Tag: PSL 8

RAWALPINDI: Azam Khan struck a magnificent 72-run knock in the run chase and powered Islamabad United to seal a close six-wicket victory over Karachi Kings in the 19th match of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) season eight.

Set to chase 202, the United steered to victory in the final over as the side finished at 202/4 at the back of an astounding knock by wicketkeeper batter Azam.

The United were off to a dismal start in the run chase as Mohammad Amir once again struck in his first over to hand Karachi Kings an early breakthrough in the form of Colin Munro’s dismissal, who could score 11 off five.

Following an early blow, Alex Hales joined hands with Rassie van der Dussen and scripted his side’s recovery with a brisk 50-run partnership for the second wicket.

The duo appeared in great touch before Aamer Yamin castled Alex Hales at the brink of the powerplay. He scored a quickfire 34 off just 16 deliveries, laced up with four boundaries and two sixes.

Tabraiz Shamsi castled his compatriot van der Dussen in his first over and powered Kings to halt United to 69/3 in the eighth over.

Following the slump, Azam anchored the run chase with a vital fourth-wicket partnership with Faheem Ashraf and put his side in complete control.

The pair added 125 runs at a quick pace before Faheem perished in the 19th over due to a mix-up while running between the wickets.

The left-handed batter fell short of his half-century by nine runs as he scored 41 off 32 deliveries with the help of a boundary and two sixes.

Meanwhile, Azam carried his bat all the way through before Asif Ali gave the final touches to the pursuit with 10 off just two deliveries in the first two deliveries of the 20th over.

Azam top-scored for the United with a quickfire 72 off a mere 41 balls, smashing a dozen boundaries including four sixes.

For the Kings, Amir, Shamsi and Yamin could pick up a wicket.

Opting to bat first, the Kings piled up a massive total against home side United in the must-win clash at the back of a scintillating 92-run knock by their captain Imad Wasim.

Earlier, the Kings were off to an unwanted start as Sharjeel Khan fell in the third over after managing to score just eight off six deliveries.

With their side rocked with an early setback, Adam Rossington and Tayyab Tahir launched a counter-attack on the United’s bowlers as the pair stitched a brief yet effective partnership for the second wicket; raising 37 runs in just 16 deliveries before the latter’s dismissal.

Tayyab looked to heave Tom Curran’s length delivery but ended up mistiming it straight to Hasan Ali at mid-off and walked back after scoring a brisk 19 off just eight balls.

The Kings were then jolted with a major blow as Rossington (20) and Shoaib Malik (12) departed in quick succession; resulting in the Kings slipping to 78/4 in the ninth over.

With his side losing momentum, Imad stood up for his team and took on the United bowlers with his belligerent hitting all over the park.

The captain put on a terrific 99-run partnership with Irfan Khan Niazi and put his side in complete command to post a big total.

Imad was the core aggressor of the fifth-wicket partnership, while Niazi held his end firm before a spectacular teamwork catch by Hasan and Rassie van der Dussen dropped curtains on his vital 20-ball 30, which featured four boundaries.

Imad continued his onslaught after Niazi’s dismissal and received significant support from Matthew Wade, who scored 13 not out off six deliveries, to power Kings past the 200-run mark.

Imad top-scored for his side with an unbeaten 92 off 54 deliveries, hitting 11 boundaries and two sixes.

Curran led the United’s bowling attack with two wickets but was expensive, while Rumman, Faheem and Hasan struck out a batter each.

RAWALPINDI: Azam Khan struck a magnificent 72-run knock in the run chase and powered Islamabad United to seal a close six-wicket victory over Karachi Kings in the 19th match of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) season eight.

IU 204/4 (19.2 Overs)

Yamin to bowl the final

IU 194/4 (19 Overs)

Tye continues, to bowl the 19th

IU 183/3 (18 Overs)

Amir back for his final over

IU 171/3 (17 Overs)

Tye comes back

IU 160/3 (16 Overs)

Shamsi comes to bowl his last

IU 145/3 (15 Overs)

Yamin replaces Tye

IU 131/3 (14 Overs)

Amir comes back

IU 119/3 (13 Overs)

Tye replaces Imad

IU 110/3 (12 Overs)

Shamsi comes again

IU 94/3 (11 Overs)

Imad replaces Malik

IU 81/3 (10 Overs)

Shamsi continues

IU 77/3 (9 Overs)

Malik continues

IU 72/3 (8 Overs)

7.2: Short on middle, Rassie goes to pull and the ball skids very low under the shot to clang into middle and off stump halfway up.

Tabraiz Shamsi comes into the attack

IU 67/2 (7 Overs)

Shoaib Malik comes to bowl

IU 62/2 (6 Overs)

5.6: Fullish length ball tailing in towards the middle, Hales goes for a huge heave over the leg side and misses and the ball disturbs the timber.

Yamin continues

IU 55/1 (5 Overs)

Andrew Tye into the attack

IU 44/1 (4 Overs)

Aamer Yamin comes into the attack

IU 33/1 (3 Overs)

Amir continues

IU 22/1 (2 Overs)

Imad Wasim to bowl from the other end

IU 12/1 (1 Over)

0.6: Amir bowls a slower ball wide at the seventh stump. Munro went early and skies this over Shoaib at mid-off.

Colin Munro and Alex Hales come out to open the innings for the United. Mohammad Amir to bowl the first over.

KARACHI KINGS vs ISLAMABAD UNITED (2nd INNINGS)

Karachi Kings’ skipper Imad Wasim led his side from the front with a magnificent 92-run knock and powered his side to post a mammoth 201/5 against Islamabad United in the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL) season eight.

KK 201/5 (20 Overs)

Rumman to bowl the final over

KK 188/5 (19 Overs)

18.1: Niazi charges down the wicket and skies this a mile high to long-on. Hasan Ali tracks across to his left and takes a catch while falling over the rope and flicks it out of his hand to Rassie coming across from long-off.

Curran to bowl the 19th

KK 177/4 (18 Overs)

Hasan continues, to bowl his last

KK 165/4 (17 Overs)

Curran replaces Rumman

KK 149/4 (16 Overs)

Hasan comes back

KK 136/4 (15 Overs)

Rumman replaces Curran

KK 119/4 (14 Overs)

Shadab comes to bowl his last

KK 112/4 (13 Overs)

Curran replaces Faheem

KK 103/4 (12 Overs)

Shadab comes again

KK 98/4 (11 Overs)

Faheem continues

KK 86/4 (10 Overs)

Shadab continues

KK 78/4 (9 Overs)

8.5: Faheem takes out the center of middle stump! Bowled on a good to fullish length darting inward and castles Shoaib beating him between bat and pad driving.

Faheem replaces Mubasir

KK 70/3 (8 Overs)

Shadab Khan comes into the attack

KK 67/3 (7 Overs)

Mubasir Khan comes to bowl after the powerplay

KK 61/3 (6 Overs)

5.1: Slower ball lands full on fourth stump, Rossington goes a touch early and flicks this high trying to clear mid-on but it hangs in the air for Rassie van der Dussen to take a simple catch.

Hasan replaces Faheem

KK 53/2 (5 Overs)

4.5: Curran bowls the length ball, which followed Tayyab, who tried to go inside out but mistimed it towards the mid-off.

Tom Curran into the attack

KK 45/1 (4 Overs)

Faheem Ashraf brought into the attack

KK 29/1 (3 Overs)

2.1: Full and tailing in toward middle stump. Sharjeel goes to drive but it comes into the body and beats the drive to knock back the middle and off stump.

Rumman continues

KK 12/0 (2 Overs)

Hasan Ali comes to bowl from the other end

KK 5/0 (1 Over)

Sharjeel Khan and Adam Rossington come out to open the innings for the Kings. Rumman Raees to bowl the first over.

KARACHI KINGS vs ISLAMABAD UNITED (1st INNINGS)

RAWALPINDI: Karachi Kings have won the toss and elected to bat first against home side Islamabad United in the 19th match of the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL) season eight.

PLAYING XIs

Karachi Kings: Adam Rossington, Sharjeel Khan, Tayyab Tahir, Shoaib Malik, Irfan Khan Niazi, Matthew Wade, Imad Wasim(c) , Andrew Tye, Mohammad Amir, Tabraiz Shamsi, Aamer Yamin.

Islamabad United: Colin Munro, Alex Hales, Rassie van der Dussen, Shadab Khan (c), Azam Khan, Asif Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Tom Curran, Mubasir Khan, Hassan Ali, Rumman Raees.

HEAD TO HEAD

Matches 19, Islamabad United 13, Karachi Kings 6

RAWALPINDI: Karachi Kings have won the toss and elected to bat first against home side Islamabad United in the 19th match of the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL) season eight.

PLAYING XIs

Karachi Kings: Adam Rossington, Sharjeel Khan, Tayyab Tahir, Shoaib Malik, Irfan Khan Niazi, Matthew Wade, Imad Wasim(c) , Andrew Tye, Mohammad Amir, Tabraiz Shamsi, Aamer Yamin.

Islamabad United: Colin Munro, Alex Hales, Rassie van der Dussen, Shadab Khan (c), Azam Khan, Asif Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Tom Curran, Mubasir Khan, Hassan Ali, Rumman Raees.

HEAD TO HEAD

Matches 19, Islamabad United 13, Karachi Kings 6

LAHORE: Right-arm pacer Hasan Ali came out in support of Quetta Gladiators’ captain Sarfaraz Ahmed briefly after the latter’s side succumbed to a sixth defeat in the ongoing eighth edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL).

The Gladiators, at the bottom of the points table, had a vital opportunity to seal a much-needed two points to make a case for their playoff qualification when they had Qalandars seven down for just 50 runs in 10 overs.

However, Sikandar Raza’s astounding knock of 71 runs recovered Lahore Qalandars from 50/7 to 148, which their bowlers comfortably defended and powered their side to a convincing 17-run victory.

Gladiators started off well in the run chase with their openers Will Smeed and Yasir Khan raising 50 runs within the powerplay before the former champions ran into a match-defining collapse.

Sarfaraz came out to bat with his side struggling at 64/4 in the 11th over but his inability to play big shots devoided him from pulling it for his side and the Gladiators fell 17 runs short despite their captain remaining unbeaten.

He could score 27 off 28 deliveries and hit only one boundary amid his struggling knock.

Following Gladiators’ flop show, right-arm pacer Hasan, who is representing Islamabad United, came out in support of his former Pakistan captain Sarfaraz and encouraged him to ‘stay strong’.

“Stay strong mera kaptan [Sarfaraz Ahmed],” tweeted Hasan.

Stay strong mera kaptan @SarfarazA_54

— Hassan Ali 🇵🇰 (@RealHa55an) March 2, 2023

 

It is pertinent to mention that the Gladiators are at the bottom in the PSL 8 standings with just two points in seven matches and need a miraculous turnaround to qualify for the playoff.

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LAHORE: Sikandar Raza played a fighting 71-run knock to recover Lahore Qalandars to a commendable total of 148 before bowlers powered the home side to a convincing 17-run victory over rock-bottom Quetta Gladiators in the 18th match of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) season eight.

Set to chase a modest 149, the Gladiators fell 17 runs short of sealing a much-needed victory in the ongoing extravaganza and moved to the verge of an early exit from the extravaganza.

Earlier in the pursuit, the Gladiators’ openers Will Smeed and young Yasir Khan scripted a flying start to their side as the pair raised 50 runs within the power-play before Haris Rauf provided a much-needed breakthrough to the Qalandars as he dismissed the latter on 14.

Yasir’s dismissal triggered a match-defining collapse which consequently caused the Gladiators to slip to 80/5 in the 14th over.

Gladiators’ skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed then looked to anchor the run chase with a brief 25-run partnership for the sixth wicket with Odean Smith (11) but remained a touch slow in the process; causing the required run rate to climb sharply.

The Gladiators, in dire need of big hits, failed to charge against a tight bowling display from Qalandars in the death overs and eventually ended up 17 runs short.

Gladiators’ captain Sarfaraz remained not out with his cautious 27 off 28, while Will Smeed top-scored for the side with 32 off 25 balls, hitting six boundaries.

Haris led the bowling attack for the Qalandars with 3/22 followed by Rashid Khan with 2/14, while David Wiese made one scalp.

Put into bat first, the Qalandars managed to raise 147 before bundling out in the final over at the back of a scintillating 71-run knock by Raza.

Earlier, the home side got off to a poor start as the side lost seven wickets for just 50 runs in the first 10 overs.

With their side in heaps of trouble, Raza stitched a fighting seventh-wicket partnership with Rashid Khan and launched a counter-attack on the Gladiators’ bowlers as the pair added 69 runs in just 39 deliveries.

Rashid supported Raza brilliantly amid their glorious stand before Odean Smith got rid of him in the 16th over. He could score 21 off 20, hitting one boundary and a six.

Naseem Shah then dismissed Haris Rauf for a duck in the next over which resulted in the hosts slipping to 125/9.

Despite nine down, Raza carried on his baton charge on the Gladiators as he put on a vital 15-run partnership with Zaman Khan before the latter perished in the final over for a duck.

Raza remained unbeaten with his fighting knock and top-scored for Qalandars with 71 off just 34 deliveries, laced up with eight boundaries and three sixes.

Mohammad Nawaz and Naveen-ul-Haq led the Gladiators’ bowling attack with two wickets each, while Smith, Umaid Asif and Naseem struck out a batter each.

LAHORE: Quetta Gladiators have won the toss and elected to bowl first against Lahore Qalandars in the 18th match of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) season eight.

PLAYING XIs

Lahore Qalandars: Fakhar Zaman, Tahir Baig, Abdullah Shafique, Sam Billings (wk), Hussain Talat, Sikandar Raza, David Wiese, Rashid Khan, Shaheen Afridi (c), Haris Rauf, Zaman Khan.

Quetta Gladiators: Sarfaraz Ahmed (c), Yasir Khan, Will Smeed, Martin Guptill, Iftikhar Ahmed, Odean Smith, Muhammad Hafeez, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Naveen-ul-Haq, Umaid Asif.

HEAD TO HEAD

Matches 15, Quetta Gladiators 8, Lahore Qalandars 7

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Thursday shared details for the three exhibition Women’s matches which will be played on 8,10 and 11 March at the Pindi Cricket Stadium amid the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL) season eight.

According to the PCB, the two teams participating are Amazon and Super Women. Former Pakistan captain Bismah Maroof will lead Amazon while experienced all-rounder Nida Dar will take up the role for Super Women.

The final squads of the two teams will be announced in due course.

The three exhibition matches will start at 1400 PKT in a build up to the men’s fixtures of the ongoing PSL eight as such that the tickets for the men’s PSL matches will be valid for the women’s matches.

“The two participating teams are Amazons and Super Women. The women’s matches will start at 1400 PKT and will be played in the lead up to the men’s fixtures in the HBL PSL 8 matches. Peshawar Zalmi will take on Quetta Gladiators and Multan Sultans on 8 and 10 March, respectively, while, Quetta Gladiators will meet Multan Sultans on 11 March,” stated PCB.

“As such, tickets for three men’s HBL PSL matches will be valid for the women’s fixture with the stands on these match days to open three hours before the first ball is bowled,” the statement added.

Furthermore, the PCB will use the women’s fixtures to celebrate women’s day, to create awareness about breast cancer and to highlight women’s empowerment through education, respectively.

“The PCB as part of its social corporate responsibility will use Wednesday’s T20 match to celebrate Women’s Day. The second exhibition match on Friday will be played to create awareness about breast cancer in partnership with Pink Ribbon Pakistan,” stated PCB.

“The third and final exhibition match on Saturday will be played to highlight women’s empowerment through education in collaboration with Circle Women,” the statement added.

In addition to that, the cricket governing body has also confirmed the match officials for the three matches. Mohammad Anees will serve as the match referee in all matches, while Shozab Raza, Saleema Imtiaz, Tariq Rasheed and Humaira Farah will perform umpiring duties.

“Shozab Raza, will join Saleema Imtiaz as on-field umpire for the first T20 match on 8 March. Tariq Rasheed will be third umpire and Humaira Farah will be the fourth umpire.

“For the second T20 match, Shozab Raza and Humaira Farah, will take on-field duties with Tariq Rasheed and Saleema Imtiaz performing third and fourth umpire duties. For the third and final T20 match, Tariq Rasheed and Saleema Imtiaz will perform the on-field umpire duties. Shozab Raza and Humaira Farah will perform third and fourth umpire duties.”

It is pertinent to mention that the PCB as part of its preparation to hold the Women’s Super League, announced to host three exhibition matches amid the ongoing extravaganza.

READ: Shadab backs United’s fearless approach despite dismal show in Lahore

ISLAMABAD: Islamabad United captain Shadab Khan has accepted his team’s batting failure in the last game against Lahore Qalandars in the Pakistan Super League season 8, attributing the collapse to the players’ fearless approach. 

“When you demand modern-day cricket from the player such failures may also happen,” said Shadab on Tuesday at a press conference.

The skipper claimed he was well aware of the possibility that his team’s batting lineup could also crash someday owing to their attacking approach.

“I was saying this from last year that a day might come when we will be all out under 100. And that day has come,” he commented on United’s one-sided loss against Qaladars on Monday when they were bowled out for 90 while chasing 201.

“We have to accept their failures too when we demand a fearless approach from the players. And as a team, we are accepting this” he added.

With six points, United currently sits third on the points table after five games and will play their first home game in the tournament when they face Karachi Kings in Rawalpindi on Friday.

Commenting on the Kings’ bumpy journey so far in this PSL, Shadab did not shy away from calling them a ‘big franchise’ which knew how to come out of such pressure situations.

“We have to give our best in the field against them (Karachi Kings),” he asserted.

Moreover, recently-married Shadab also opined on the dip in his performance in the current PSL season, saying it has nothing to do with a new chapter of his life.

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RAWALPINDI: Karachi Kings’ wicketkeeper batter Matthew Wade expressed confidence in his side’s ability to make it to the playoffs, terming the next three matches ‘important’.

Wade, who scored a fighting half-century in the run chase against Peshawar Zalmi, shared his disappointment over failing to finish the game but stated that his side will get another opportunity to bounce back.

“It would have been nice if I had finished the game, that’s our job as a top order player. As I said, the rate was crazy enough high, we need 12 or 13 [runs per over]. I felt like if they gave me the ball up, I would hit areas I thought I could hit and was gonna take it down straight but missed it. That’s kind of the game, it’s T20 and it happens,” said Wade.

“Yeah it is disappointing that I couldn’t go on and pose a bigger score but we’ll get another opportunity in a few days, we have to bounce back, we have to win the next three games and win them well and give ourselves a chance for the finals,” he added.

The wicketkeeper batter then asserted that the Kings’ net run rate in the tournament has the capability of spicing up the race for the playoffs as his side lost their matches by minimal margins.

“We are not playing our best but we’ve been there and there about as we’ve lost by minimal margins and our run rate is probably capable in the tournament at the moment,” shared Wade.

“So, pretty much every game from here, we have to win, let’s how we’re looking at it anyway and if we can bank three, we’ll have the chance to play the finals,” he added.

It is worth mentioning that the Kings slipped to fifth with four points in seven matches in the PSL 8 standings with a narrow 24-run defeat against Peshawar Zalmi.

Kings’ pacer Mohammad Amir’s magnificent figures of 4/26 and Imad Wasim’s gritty 57-run knock went in vain.

The 2020 champions next face Islamabad United on Friday in a must-win clash.

RAWALPINDI: Peshawar Zalmi’s batters put on a collective effort to power their side to a massive total of 197/5 before the bowlers steered them to a 24-run victory over Karachi Kings in the 17th match of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) season eight.

Set to chase a mammoth 198, the Kings fell 24 runs short as the side could raise 173/8 in their set of 20 overs despite magnificent half-centuries by Imad Wasim and Matthew Wade.

Earlier in the run chase, the Kings were off to a decent start as the new opening pair of Wade and debutant Adam Rossington added 40 runs for the first wicket.

Azmatullah Omarzai then struck in his first over to dent Kings’ solid start as he dismissed Rossington, who scored a brisk 15 off just eight deliveries.

Rossington’s dismissal sparked a frustrating collapse that resulted in the Kings slipping to 95/5 in the 12th over with Wade, who was hanging on with a gritty half-century, also getting out.

Wade scored 53 off 41 deliveries with the help of nine boundaries.

Kings’ skipper Imad and Cutting then attempted to anchor the run chase with a brief 17-run partnership but Omarzai removed the latter to put Zalmi in command. Cutting could score 15 off 13 balls.

The Kings then lost two more wickets in quick succession and consequently slipped to 122/8 in the 16th over.

Kings’ captain Imad, however, fought valiantly till the end with his gritty half-century but his efforts went in vain as his side fell 24 runs short.

Imad top-scored for the Kings with an unbeaten 57 runs off just 30 deliveries, smashing 10 boundaries and a six.

Aamer Jamal and Omarzai led the Zalmi’s bowling attack with three wickets each, while Mujeeb Ur Rehman made two scalps.

Put into bat first, Zalmi got off to a horrible start as the side lost three crucial wickets of Mohammad Haris (0), Babar Azam (0) and Saim Ayub (1) inside three overs; courtesy of a fiery opening spell from Mohammad Amir.

With their side in heaps of trouble, young wicketkeeper batter Haseebullah and Tom Kohler-Cadmore stitched a gritty fourth wicket partnership and scripted an astounding recovery as the pair raised 82 runs.

Haseebullah was the core aggressor of the crucial partnership and brought up his half-century in just 27 balls but Tabraiz Shamsi cut his celebrations short as he struck out the former in his second over to hand a much-needed breakthrough to the Kings.

The young left-handed batter scored 50 off 29 deliveries, hitting four boundaries and three sixes.

Following his dismissal, Rovman Powell wasted no time in settling down and carried on the recovery for his side with clean hitting and bolstered Zalmi for a big total with a 29-ball fifty.

Powell top-scored for the Zalmi with a brisk 34-ball 64 before falling to Amir in the 19th over. He smashed six boundaries and four sixes amid his brilliant knock.

Meanwhile, amid Powell and Haseebullah’s aggressive knocks, Kohler-Cadmore held his end firm and went on to score an anchoring 56-run knock in 45 deliveries, laced up with five boundaries and three sixes.

Left-arm pacer Amir led the Kings’ bowling attack with 4/26, while Shamsi struck out a batter.