational innings in which he spanked eight sixes and nine fours in 42 balls that set an insurmountable 220 for six – the highest total of this edition – against his former franchise, who were bowled out for 157 with five balls spare.

Shadab Khan became the first captain this season to opt to bat after winning the toss and his side had an untypical start as they were 39 for two at the conclusion of the Power play. Mohammad Hasnain’s brilliant form with the ball continued as he sent back last night’s hero Rahmanullah Gurbaz in the second over, thanks to Iftikhar Ahmed’s outstanding catch, and Rassie van der Dussen in the fourth.

Azam arrived in the middle at the 6.2 overs mark with 43 on board and soon Islamabad United lost the wicket of Munro as they slipped to 71 for four.

If Islamabad United were to post a strong total, they required a herculean effort and Azam raised his hand. He coupled with Asif Ali, who smashed 42 off 24, hitting four sixes and a four, to stage an incredible recovery through a belligerent 98-run partnership that ended in the 18th over.

Azam smoked maximums all around the dial, and showcased his best hitting in the last over when he struck Hasnain for three consecutive sixes – the last of them taking the social media by storm, the sweep that went on the roof at deep midwicket. Because of his fireworks, Islamabad United gathered 92 runs in the last five overs.

Read and watch:

How MMA helped Azam Khan conquer the fear of fast bowling

Quetta Gladiators put up a lacklustre show and never really challenged Islamabad United. They had both openers back in the pavilion in the first two overs. Martin Guptill was bowled on the first ball he faced by Fazalhaq Farooqi and Abrar Ahmed trapped Jason Roy in front. Abrar’s mystery spin undid Will Smeed in the fourth to leave Quetta Gladiators struggling at 26 for three.

With a 69-run partnership, Mohammad Hafeez (48 off 26) and Sarfaraz Ahmed (41 off 36) provided some stability, but when Hafeez got out in the 11th over that pretty much guaranteed Islamabad United’s win.

Sarfaraz was trapped LBW by Shadab Khan right after the strategic timeout and Mohammad Nawaz followed his captain four balls later off the same bowler. Iftikhar Ahmed hit out towards the end, making 39 off 27 (three fours and two sixes), but those were mere consolation runs.

The defeat has amplified Quetta Gladiators woes as they remain at the bottom of the points table with only one win in five matches. Islamabad United stay at the second spot with three wins from four.

Scores in brief:

Islamabad United 220-6, 20 overs (Azam Khan 97, Asif Ali 42, Colin Munro 38; Odean Smith 2-41, Mohammad Hasnain 2-52)

Quetta Gladiators 157 all out, 20 overs (Mohammad Hafeez 48, Sarfaraz Ahmed 41, Iftikhar Ahmed 39; Fazalhaq Farooqi 3-28, Hasan Ali 3-39, Abrar Ahmed 2-21, Shadab Khan 2-24)

Player of the match – Azam Khan (Islamabad United)

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

Multan Sultans – 5 – 4 – 1 – 8 – 1.722

Islamabad United – 4 – 3 – 1 – 6 – 1.049

Lahore Qalandars – 3 – 2 – 1 – 4 – -0.05

Peshawar Zalmi – 4 – 2 – 2 – 4 – -1.137

Karachi Kings – 5 – 1 – 4 – 2 – 0.364

Quetta Gladiators – 5 – 1 – 4 – 2 – -1.977

Sunday’s fixtures

1400 – Karachi Kings v Multan Sultans at National Bank Cricket Arena, Karachi

1900 – Lahore Qalandars v Peshawar Zalmi at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore

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/

Multan, February 22, 2023 (PPI-OT):Centuries in T20 cricket are not often eclipsed, but the Wednesday night threw one such classic in which Multan Sultans snatched victory by mere three runs against Karachi Kings in what was the last HBL Pakistan Super League 8 contest in Multan.

The heroics from the two captains have etched the 11th match of the HBL PSL 8 as one of the epics in the tournament’s history. Mohammad Rizwan, the home side’s captain, scored a splendid century – his first of the HBL PSL and overall second – that set Karachi Kings 197 to win and with the match almost settled in Multan Sultans’ favour, Imad Wasim’s blazing 46 not out off 26 made the Karachi Kings fan and dugout believe till the last ball.

The match had swung like a pendulum but the last two overs had the most thrill and drama. Here is how it went. With 40 needed, the pair of Imad and Ben Cutting thrashed Mohammad Ilyas for 18. Abbas Afridi, who had been a victim of Karachi Kings openers’ ruthless attack, bowled a waist high no-ball on what should have been the first ball of the last over that was launched over the midwicket boundary for a gigantic six by Imad.

After a wide and a single, Cutting smoked a 107-meter long maximum, which was followed by another wide. With six needed off three balls, Cutting holed out to long-off. Young all-rounder Muhammad Irfan Khan could only muster a single and with five off one, Imad could only get a single with his powerful shot to the long-off.

Karachi Kings openers – James Vince and Matthew Wade – went ballistic from the onset of the run chase and the pair raced their side to 72 in the Power play. The introduction of Usama Mir paid dividends for Rizwan right away as the leg-spinner trapped Wade in front. It was a bizarre mix-up between Vince and Haider Ali in the 10th over that ended up in the former’s run out and allowed Multan Sultans to claw back into the game.

So good had Vince been that he had made 75 of his side’s 105 runs by the 9.5 overs mark, when he was run out, in just 34 balls, smashing seven fours and six disdainful sixes.

Haider (12 off 17) and Shoaib Malik (13 off 19) failed to keep up with the scoring rate and when the latter fell in the 17th over, Karachi Kings needed 49 off 19.

Though Ihsanullah, the leading wicket-taker of the season, remained wicket less, he bowled superbly for none for 17 off four overs. Abbas took two wickets for 55.

Karachi Kings would have regretted their decision to field after winning the toss with Rizwan and Shan Masood breaching the 50-run mark in the Power play in what turned out to be a sparkling 85-run stand from 10.2 overs. The pair was aided by lacklustre fielding as the first phase of the Power play saw misfields convert into boundaries.

It was an outing to remember for Rizwan as his scintillating stroke play saw him race to 100 from 50 in just 18 balls after he had taken 42 balls to breach the 50-run mark. Such was Rizwan’s domination that Rilee Rossouw, upon whom Multan Sultans have relied to play the role of the top-order aggressor, was overshadowed. The wicketkeeper-batter spanked 110 off 64 balls, hitting 10 fours and four sixes.

After struggling to get going in the first four matches, Shan scored 51 off 33 (six fours and a six) and Rossouw made 29 off 21.

Multan Sultans have now won seven of the eight matches they have played in Multan in the HBL PSL history. Their only loss came this season when they lost to Lahore Qalandars in the season opener. They sit comfortably at the top of the table with eight points. Karachi Kings find themselves on the fourth spot with a solitary win – that against arch rivals, Lahore – in five matches.

Scores in brief:

Multan Sultans 196-2, 20 overs (Mohammad Rizwan 110 not out, Shan Masood 51, Rilee Rossouw 29)

Karachi Kings 193-5, 20 overs (James Vince 75, Imad Wasim 46 not out, Matthew Wade 20; Abbas Afridi 2-55)

Player of the match – Mohammad Rizwan (Multan Sultans)

Tomorrow’s fixture:

1900 – Peshawar Zalmi v Islamabad united at the National Bank Cricket Arena, Karachi

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/

Karachi, February 21, 2023 (PPI-OT):A sensational all-round performance by Lahore Qalandars downed Quetta Gladiators by 63 runs at the National Bank Cricket Arena on Tuesday night. Lahore Qalandars staged a strong comeback, after losing to Karachi Kings on Sunday night, by first posting a towering 198 for six and then restricting Quetta Gladiators, who lost their second match in as many nights, to 135 for eight.

It was a formidable performance from Lahore Qalandars batters and they had an excellent start – after Quetta Gladiators inserted them – with a 49-run partnership between openers Mirza Tahir Baig (31 off 15) and Fakhar Zaman (22 off 14) off 27 balls. A sparkling partnership of 56 in 37 balls between Kamran Ghulam (21 off 17) and Shai Hope (47 off 32) followed.

Sikandar Raza (32 not out off 16) and Hussain Talat (26 off 13) made the most of the work done by their teammates towards the end and ensured that Lahore Qalandars get to their highest score of the HBL Pakistan Super League 8.

Mohammad Hasnain, who came into this match after bowling splendidly for his three for 12 against Peshawar Zalmi yesterday, had the best economy from his side (eight) in his figures of one for 32. Qais Ahmed and Odean Smith took two wickets each, but gave away 36 and 41, respectively.

With their batting clicking after a forgettable outing two nights ago, there was another silver lining for Lahore Qalandars as Shaheen Afridi, who finished with three for 22, found rhythm and bowled sizzling Yorkers in his opening spell. He delivered a scorcher to Abdul Wahid Bangalzai on the third ball of the first over to trap him right in front. The ball swung back into the young right-hander and landed on his foot. He decided to refer the on-field decision of out to the third umpire only to be turned down.

That Zaman Khan was equally impressive from the other end helped Lahore Qalandars. Both fast bowlers had their fair share of LBW shouts as the pair of Jason Roy and Martin Guptill looked perplexed. Roy unleashed himself in the fifth over to smoke Haris Rauf for three sixes – which went down as the most expensive of the innings – and then played a gorgeous lofted drive over deep long off for a six off Zaman in the next over.

Quetta Gladiators might have started to believe, but Rashid Khan, playing his first HBL PSL 8 match, bowled a magical delivery to uproot Roy’s off-stump. At this juncture, Quetta Gladiators were 68 for three at 9.1 overs mark. As the scoreboard pressure mounted, Quetta Gladiators batters lost the plot and fell in quick succession as they slipped to 101 for six from 93 for three.

David Wiese removed Guptill, Mohammad Hafeez (25 off 22) and Iftikhar Ahmed (six off 10) and finished with there for 23. Rashid Khan further cemented his reputation of being a wily customer in T20 cricket and finished with brilliant figures of one for 17 from four overs.

Lahore Qalandars have won two of three matches and this was Quetta Gladiators third loss in four.

Scores in brief:

Lahore Qalandars 198-6, 20 overs (Shai Hope 47, Sikandar Raza 32 not out, Mirza Tahir Baig 31, Hussain Talat 26, Fakhar Zaman 22, Kamran Ghulam 21; Qais Ahmed 2-36, Odean Smith 2-41)

Quetta Gladiators 135-8, 20 overs (Jason Roy 48, Mohammad Hafeez 25; Shaheen Afridi 3-22, David Wiese 3-23)

Player of the match – Shaheen Afridi (Lahore Qalandars)

Tomorrow’s fixture: 1800 – Multan Sultans v Karachi Kings at Multan Cricket Stadium

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

Multan Sultans – 4 – 3 – 1 – 6 – 2.107

Lahore Qalandars – 3 – 2 – 1 – 4 – -0.05

Peshawar Zalmi – 3 – 2 – 1 – 4 – -0.632

Karachi Kings – 4 – 1 – 3 – 2 – 0.499

Islamabad United – 2 – 1 – 1 – 2 – -0.832

Quetta Gladiators – 4 – 1 – 3 – 2 – -1.635

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/