Tag: PSL 9

Pace bowler Mohammad Amir has recently cleared the air about coming out of retirement in international cricket.

Amir, who shockingly announced retirement from international cricket back in 2020 at the age of 28, has denied the possibility of a comeback to international cricket.

“I would have felt the absence of international cricket if I were not playing cricket. I am enjoying league cricket, and international cricket is not on my mind,” Amir said while talking to a local news channel.

The 31-year-old pacer is representing Quetta Gladiators in the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL) season 9.

He also acknowledged his role in the team and expressed his aim to give impactful performances that can help the team win.

“My effort is to make an impact in the match because having a complete impact is more crucial than merely taking wickets.

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“If the team requires a bouncer at that moment, I will bowl a bouncer. Until you create pressure, you won’t get wickets.

“Scoring centuries and taking five wickets won’t be beneficial if the team loses. My focus is not solely on taking wickets but on playing an impactful role in the match.”

Notably, former Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed commented on the potency of the left-arm pacer to take back his retirement from international cricket.

Sarfaraz acknowledged the value Amir brings to T20 cricket in a recent interview with a local news outlet and expressed confidence in the latter’s abilities.

“The inclusion of Mohammad Amir has made a big difference. He has been bowling really well and has a lot of experience of playing T20 cricket,” Sarfaraz said.

“I have always told Amir that he can still play for Pakistan since he has a lot to offer. He can be useful for Pakistan but it depends on Amir how he sees his future with the national team,” he further added.

READ: India and Pakistan drive US ticket demand for T20 World Cup

LAHORE: Hard-hitting opening batter Alex Hales will miss Islamabad United’s Pakistan Super League (PSL) 9 clash against Peshawar Zalmi, scheduled on Sunday.

According to the details, Hales had a prior personal commitment and thus will be unavailable for United’s fourth match of the ongoing season.

Alex Hales is anticipated to return for all the remaining action, commencing with the second leg in Karachi.

Two-time champions Islamabad United are ranked third in the PSL 9 standings with two points in three matches.

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The PSL 9 will be played in four cities – Karachi, Lahore, Multan and Rawalpindi – with the final of the six-team tournament taking place at the National Bank Stadium in Karachi on 18 March.

Over the course of the 34-match tournament, Karachi will host 11 matches, including the Qualifier, two Eliminators and the final.

Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium and Rawalpindi’s Pindi Cricket Stadium will each host nine matches, while fans in Multan, the city of saints, will witness five matches.

Islamabad United’s PSL 9 squad

Shadab Khan (c), Naseem Shah (both Platinum), Imad Wasim, Azam Khan (both Diamond), Faheem Ashraf (Brand Ambassador), Alex Hales, Colin Munro (all Gold), Rumman Raees (Silver), Tymal Mills, Matthew Forde, Salman Agha, Qasim Akram, Shahab Khan, Hunain Shah, Ubaid Shah, Shamyl Hussain, Jordan Cox, Haider Ali, Obed McCoy, Martin Guptill.

READ: Martin Guptill replaces Muhammad Waseem for PSL 9

LAHORE: Wicketkeeper batter Muhammad Akhlaq expressed his hope to give his best in the biggest rivalry of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) between two former champions Karachi Kings and Lahore Qalandars.

Akhlaq, while talking to the media at the LCCA Ground here on Friday, commented on the ongoing rough patch of the defending champions’ star-studded bowling attack and revealed his plans to benefit the Kings.

“When bowlers are bowling well, they pose a different pressure. If they are not able to bowl well then we will definitely take advantage of that and will turn Lahore Qalandars’ week points into our plus points,” Akhlaq stated.

The wicketkeeper batter, however, was unfazed by the hype of the biggest rivalry of the HBL PSL and asserted that he would stick to his basics.

“I would go with the same plan, the way I played against Lahore last year. So, I would go with a positive mindset this year too and will do what’s best for the team,” he said.

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Muhammad Akhlaq also opened up on his aggressive approach, the glimpses of which were seen in his blistering 24-run knock against Peshawar Zalmi which featured three boundaries and two sixes.

“An opener should bat with an aggressive approach in the first six overs. And our team’s plan is that the top order should focus on their natural game. I did the same and received a good response,” said Akhlaq.

It is pertinent to mention that the highly-anticipated clash of the PSL 9 takes place on Saturday when Karachi Kings take on arch-rivals Lahore Qalandars at their fort.

Karachi Kings boast a superior head-to-head record against the Qalandars, having won 11 out of 17 matches.

READ: Zalmi end Sultans’ winning streak with first triumph in PSL 9

MULTAN: A combined batting and bowling effort led Peshawar Zalmi to a narrow five-run victory over leaders Multan Sultans in the ninth match of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 9 here at Multan Cricket Stadium on Friday. 

Peshawar Zalmi’s first victory in the ongoing season marked the end of Multan Sultans’ winning streak, who had won the opening three matches on the trot.

Chasing a mammoth 180, the Sultans’ batting unit folded on 174 despite Dawid Malan’s blistering half-century.

The home side had a dismal start to the run chase as they lost their captain Mohammad Rizwan (0) in the third over with just seven runs on the board.

Young opener Yasir Khan then put on an anchoring 45-run partnership with Reeza Hendricks before Salman Irshad got him caught behind in the ninth over. Yasir scored 43 off 37 deliveries, hitting six boundaries.

Coming out to bat at No.4, Dawid Malan launched a baton charge on the Zalmi bowlers with belligerent hitting.

The left-handed batter smashed three boundaries and as many sixes on his way to a 25-ball 52.

He also put on an important 70-run partnership with Hendricks (28) before both perished in successive overs, resulting in Sultans slipping to 129/4 in 15.5 overs.

Their back-to-back dismissal sparked a collapse and the visitors began to lose wickets at an alarming rate, three out of which came in an entertaining 17th over, bowled by Arif Yaqoob.

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Iftikhar Ahmed fought hard to turn the tide for the Sultans but perished on the penultimate when the hosts needed six more. He scored 16 off just eight deliveries.

Naveen-ul-Haq castled Shahnawaz Dahani on the final delivery to register a much-needed victory for the Zalmi.

Yaqoob led the bowling attack for Zalmi with three wickets, followed by Salman Irshad, Luke Wood and Haq, who took two each.

Opting to bat first, a collective effort from the Zalmi batters registered a formidable total on the board despite regular blows.

The visitors had a cautious start to their innings, specifically due to Saim Ayub, finding it hard to get going. The left-handed batter eventually perished in the fourth over after scoring a scratchy seven off 11 deliveries.

Babar Azam then partnered strongly with Haseebullah and bolstered the total. The duo added 46 runs off just 28 deliveries before Usama Mir castled the former in the ninth over with 72 runs on the board.

Zalmi’s captain made 26 off 31 deliveries with the help of five boundaries.

Mir struck again in his next over to dismiss the other set batter Haseebullah, who remained the top-scorer for the Zalmi with an 18-ball 37, laced up with four boundaries and two sixes.

Later, Mohammad Haris (19), Paul Walter (16) and Rovman Powell (23) made notable contributions with brisk cameos as Zalmi set Sultans to chase 180.

For Sultans, Mohammad Ali, David Willey and Mir claimed two wickets each while Shahnawaz Dahani and Abbas Afridi struck out a batter apiece.

READ: Hawk-Eye admits ‘human error’ after DRS controversy in PSL 9

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Friday, confirmed that Hawk-Eye admitted to have made a human error in the eighth match of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 9 between Quetta Gladiators and Islamabad United.

Set to chase 139 runs, Gladiators were cruising comfortably towards the target when Rossouw attempted to sweep Agha Salman on the last ball of the 11th over.

However, he missed the ball completely as it thudded his pads, prompting a strong appeal from the fielding side and it was given out by umpire Aleem Dar.

Gladiators reviewed the decision and got the decision reversed as the Hawk-Eye showed that the ball had struck Rossouw outside the line of the stumps and would have missed the off stump.

Rossouw went on to carry his bat all the way through with an unbeaten 34 off 38 to guide his team to their third consecutive victory in the PSL 9.

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Meanwhile, according to a statement, released by the PCB, the Hawk-Eye asserted that Gladiators captain Rossouw would have been out had the system correctly tracked the delivery in question for the Decision Review System (DRS).

“Hawk-Eye has admitted the system had correctly tracked the delivery in question for the Decision Review System (DRS), showing the impact as umpire’s call and wickets as hitting,” stated PCB.

“However, due to an operator error, incorrect ball tracking data was put to air, which meant an incorrect outcome was reached,” the statement added.

The only International Cricket Council’s (ICC) approved technology for ball tracking, being part of the DRS since 2008, also offered its regrets over the error.

“Had processes been followed as expected, this (correct ball tracking data) would have been available only a few seconds after the incorrect data was played on broadcast,” Hawk-Eye explained, while also offering its regrets.

READ: Shadab Khan blames technology error for loss against Quetta Gladiators

MULTAN: Peshawar Zalmi have won the toss and elected to bat first against Multan Sultans in the ninth match of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 9 here at Multan Cricket Stadium on Friday.

PLAYING XIs

Multan Sultans: Mohammad Rizwan (c), Dawid Malan, Reeza Hendricks, Yasir Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, David Willey, Usama Mir, Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Ali, Shahnawaz Dahani.

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Peshawar Zalmi: Saim Ayub, Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Haris, Haseeb Ullah Khan, Rovman Powell, Asif Ali, Paul Walter, Luke Wood, Arif Yaqoob, Naveen Ul Haq, Salman Irshad.

HEAD TO HEAD

Matches 17, Islamabad United 9, Quetta Gladiators 8

READ: Mohammad Hafeez responds to Azam Khan’s comments

Former captain Mohammad Hafeez has recently opened up about the comments made by wicket-keeper Azam Khan about not getting clarity and confidence from the national team management.

Azam Khan made his comeback to the national team last month in the T20I series against New Zealand during Hafeez’s tenure as the team director.

However, the explosive batter failed to leave a lasting impression, scoring 22 runs in the first three matches before getting dropped from the last two matches.

Later, Azam Khan, in an interview with International League T20 (ILT20) franchise Desert Vipers, had expressed his reservations regarding his selection in the Pakistan team by lamenting on being made to play a handful of fixtures instead of a full series.

“I have always understood that when I play league cricket, I get a complete opportunity because they know I can win them games, so they are calling me here,” said Khan.

“That means either you [Pakistan coaches] are putting doubts in my mind that I am not good at this level, then it’s okay, then I will find my own way,” the wicket-keeper added.

Mohammad Hafeez, while responding to Azam Khan’s comments in the A-Sports show ‘The Pavilion,’ stated that he backed the young batter’s talent but also mentioned that he would have to work on his fitness.

“I promise you that I gave him total confidence. He was totally looked after and given clarity. Even after he couldn’t perform, I told him that I would look after him and he wouldn’t be forgotten,” Hafeez claimed.

The former all-rounder also addressed Azam Khan’s comments that franchise teams gave him more chances to showcase his talent.

“Franchises pick only four foreign players and give you ten games, even if you fail to perform. However, if you don’t perform in international cricket, you will face the pressure as there are guys waiting to take your place.”

READ: Shadab Khan blames technology error for loss against Quetta Gladiators

Islamabad United’s captain Shadab Khan blamed the technology for his side’s thrilling loss against Quetta Gladiators during the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL) 9.

Rilee Rossouw, the captain of Quetta Gladiators, scored a gutsy 34 after a combined bowling effort to guide his side to a narrow three-wicket victory after he got a second life courtesy of a controversial DRS decision.

Set to chase 139 runs, Gladiators were cruising comfortably towards the target when Rossouw attempted to sweep Agha Salman on the last ball of the 11th over.

However, he missed the ball completely as it thudded his pads, prompting a strong appeal from the fielding side and it was given out by umpire Aleem Dar.

Gladiators reviewed the decision and got the decision reversed as the Hawk-Eye showed that the ball had struck Rossouw outside the line of the stumps and would have missed the off stump.

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Rossouw went on to carry his bat all the way through with an unbeaten 34 off 38 to guide his team to their third consecutive victory in the PSL 9.

Shadab Khan expressed his frustration over the decision after the match and blamed it for their loss.

“I think technology was at fault for this loss. We were shown a different ball as to the review (the review of Rossouw),” Khan said.

“I bowled 4 overs as a leg spinner, it wasn’t turning much. This one showed impact outside off and spinning away further. In a big tournament like this, there shouldn’t be such mistakes,” he added.

Notably, Islamabad United kicked off their PSL 9 campaign with a win against Lahore Qalandars in the opening match but lost their next two games and are placed in third position in the points table.

READ: England’s Rehan Ahmed leaves India tour for ‘personal reasons’

LAHORE: Rilee Rossouw scored a gutsy 34 after a combined bowling effort to guide Quetta Gladiators to a narrow three-wicket victory over Islamabad United in the eighth match of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 9 here on Thursday.

Quetta Gladiators extended their dream start to the PSL 9 campaign as they completed a hat-trick of victories with an enthralling victory over two-time champions Islamabad United.

But, the Gladiators had to make hard yards to amass the 139-run target as they lost seven wickets in the process.

The 2019 champions had a flying start to the pursuit despite Saud Shakeel’s early dismissal as they brought up 49 runs in the first five overs.

But returning pacer Rumman Raees cleaned up batting prodigy Khawaja Nafay (nine) in the sixth over to spark a collapse.

The Gladiators lost two more wickets — Jason Roy and Sarfaraz Ahmed — in quick succession and consequently slipped to 54/4 in 7.1 overs.

Roy remained the top-scorer for the Gladiators with an 18-ball 37 which featured six fours and a six while Sarfaraz could score a mere one.

Following the slump, Sherfane Rutherford joined skipper Rilee Rossouw and launched an astounding recovery.

The pair batted sensibly and added a crucial 62 runs to the total before Naseem Shah castled Rutherford in the 16th over. He scored 29 off 23 deliveries, hitting one four and two sixes.

Rutherford’s dismissal ushered the United with hope and they forced a late comeback by picking up two quick wickets, bringing the Gladiators down to 127/7 with 12 required off 17 deliveries.

But Gladiators’ No.9 Mohammad Amir cut short United’s comeback with a sensational cameo and guided his side to a tense victory. He scored 11 not out off six deliveries with the help of two boundaries.

Gladiators’ captain Rossouw carried his bat all the way through with an unbeaten 34 off 38. His sensible knock in the run chase and two catches earned him the Player of the Match award.

Naseem Shah and Shadab Khan claimed two wickets each for the United while Hunain Shah and Raees struck out a batter apiece.

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Put into bat first, the strong batting unit of the United could yield 138/9 in the allotted 20 overs.

The two-time champions had a flying start to their innings with Alex Hales smashing two back-to-back sixes to Akeal Hosein in the third over. But the spinner hit back and dismissed him on the next delivery.

He also hit a boundary on his way to a nine-ball 21.

Following the early debacle, Salman Ali Agha partnered with Colin Munro and anchored the innings with a 40-run partnership.

The duo appeared to have settled down before Abrar Ahmed got rid of Munro in the eighth over with 69 runs on the board.

Munro scored a scratchy 20 off 22 with the help of one boundary and a six.

His dismissal ignited a middle-order collapse as the United slipped to 87/5 in 11.3 overs with set batter Agha also walking back.

He remained the top-scorer for the United with a 23-ball 33 with the help of five boundaries.

With the United in heaps of trouble, Imad Wasim and Jordan Cox put together a cautious partnership for the sixth wicket but struggled to get going against the ruthless Gladiators’ bowling attack.

They could add 18 runs to the total before Abrar dismissed Imad in the 16th over, who scored nine off 15.

Cox, on the other hand, fell in the 18th over after scoring 20 off 14 deliveries.

Abrar and Mohammad Wasim Jr bagged three wickets each for the Gladiators while Hosein picked up two.

READ: Naveen-ul-Haq set to join Peshawar Zalmi for PSL 9

LAHORE: Karachi Kings’ young middle-order batter Muhammad Irfan Khan on Thursday, revealed his plans to serve Pakistan cricket like his idol Shoaib Malik.

Irfan, while interacting with the media on the sidelines of the Kings’ optional training session at LCCA Cricket Ground here, revealed his admiration for senior teammate Shoaib Malik.

“The number of matches Shoaib bhai played for Pakistan, I want to emulate that. My strive would be to play as many matches. He has lots of experience and is my idol,” said Irfan.

The young batter also shared the experience of sharing the dressing room with senior players like Malik during his second stint with Karachi Kings.

“It [PSL] is the best platform for the youngsters. Those who perform well here soon make their debut for Pakistan,” he said.

“And, it is a good stage where you get to share the dressing with big names like [Kieron] Pollard and Shoaib bhai which gives you a wealth of experience,” he added.

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Irfan Khan then ruled out any difficulty in sharing the dressing room with senior players.

“It is not tough at all because the seniors we have here like Shoaib, Shan, and Hasan Ali, all are supportive. They back us and motivate us to trust our abilities,” Irfan stated.

It is worth mentioning here that Karachi Kings next face arch-rivals Lahore Qalandars at Gaddafi Stadium on Saturday.

The 2020 champions are fourth in the PSL 9 standings with two points in two matches while the hosts had a worrying start to their title defence, having lost their three opening matches on the trot.

Karachi Kings Squad for HBL PSL 9: Shan Masood (c), Kieron Pollard, Daniel Sams, Mohammad Nawaz, Tim Siefert/Fawad Ali, James Vince, Hasan Ali, Shoaib Malik, Tabraiz Shamis, Mohammad Amir Khan, Anwar Ali, Arafat Minhas, Mir Hamza, Muhammad Akhlaq, Muhammad Irfan Niazi, Sirajuddin, Saad Baig, and Blessing Muzarabani, Zahid Mehmood, Leus De Plooy, Mohammad Rohid.

READ: Wanindu Hasaranga blasts umpire over no-ball decision