Tag: PSL 9

KARACHI: Multan Sultans’ captain Mohammad Rizwan on Sunday, downplayed the hype of the highly-anticipated Pakistan Super League (PSL) 9 final, stating that he would approach it as a normal game.

Rizwan, who led Sultans to their third consecutive PSL final under his captaincy, expressed his excitement for the big match but at the same time refrained from taking the toll of the big-match pressure.

“We are playing the fourth consecutive final. Everyone in the team is excited but for me, the game is just like a season opener,” stated Rizwan.

Whereas, Islamabad United captain Shadab Khan was upbeat about playing the PSL final after a gap of six years.

“Our team bonding has always been top notch and we have stayed like a family and play like United,” Shadab said.

Both captains also requested the fans to come and fill the iconic National Bank Cricket Stadium in the PSL 9 final.

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For the unversed, Multan Sultans enjoyed a dream run in the ongoing PSL 9 as the former champions became the first team to qualify for the Playoffs.

The Sultans then outclassed Quetta Gladiators in their final group-stage fixture to end as the table toppers with 14 points in 10 matches.

The 2021 champions then eased past Peshawar Zalmi in the Qualifier to make their way into the final.

On the contrary, Islamabad United had a campaign full of ups and downs, the two-time champions had a forgetful start to their campaign but soon regrouped and got back on the winning track.

They then edged Sultans in their last fixture to seal their place in the Playoffs.

The United then emerged victorious in two consecutive knockout matches against Quetta Gladiators and Peshawar Zalmi respectively and made their way to the PSL 9 final.

READ: Shadab Khan ‘hopeful’ of Imad Wasim taking back retirement

Islamabad United’s captain Shadab Khan has showered praise on team-mate Imad Wasim and expressed hope that the seasoned all-rounder will consider taking back retirement from international cricket.

Imad Wasim led Islamabad United to back-to-back victories in the playoffs of the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL) 9 and propelled to the final against Multan Sultans.

The left-handed all-rounder scored an unbeaten 59 off 40 deliveries with the help of nine boundaries to guide Islamabad United to a fighting five-wicket win over Peshawar Zalmi in the Eliminator 2 of PSL 9 yesterday.

Shadab Khan stressed the value Wasim can bring to the national team if he considers reversing his retirement ahead of the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2024, which is scheduled in the West Indies and the United States of America (USA).

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“In fact, when Imad made the decision, I had also told him that I didn’t want him to leave. Because Pakistan needs players like him,” said Khan during the post-match press conference.

“God willing, if there is a discussion with him, hopefully, he will come back because the World Cup is approaching and the way he is performing and his experience in CPL, Pakistan definitely needs him,” he added.

Meanwhile, Wasim, who stunned the cricket fans in November last year with a shocking retirement from international cricket, has kept the door open for his comeback to international cricket.

“I made a name for myself while playing for Pakistan and if my country needs me, I will be available. If not, I have no issues with that,” Wasim told local media last week.

READ: Shahid Afridi wants Mohammad Amir to take back international retirement

Former Pakistani captain Shahid Afridi has commented on the possibility of Quetta Gladiators’ pace bowler Mohammad Amir reversing his retirement from international cricket.

Afridi, while talking to a local news channel, praised Amir for his bowling skills and rated him among the best pace bowlers in the country.

“Amir can easily make his way into the lineup of the Pakistan team even today. He falls in the category of Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah, and Shaheen Afridi,” said Shahid Afridi.

“There is still cricket left in Amir and he should play for Pakistan.”

Amir, who shockingly announced retirement from international cricket back in 2020 at the age of 28, claimed ten wickets in nine matches during the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL) season nine.

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Gladiators’ wicket-keeper batter Sarfaraz Ahmed also voiced the same sentiments last month during the early stages of the PSL 9.

Ahmed acknowledged the value Amir brings to T20 cricket in an interview 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.

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KARACHI: The Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchise Multan Sultans’ spin bowling coach Alex Hartley revealed that she is fasting in the ongoing holy month of Ramadan.

Hartley stated that all the players in the team are fasting so she wanted to understand how they feel and also to experience it first-hand.

“It is Ramadan and the lads are fasting. So I thought I really want to understand how they’re feeling when they get to the game. I think it is only fair that the players are doing it, so I should join them [in fasting],” Hartley told BBC 5 Live Sport.

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Hartley then highlighted the challenges she is facing while fasting and also termed the practice “very hard”.

“We have just broken our fast now after we fasted all day. I have had some dates and some salad. We can eat till 4 am and then we don’t eat again till 6:40 pm the next day. It is hard, so hard,” shared Hartley.

“I go to bed at 4 am and sleep during the day, as our games start at 9 pm in the night,” she concluded.

It is worth mentioning here that Alex Hartley played a pivotal role in Multan Sultans’ success in the ongoing edition of the marquee league.

The 2021 champions became the first team to qualify for the playoffs before humbling Peshawar Zalmi in the Qualifier to reach their fourth-consecutive PSL final.

The Sultans will now take either Zalmi or Islamabad United in the blockbuster final on Monday at the iconic National Bank Stadium.

READ: Saim, Haris propel Zalmi to 185/5 against United in Eliminator 2

KARACHI: An unbeaten 98-run partnership between Haider Ali and Imad Wasim scripted a hard-fought victory for Islamabad United over Peshawar Zalmi in the Eliminator 2 of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 9 here on Saturday.

Two-time victors Islamabad United will now face 2021 champions Multan Sultans in the PSL 9 final, scheduled at the same venue on Monday.

Set to chase 186, the United amassed the total for the loss of five wickets and six balls to spare at the back of a magnificent sixth-wicket partnership between Imad and Haider.

The United had a contrasting start to the pursuit as they lost three wickets inside four overs with just 21 runs on the board.

In-form opener Martin Guptill offered brief retaliation, the highlight of which was a 22-run over against Saim Ayub, before falling victim to Khurram Shehzad on the last delivery of the batting powerplay.

He remained a notable contributor for the United with a 21-ball 34, peppered with five boundaries and a six.

With the scoreboard reading 50/4 in six overs, Azam Khan joined Imad in the middle in a bid to launch recovery.

The pair batted sensibly for around five overs until Luke Wood cleaned up Azam (22) on the last delivery of the 11th over to dent United’s recovery.

With half of their batters back in the dugout, the United faced a stiff challenge to score 95 runs in 54 deliveries.

But, Haider Ali came out all guns blazing and turned the game on its head with clean hitting, easing the pressure off Imad, who also started to score freely.

The duo dominated Zalmi bowlers at the backend with both scoring half-centuries before Imad finally smashed Wood for a boundary to take United into the PSL 9 final.

Imad top-scored for the United with an unbeaten 59 off 40 deliveries with the help of nine boundaries while Haider struck two boundaries and five sixes on his way to a 29-ball 52.

Saim Ayub led the bowling attack for Peshawar Zalmi with 2/34, followed by Wood, Mehran Mumtaz and Shehzad, who took one each.

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Put into bat first, Zalmi got off to a solid start to their innings as their in-form opening pair of Babar Azam and Saim once again laid the platform for a formidable total.

Saim dominated the opening stand while Babar anchored through with a cautious knock until falling victim to Naseem Shah with 72 runs on the board.

He went hard at a length delivery by Naseem but could not get a hold of the cross-batted strike and Shadab Khan took a sensational catch.

Babar scored a scratchy 25 off 22 deliveries with the help of two boundaries and a six.

Saim was then joined by Haris in the middle and the pair made sure to carry on the momentum with their 59-run partnership until the former finally perished in the 15th over.

Saim Ayub remained the top-scorer for Peshawar Zalmi with a 44-ball 73 with the help of six boundaries and four sixes.

Haris followed his footsteps in the next over as he coped with a soft dismissal against Naseem. He smashed three boundaries and two sixes on his way to a 25-ball 40.

Later, Tom Kohler-Cadmore and Aamer Jamal’s brisk cameos lifted Zalmi’s total past the 180-run mark.

Naseem Shah led the bowling attack for the United with 3/30 in his four overs while Shadab and Obed McCoy picked one each.

It is worth mentioning here that the winner of Eliminator 2 will take on 2021 champions Multan Sultans in the PSL 9 final, scheduled to take place on Monday at the same venue.

READ: Imad Wasim comments on his international cricket comeback

KARACHI: Islamabad United have won the toss and elected to field first against Peshawar Zalmi in Eliminator 2 of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 9 here at National Bank Stadium on Saturday.

PLAYING XIs

Peshawar Zalmi: Babar Azam (c), Saim Ayub, Mohammad Haris (wk), Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Hussain Talat, Rovman Powell, Aamir Jamal, Luke Wood, Mehran Mumtaz, Arif Yaqoob, Khurram Shahzad

Islamabad United: Alex Hales, Martin Guptill, Salman Ali Agha, Shadab Khan (c), Azam Khan (wk), Haider Ali, Imad Wasim, Faheem Ashraf, Naseem Shah, Hunain Shah, Obed McCoy

HEAD TO HEAD

Matches 23, Peshawar Zalmi 12, Islamabad United 11

READ: Imad Wasim comments on his international cricket comeback

Islamabad United’s all-rounder Imad Wasim has commented on the possibility of him coming out of retirement in international cricket.

Wasim, who stunned the cricket fans in November last year with a shocking retirement from international cricket, has kept the door open for his comeback to international cricket.

“I made a name for myself while playing for Pakistan and if my country needs me, I will be available. If not, I have no issues with that,” Wasim told local media.

“Shaheen [Afridi] called me after I retired but I told him that we will talk after PSL,” he added.

Wasim, who made his international debut in 2015, represented Pakistan in 66 T20Is and 55 ODIs before his retirement.

He scored 1,472 runs across formats with the help of six half-centuries and was also part of the Pakistan side that won the ICC Champions Trophy in 2017.

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Imad Wasim led Islamabad United to a thumping 39-run victory over Quetta Gladiators in Eliminator 1 of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) season 9 yesterday.

The victory marked the end of Quetta Gladiators’ PSL 9 campaign while Islamabad United progressed to Eliminator 2 where they will lock horns with Peshawar Zalmi.

The left-arm spinner claimed brilliant bowling figures of 3-19 to bowl the Gladiators for 139 while chasing 175.

“I think what we saw in the last few games, it was spinning, holding a bit, the thing I did well was to bowl really slow, it was gripping and it went well,” Imad said at the post-match ceremony.

“I tried to bowl more slow balls than arm balls and mixed it up…worked for me…we restricted them and took wickets which is the best thing, if you do one of these right, you will win because powerplay is very important,” he added.

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KARACHI: Quetta Gladiators’ Abrar Ahmed and Saud Shakeel have both been fined five per cent of their match fees on Saturday for breaching the code of conduct during eliminator 1 of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) season 9.

Both players were fined for Level 1 breaches of PSL’s code of conduct during their side’s PSL 9 fixture against Islamabad United at the National Bank Stadium in Karachi on Friday night.

Abrar was found to have violated Article 2.4 of the HBL PSL Code of Conduct, which reads as: “Disobeying an umpire’s instruction during the match”.

The incident occurred in the 19th over of Islamabad United’s batting, when, while fielding, Abrar rolled the ball all along the ground despite being instructed by the umpires not to do so.

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In a separate incident, in the same match, Saud was found to have violated Article 2.5 of the PSL Code of Conduct, which reads as: “Using language, actions or gestures which disparage or which could provoke an aggressive reaction from a batter upon his/her dismissal during a match”.

After dismissing United’s batter Salman Ali Agha in the 12th over, Saud went close to Salman and made remarks which could have provoked the batter.

Both players pleaded guilty to the charges and accepted the sanctions proposed by match referee Mohammad Javed.

The charges were imposed by on-field umpires Ahsan Raza and Chris Gaffaney.

Quetta Gladiators’ PSL 9 campaign ended with a 39-run victory over Islamabad United, who advanced to the Eliminator 2 to face Peshawar Zalmi.

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KARACHI: A combined bowling and batting performance powered Islamabad United to humble Quetta Gladiators in the Eliminator 1 of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 9 here at National Bank Stadium on Friday.

The 39-run victory marked the end of Quetta Gladiators’ PSL 9 campaign while Islamabad United progressed to the Eliminator 2 where they will lock horns with Peshawar Zalmi.

Chasing 175, the Gladiators had a disastrous start to the pursuit as they lost half of their side inside the batting powerplay with just 16 runs on the board.

Akeal Hosein then offered some counterpunching with a blazing cameo and knitted a crucial 52-run partnership with Omair Bin Yousuf.

Hosein had a frustrating end to his sensational cameo as he got run out after a terrible mix-up with Yousuf in the 11th over.

He remained a notable contributor for the Gladiators with 31 off 18 deliveries, laced with two boundaries and three sixes.

Yousuf was then involved in another notable partnership when he added 41 runs for the eighth wicket with Mohammad Amir, who scored a brisk 23 off 14.

He finally perished in the 18th over after scoring a fighting half-century. His 50-run knock came off 37 deliveries and included four boundaries and a six.

Imad Wasim led the bowling attack for the United with 3/12 in his four overs, followed by Naseem Shah, who bagged two while Obed McCoy, Hunain Shah and Faheem Ashraf made one scalp each.

Shadab Khan’s decision to bat first, bore fruits for the United as the two-time champions got off to a flying start to their innings.

Their new opening pair of Martin Guptill and Alex Hales put together a 51-run partnership which lasted in the sixth over.

Guptill dominated the opening stand while Hales was finding it hard to score freely before he fell victim to Akeal Hosein after a 20-ball 23 which featured three boundaries including two sixes.

Salman Ali Agha then joined Guptil in the middle and added an important 51 runs for the second wicket before falling victim to Saud Shakeel in the 12th over.

He smashed two boundaries and a six on his way to a 21-ball 31.

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Skipper Shadab Khan (23) and Azam Khan (18) then partnered briefly with Guptill and made modest contributions with brisk cameos in the middle overs.

Azam’s dismissal sparked a lower-middle order collapse as Quetta Gladiators’ bowling unit regrouped and forced a comeback with regular strikes including United’s batting mainstay Guptill.

Martin Guptill remained the top-scorer for the United with a 47-ball 56 which included five boundaries and a six.

Consequently, the two-time champions lost six wickets in the span of just 15 deliveries before Naseem Shah smashed Mohammad Amir for a six on the final delivery of the innings.

Mohammad Amir and Akeal Hosein bagged two wickets each for the Gladiators while Mohammad Wasim Jr, Saud Shakeel and Abrar Ahmed struck out a batter apiece.

It is worth mentioning here that the winner of the Eliminator 1 will take on Peshawar Zalmi in the Eliminator 2 on Saturday in a bid to make their way to the PSL 9 final.

READ: Daren Sammy calls for captain, coach communication during matches

More to follow…

KARACHI: Islamabad United have won the toss and elected to bat first against Quetta Gladiators in the eliminator 1 of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 9 here at National Bank Stadium on Friday.

PLAYING XIs

Islamabad United: Alex Hales, Martin Guptill, Salman Ali Agha, Shadab Khan (c), Azam Khan (wk), Haider Ali, Imad Wasim, Faheem Ashraf, Naseem Shah, Hunain Shah, Obed McCoy

Quetta Gladiators: Jason Roy, Saud Shakeel, Khawaja Nafay, Rilee Rossouw (c), Omair Bin Yousuf, Laurie Evans (wk), Akeal Hosein, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Mohammad Amir, Abrar Ahmed, Usman Tariq

HEAD TO HEAD

Matches 18, Islamabad United 9, Quetta Gladiators 9

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