Tag: Peshawar Zalmi vs Islamabad United

LAHORE: Peshawar Zalmi’s pacers Aamer Jamal and Salman Irshad roared back to restrict Islamabad United to 171/6 in the run chase and powered their side to a scintillating 12-run victory in the first eliminator of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) season eight.

Following an astonishing victory in the eliminator, Zalmi next face Lahore Qalandars in the second eliminator on Friday.

The United had an unwanted start to the run chase as the side lost their hard-hitting opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz (10) cheaply for just 13 runs in the second over.

Following an early setback, Sohaib Maqsood joined hands with Alex Hales and anchored the run chase with a sensational 115-run partnership for the second wicket with both scoring half-centuries.

It was all going United’s way until the first 14 overs as Aamer handed Zalmi a much-needed breakthrough on the first delivery of the 15th as he castled Maqsood.

The veteran right-handed batter top-scored for the United with 60 off 48 deliveries with the help of seven boundaries and two sixes.

Salman then castled Azam Khan (2) in the next over and strengthened Zalmi’s comeback into the game.

Aamer then struck again in the next over to claim the crucial wicket of Hales and pushed the United to the backfoot as they slipped to 137/4 in the 17th over.

The United then kept losing wickets at an alarming rate which also halted the flow of runs for the two-time champions as Zalmi managed to edge them by 12 runs despite Shadab Khan’s unbeaten 26 off 12.

Aamer and Salman led the bowling attack for Zalmi with two wickets each, while Azmatullah Omarzai made one scalp.

Put into bat first in an all-important clash against United, Zalmi were off to a flying start; courtesy of a brilliant opening partnership between Babar and Saim Ayub.

The pair charged the United bowlers right from the start and put them under immense pressure.

United were deteriorating against the baton charge led by Babar with Saim also supporting. However, Mohammad Wasim Jr struck in the fifth over of the innings to draw the first success for his side as he dismissed Saim, who scored 23 off 16 with the help of five boundaries.

Babar then joined hands with Haseebullah Khan, who was promoted ahead of wicketkeeper batter Mohammad Haris and maintained his side’s momentum with a valiant 36-run partnership.

The pair added 36 runs in just 24 balls before Shadab Khan broke the budding partnership by getting young Haseebullah stumped in the ninth over. He scored an 11-ball 15.

Babar then put on yet another vital partnership for his side as he, alongside Haris put on a 41-run partnership and made sure to score at a decent pace before Shadab trapped him plumb in front to trigger United’s comeback into the game.

Babar top-scored for Zalmi with 64 off just 39 deliveries, hitting 10 boundaries.

After Babar’s dismissal, Zalmi were 137/3 in 13 overs and they could only add 46 runs in the last seven overs at the expense of five wickets with Haris also falling short in the collapse.

The wicketkeeper batter scored a 17-ball 34, which featured three boundaries and two sixes.

Shadab led the bowling attack for the United with 2/40 while Wasim Jr, Hasan Ali, Faheem Ashraf and Fazalhaq Farooqi struck out a batter each.

LAHORE: Islamabad United have won the toss and elected to field first against Peshawar Zalmi in the first eliminator of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) season eight on Thursday.

PLAYING XIs

Islamabad United: Alex Hales, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Colin Munro, Sohaib Maqsood, Shadab Khan (c), Azam Khan, Faheem Ashraf, Mubasir Khan, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Hasan Ali, Fazalhaq Farooqi.

Peshawar Zalmi: Babar Azam (c), Saim Ayub, Mohammad Haris, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Haseebullah Khan, Wahab Riaz, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mujeeb Ur Rehman, Salman Irshad.

HEAD TO HEAD

Matches 20, Islamabad United 10, Peshawar Zalmi 10

KARACHI: Peshawar Zalmi skipper Babar Azam commented on his defensive approach in the death overs amid his side’s Pakistan Super League (PSL) fixture against Islamabad United, stating that his side kept losing wickets.

Zalmi’s skipper Babar, who amassed his half-century in just 33 deliveries, struggled in the second phase of his knock as the right-handed batter could score 25 runs in as many deliveries, on his way to an unbeaten 75.

Babar struggled against a disciplined United bowling attack in the death overs and could not power his side to a defendable total as Zalmi could amass 156/8 in 20 overs despite a flying start.

Meanwhile, Babar interacted with the media here following his side’s six-wicket defeat against Islamabad United and revealed the reason behind his defensive approach in the death overs of the first innings.

“We started off well but could not finish it in the same way. Our goal was to execute our plan in the first six overs. But, we lost back-to-back wickets after that and I decided to take the match deep,” said Babar.

“But, whenever I thought of charging [on the bowlers], we lost wickets. My strive was to just take the match to the end. There is no such thing as that I wasn’t being able to middle the ball but as I said, we could not finish off well,” he added.

The Zalmi captain then went on to term Hasan Ali’s spell a game-changer as his twin strikes halted his side’s march towards a big total.

“That spell of Hasan Ali was a game changer. The wickets that he took totally changed our momentum and all of those strikes were crucial,” praised Babar.

It is pertinent to mention that the dominating triumph over Zalmi, propelled United to occupy the second spot in the PSL 8 standings.

KARACHI: Right-handed opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz struck a quickfire half-century and bolstered Islamabad United to thrash Peshawar Zalmi by six wickets in the 12th match of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) season eight.

Set to chase a mere 157, the United comfortably steered to a six-wicket victory with 31 balls to spare at the back of a scintillating half-century by Gurbaz.

Earlier, the United openers Gurbaz provided his side with a flying start despite his partner Colin Munro perishing cheaply for just nine.

The right-handed charged on the Zalmi bowlers as he brought up his half-century in just 24 deliveries before falling in the ninth over after scoring a quickfire 61.

Gurbaz faced a mere 31 balls on his way to 61, hitting seven boundaries and four sixes.

Following his dismissal, Rassie van der Dussen stitched brief yet crucial partnerships with Shadab Khan (3) and Asif Ali before departing in the 13th over when his side needed just 17 in 42 deliveries.

He scored 42 off just 29 deliveries and hit six boundaries.

Following his dismissal, Asif then put on an unbeaten match-winning partnership with Azam Khan (9*) and propelled his side to a dominating six-wicket victory. Asif remained unbeaten on 29. He faced just 13 deliveries and smashed four boundaries including three sixes.

For Zalmi, Usman Qadir, Arshad Iqbal and James Neesham could pick up a wicket.

Put into bat first, the Zalmi could raise 156/8 in 20 overs despite a gritty 75-run knock by their skipper Babar Azam and a brisk knock of 41 by Mohammad Haris.

The opening pair of Zalmi gave the side a flying start against the United as they added 76 runs within seven overs before Shadab provided a much-needed breakthrough by removing Haris on the final delivery.

Haris scored quickfire 41 runs off just 20 deliveries, hitting four boundaries and a six.

Young batting sensation Saim Ayub fell victim to Mubasir Khan in the next over for just three before Hasan Ali struck twice in the 10th over to push Zalmi to the backfoot as the side slipped to 88/4 in 10 overs.

Zalmi could not recover from the collapse and kept losing wickets at an alarming rate which halted their march towards a big total.

Babar, on the other hand, held his ground firm and carried his bat all the way through but some tight bowling display from the United barred Zalmi from amassing a big total.

Skipper Babar remained the top-scorer for his side with 75 off 58 deliveries, laced with seven boundaries and a six.

Hasan led the bowling attack for the United with 3/35 while Shadab, Rumman Raees, Faheem Ashraf and Mubasir made one scalp each.

KARACHI: Islamabad United have won the toss and elected to bowl first against Babar-Azam led Peshawar Zalmi in the 12th match of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) season eight.

Peshawar Zalmi: Babar Azam, Mohammad Haris, Saim Ayub, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Rovman Powell, Dasun Shanaka, Jimmy Neesham, Wahab Riaz, Usman Qadir, Arshad Iqbal, Sufyan Muqeem.

Islamabad United: Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Colin Munro, Rassie van der Dussen, Shadab Khan, Azam Khan, Asif Ali, Mubasir Khan, Faheem Ashraf, Tom Curran, Hasan Ali, Rumman Raees

HEAD TO HEAD

Matches 19, Peshawar Zalmi-9, Islamabad United-9, No Result-1

LAHORE: Islamabad United beat Peshawar Zalmi by five wickets in a thrilling first eliminator of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) season 7, here at Gaddafi Stadium.

With a stunning victory, the United will now face Lahore Qalandars in the second eliminator tomorrow for the final berth.

Set to chase 170, United chased down the total with three balls to spare as Liam Dawson hit a six and a boundary to steer his side over the line after brilliant knocks of Alex Hales and Azam Khan.

Earlier, in the run chase, the United openers provided a fair start for the run chase as Will Jacks departed after managing to score 11. His partner Hales, on the other hand, stood firm and kept the scoreboard ticking alongside Shadab Khan.

The pair put on an important 34-runs partnership as the batters accelerated the innings with some big hits. Shadab departed earlier after scoring 22 off 17 balls; smashing one boundary and a six.

Hales then joined hands with the newly arrived Azam to proceed to score his half-century. He, however, could not continue for long as Salman Irshad yorked him for 62. He faced 49 balls and smoked six boundaries and three sixes.

Azam also played a crucial 28-runs knock before walking back to the pavilion in the final over. He faced 22 balls and smashed three boundaries including two sixes.

For the Zalmi, Salman bagged three wickets, while Khalid Usman and Benny Howell struck out a batter each.

After opting to bat first in the first qualifier, the Zalmi managed to post a commendable 169-5 in the allotted 20 overs, thanks to the fifties from their experienced batters Kamran Akmal and Shoaib Malik.

Coming out to bat, the Zalmi openers Mohammad Haris and Kamran failed to provide a flying start to the side as Faheem Ashraf managed to break the opening partnership for 30. Haris, who was looking firm perished after scoring 12.

His opening partner, Kamran however, stood firm and kept the scoreboard ticking single-handedly while the newly joined batter Yaris Khan walked back to the pavilion after scoring cheaply.

Kamran then put on an important 40-runs partnership with Malik and reached his half-century. He, however, could not continue for long as he departed after scoring 58 off 39 balls; smashing seven boundaries and two sixes.

Malik then put things under his control and accelerated the innings with the left-hander Hussain Talat. The pair put on a quick 56-runs partnership for the fourth wicket before Talat perished while attempting to scoop Hassan Ali’s full-length delivery; handing an easy catch to the short fine leg. He scored a quick 28 off 15 balls, laced with five boundaries.

Malik, on the other hand, carried his bat till the last over and scored a magnificent 55 off 43 balls. The veteran smashed four boundaries and two sixes in the course of his stunning knock.

Following the late power hitting, the Zalmi finished at 169-5 in the first innings; setting a 170-runs target for the United.

For the United, Hasan starred; taking three wickets, while Shadab and Faheem struck out a batter each.

LAHORE: Peshawar Zalmi has won the toss and elected to bat first against Islamabad United in the first eliminator of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) season 7, here at Gaddafi Stadium.

PLAYING XIs

Islamabad United: Shadab Khan (c), Alex Hales, Will Jacks, Azam Khan, Asif Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Liam Dawson, Hasan Ali, Athar Mahmood, Zahid Mahmood, Waqas Maqsood

Peshawar Zalmi: Wahab Riaz (c), Benny Howell, Kamran Akmal, Mohammad Haris, Shoaib Malik, Hussain Talat, Haider Ali, Khalid Usman, Salman Irshad, Yasir Khan, Ali Majid

HEAD TO HEAD

Matches-18, Peshawar Zalmi-9, Islamabad United-8, No Result-1

LAHORE: In the first eliminator of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) season 7, third-ranked Peshawar Zalmi will compete with the injury-hurt Islamabad United, with the winner advancing to face Lahore Qalandars in the second eliminator, here at Gaddafi Stadium.

Former champions Zalmi and United will be seeking a win to advance to the second eliminator against the Qalandars. After losing to Multan Sultans in the qualifier, Qalandars have already set their sights on the winner of the first eliminator.

The 2017 PSL champions Zalmi, which were struggling to get going in the early stages, have found the momentum. The side won their last four matches including a super over win against Qalandars.

The top-order of the side, except for Mohammad Haris has been a concern for the side as their Afghan explosive batter – Hazratullah Zazai had a forgetful tournament so far.

However, the top-order failure posed little to no concern to the side as the veteran cricketer Shoaib Malik, Hussain Talat, and Ben Cutting are scoring crucial runs for the team in the middle-order.

The bowling department of the Zalmi, led by the skipper Wahab Riaz himself has been through a major confidence booster as Wahab bowled a magnificent super over against Qalandars and conceded only five runs.

However, Mohammad Umar, who went for 23 runs in his last over against Qalandars’ Shaheen Shah Afridi will be a concern for the men in yellow.

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The United, on the other hand, had a contrasting run to Zalmi as the side which was going strongly were jolted by the injury scare as their skipper and the leading wicket-taker of the tournament Shadab Khan and other key players became unavailable for the side.

However, the latest reports are suggesting that the United skipper Shadab Khan and English explosive opener Alex Hales will be available for selection today in their fixture against Zalmi.

Furthermore, fast bowler Hassan Ali and all-rounder Faheem Ashraf will also undergo fitness tests prior to the match and might also be available for the match today.

These inclusions may result in a confidence booster for the side, that lost four out of their last five matches. Returning Shadab and Hales can play an important role to assist their side to bounce back strongly in the mega event.

The side also possesses the firepower in their middle-order as Azam Khan and Asif Ali can hit the ball big and can turn things around.

HEAD TO HEAD

Matches-17, Peshawar Zalmi-9, Islamabad United-8

LAHORE: Peshawar Zalmi’s skipper – Wahab Riaz held his nerve calm to dismiss the hero of Islamabad United Azam Khan in the 19th over; assisting his side to beat the latter by 10 runs in the 24th match of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) season 7.

Set to chase 207, the United was peaking until the 19th over as the Zalmi skipper took the all-important wicket of Azam to turn the fortune in his side’s favour.

Came out to chase a mammoth, the United opener – Rahmanullah Gurbaz provided an astonishing start to his side. He scored a quickfire 46 off 19 balls with the help of five sixes and three boundaries.

His opening partner Mubasir Khan, however, contrasting but anchored innings as the side lost quick wickets as the number three batter Danish Aziz bagged a duck.

Mubasir too soon departed in the ninth over after scoring 21; causing his side to slip to 89-3. Following his dismissal, Azam stood up for his team and sailed the ball around the park.

The right-handed explosive batter appeared determined of guiding his side to the finishing but faltered in the 19th over; handing an easy catch to Ben Cutting at long-on boundary off Wahab’s length delivery.

The young batter smashed a terrific 85 off 45 balls, laced with six boundaries and seven sixes. The rest of the United batters, on the other hand, could not manage to contribute significantly and as a result, the side fell short of 10 runs; scoring 196/7 in the allotted overs.

For Zalmi, Salman Irshad bagged three wickets, while Wahab claimed two. Hussain Talat and Cutting, on the other hand, made one scalp each.

After opting to bat first, Zalmi’s opener – Mohammad Haris put on a show with his blistering knock. The young batter provided a flying start to his side; scoring his half-century off just 18 balls.

Haris’ heroics helped Zalmi amass the hundred in just eighth over. His opening partner from Afghanistan – Hazratullah Zazai, however, remained off-colour as he managed to score 13 on 12 balls.

Haris, on the other hand, stood firm and kept ticking the scoreboard. He scored a quickfire 70 off just 32 balls with the help of seven boundaries and five sixes before walking back to the pavilion in the 10th over.

Following his departure, the veteran Shoaib Malik and Yasir Khan scored crucial runs for the team. Yasir scored a quick 35 off 24 balls, while Malik’s astonishing 38-runs knock came for just 23 balls. The veteran smashed two boundaries and as many sixes in the course of his brilliant inning.

With their departure, the side then began to lose wickets at a consistent rate and in the end, was restricted to 206/8 in the allotted 20 overs.

For the United, Faheem starred; taking three wickets, while Waqas bagged two. Merchant de Lange, Liam Dawson, and Zahir Khan made one scalp each.

Following this victory, the Zalmi has now overtaken the United at the third position in the PSL 7 points table.

LAHORE: Peshawar Zalmi have won the toss and elected to bat first against Islamabad United in the 24th match of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) season 7, here on Thursday.

HEAD TO HEAD

Matches 16, Peshawar Zalmi-8, Islamabad United-8