Tag: PSL 9

RAWALPINDI: A combined bowling and batting performance led Islamabad United to an important five-wicket victory over Karachi Kings in the 24th match of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 9 here at Pindi Cricket Stadium on Thursday.

IU 151/5 (18.4 Overs)

Hasan bowls the penultimate over

IU 140/5 (18 Overs)

Mahmood replaces Hamza

IU 134/5 (17 Overs)

Muzarabani comes back

IU 128/5 (16 Overs)

Hamza replaces Hasan

IU 115/4 (15 Overs)

Mahmood replaces Muzarabani

IU 110/3 (14 Overs)

Hasan replaces Nawaz

IU 105/3 (13 Overs)

Muzarabani comes back

IU 97/2 (12 Overs)

Nawaz again

IU 85/2 (11 Overs)

Hasan replaces Mahmood

IU 78/2 (10 Overs)

Nawaz continues

IU 74/2 (9 Overs)

Mahmood continues

IU 65/2 (8 Overs)

More spin as Mohammad Nawaz comes to bowl his first

IU 57/2 (7 Overs)

Zahid Mahmood comes on

IU 47/2 (6 Overs)

Hasan Ali comes into the attack

IU 39/2 (5 Overs)

4.5: Mir Hamza bowls a slower one and Alex Hales goes too far across his stumps on leg and wants to play a full-blooded late cut but misses and the ball hits the timber.

Hamza bowls his third

IU 33/1 (4 Overs)

Muzarabani continues

IU 28/1 (3 Overs)

2.6: Mir Hamza bowls a length on middle, Munro just chips it in the air and gives a regulation catch to Shan Masood mid-on.

Hamza continues

IU 10/0 (2 Overs)

Blessing Muzarabani bowls from the other end

IU 4/0 (1 Over)

Colin Munro and Alex Hales come out to open for Islamabad United. Mir Hamza to bowl the first over.

KARACHI KINGS vs ISLAMABAD UNITED (2nd INNINGS)

RAWALPINDI: Kieron Pollard scored a gutsy 39 and recovered Karachi Kings to a formidable total against Islamabad United in the 24th match of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 9 here at Pindi Cricket Stadium on Thursday.

KK 150/7 (20 Overs)

Hunain bowls the final over

KK 143/7 (19 Overs)

Mills bowls the penultimate over

KK 137/6 (18 Overs)

Hunain continues for his third

KK 124/5 (17 Overs)

Faheem bowls his last

KK 118/5 (16 Overs)

Hunain replaces Mills

KK 110/5 (15 Overs)

Faheem replaces Shadab

KK 107/5 (14 Overs)

Mills continues

KK 95/4 (13 Overs)

Shadab continues

KK 81/4 (12 Overs)

Mills comes back

KK 74/4 (11 Overs)

Shadab Khan brought himself into the attack

KK 66/4 (10 Overs)

Imad bowls his last

KK 59/4 (9 Overs)

9.2: Mills bowls a shorter delivery around off. Nawaz swivels and takes on the short ball but could not get on top of the bounce and got the splice of the bat as Munro takes a regulation catch.

Tymal Mills comes into the attack

KK 45/3 (8 Overs)

7.4: Skedaddles down the track to create his own length and sends it miles into the night-sky, Shadab Khan takes a few steps back at short cover and takes a well-judged catch.

Imad bowls his third

KK 44/2 (7 Overs)

Faheem continues

6.4: Pitched back of a length outside off, opened the face of the bat and sliced it in the air, Colin Munro charged in from deep point and took a brilliant running catch.

KK 38/1 (6 Overs)

Imad continues

KK 34/1 (5 Overs)

4.2: Shortish on off-stump, wanted to flick that across the line and instead got an edge, the ball soared towards third man, Imad judged it well while running back and hung onto it.

Faheem Ashraf into the attack

KK 33/0 (4 Overs)

Imad Wasim comes on

KK 27/0 (3 Overs)

Forde continues

KK 16/0 (2 Overs)

Hunain Shah bowls from the other end

KK 7/0 (1 Over)

Shan Masood and Tim Seifert come out to open the innings. Matthew Forde to bowl the first over.

KARACHI KINGS vs ISLAMABAD UNITED (1st INNINGS)

RAWALPINDI: Islamabad United have won the toss and elected to field against Karachi Kings in the 24th match of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 9 here at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Thursday.

PLAYING XIs

Karachi Kings: Shan Masood (c), James Vince, Tim Seifert, Kieron Pollard, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Nawaz, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Mir Hamza, Zahid Mahmood, Hasan Ali, Blessing Muzarabani.

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Islamabad United: Shadab Khan (c), Alex Hales, Colin Munro, Salman Ali Agha, Azam Khan (wk), Haider Ali, Imad Wasim, Faheem Ashraf, Hunain Shah, Matthew Forde, Tymal Mills.

HEAD TO HEAD

Matches 21, Islamabad United 17, Karachi Kings 4

READ: Usman Tariq reported for suspect bowling action

RAWALPINDI: Islamabad United have won the toss and elected to field against Karachi Kings in the 24th match of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 9 here at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Thursday.

PLAYING XIs

HEAD TO HEAD

Matches 21, Islamabad United 17, Karachi Kings 4

READ: Usman Tariq reported for suspect bowling action

Quetta Gladiator’s off-spinner Usman Tariq has been reported for a suspected bowling action during the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL) season nine.

His action was reported during his side’s match against Karachi Kings yesterday, which was officiated by on-field Richard Illingworth and Asif Yaqoob.

Usman Tariq has played three matches in the PSL 9 and managed only two wickets.

Meanwhile, Quetta Gladiators succumbed to a seven-wicket defeat against Karachi Kings after being bundled for a meagre 118.

Karachi Kings, while chasing a paltry 119-run target, completed the pursuit with 4.3 overs to spare when Shoaib Malik smashed Usman Tariq for six.

Captain Shan Masood fell early in the chase with 13 runs on the board, however, Seifert and James Vince steadied the ship with a 50-run partnership off 39 balls.

Vince scored an anchoring 27 off 28 with the help of four boundaries before he fell to Akeal Hosein.

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Seifert switched gears after the wicket and added 44 runs for the second wicket with Malik but could not finish the game as he fell with his team requiring 12 runs.

He top-scored for Karachi Kings with 49 runs from 31 balls, which featured eight boundaries including two sixes.

Malik scored an anchoring 27-run knock from 20 balls and saw his team chase down the total in the 16th over.

For Quetta Gladiators, Mohammad Amir, Abrar Ahmed and Akeal Hosein picked one wicket each.

Earlier, Karachi Kings’ captain Shan Masood opted to bowl first after winning the toss, and the decision bore fruits as they booked the Gladiators on a paltry 118.

Hasan Ali led the bowling attack for Karachi Kings with four wickets while Blessing Muzarabani and Zahid Mahmood bagged two wickets each.

READ: Mohammad Hafeez expresses concern over Sahibzada Farhan’s technique

Former Pakistan captain and team director Mohammad Hafeez has opened up about the flaw in the batting technique of Lahore Qalandars’ opening batter Sahibzada Farhan.

The right-handed batter scored a mere two runs in 12 balls during his side’s match against Islamabad United in the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL) season 9.

Islamabad United opted to bowl first and Naseem Shah bowled a brilliant maiden first over, which saw Farhan struggling against Shah’s swinging deliveries.

He continued to struggled during his brief stay at the crease before Hunain Shah sent him back to the pavillion.

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Hafeez, during the A-Sports show ‘The Pavilion,’ pointed out the flaw in Farhan’s batting technique, resulting in his dismal performance in the match.

“He looked pretty uncomfortable while facing the first over, despite being an opener. He has this recurring issue of struggling against the swinging new ball,” said Hafeez.

“He is a great product and had a great season, but he needs to work on this issue. He needs to play the new ball with more control, otherwise, the top-class new-ball bowlers will keep challenging him,” he added.

Former captain Wasim Akram, also echoed the similar concerns over Sahibzada Farhan’s batting technique.

"He's a very good product but…" @MHafeez22 comments on #SahibzadaFarhan's struggle against swing bowling.

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— ASports (@asportstvpk) March 6, 2024

“The ball was seaming little bit and no doubt Naseem [Shah] bowled well, but Sahibzada [Farhan] looked clueless as if he has never played swing bowling,” said Akram.

Notably, Farhan is the fifth highest run-scorer in the PSL 9 with 241 runs in seven matches at a strike-rate of 136.15.

Meanwhile, Lahore Qalandars claimed their first victory in the PSL 9 yesterday by defeating Islamabad United by 17 runs.

Zaman Khan’s four-wicket haul after Rassie van der Dussen’s gutsy half-century helped the defending champions end their winless streak in this season.

READ: Real Madrid ‘suffer’ in RB Leipzig draw to reach Champions League quarters

Lahore Qalandars’ captain Shaheen Afridi joined an elusive list of bowlers with 100 wickets in the history of the Pakistan Super League (PSL).

Shaheen Afridi became only the third bowler to claim 100 wickets during the PSL 9 match against Islamabad United in Rawalpindi yesterday.

He bowled fellow Pakistani pacer Naseem Shah to reach the historic landmark.

Notably, Peshawar Zalmi’s Wahab Riaz was the first player to breach the 100-wicket mark in PSL history.

He is currently the highest wicket-taker in the league’s history with 113 wickets.

Meanwhile, Karachi Kings’ pace bowler Hasan Ali became the second bowler to claim 100 wickets during the ongoing PSL 9.

The right-handed pacer achieved the historic feat when he dismissed Alex Hales during his side’s clash against Islamabad United last week.

Ali is closing on the record for the most wickets in PSL history as he needs only seven wickets to surpass Riaz’s record.

Meanwhile, Afridi-led Lahore Qalandars claimed their first victory in the PSL 9 yesterday by defeating Islamabad United by 17 runs.

Zaman Khan’s four-wicket haul after Rassie van der Dussen’s gutsy half-century helped the defending champions end their winless streak in this season.

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Van der Dussen remained the top-scorer for the Qalandars with 64 off 44 deliveries, featuring four boundaries and as many sixes.

Later, David Wiese bolstered Lahore Qalandars’ total to 162 with an unbeaten 24-run cameo. His 11-ball knock featured three boundaries.

In response, Islamabad United’s batting unit unfolded on 145 in 18.5 overs despite Faheem Ashraf’s unbeaten 41.

The home side had a disastrous start to the run chase as they lost six wickets inside seven overs with just 38 runs on the board.

Following the slump, Azam Khan partnered briefly with Faheem Ashraf for an anchoring 35-run partnership which lasted with the former’s departure in the 11th over.

Faheem then put together an important partnership with Naseem Shah when the duo added 42 runs for the eighth wicket.

Naseem scored a brisk 27 off 16 deliveries before falling victim to Afridi in the 16th over.

But Faheem kept the scoreboard ticking and brought United in touching distance to a thrilling victory when they needed 18 off eight deliveries.

However, Zaman Khan trapped Rumman Raees lbw with a ferocious yorker and United, as a result, bundled out on 145 in response to Qalandars’ 162.

READ: Najmul Hossain steers Bangladesh to series-equalling win over Sri Lanka

Karachi Kings have named South Africa’s cricket legend Imran Tahir as the replacement for Tabraiz Shamsi in the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL) 9.

Shamsi, who was part of the Kings’ squad for the first seven matches, departs due to his participation in the domestic CSA’s T20 Challenge.

In his four appearances for the Kings, Tabraiz Shamsi picked up three wickets at an average of 52.33 with the best bowling figures of 2/42.

Imran Tahir, who previously played for Karachi Kings in the 2023 season, joins the squad in Islamabad, bringing his wealth of experience to bolster the team’s spin department.

For the unversed, the Kings are currently fifth in the PSL 9 standings with six points in seven matches.

The 2020 champions on Wednesday, got back on the winning track with a statement seven-wicket victory over Quetta Gladiators.

Chasing a paltry 119-run target, Karachi Kings completed the pursuit with 4.3 overs to spare when Shoaib Malik smashed Usman Tariq for six.

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Captain Shan Masood fell early in the chase with 13 runs on the board, however, Seifert and James Vince steadied the ship with a 50-run partnership off 39 balls.

Vince scored an anchoring 27 off 28 with the help of four boundaries before he fell to Akeal Hosein.

Seifert switched gears after the wicket and added 44 runs for the second wicket with Malik but could not finish the game as he fell with his team requiring 12 runs.

He top-scored for Karachi Kings with 49 runs from 31 balls, which featured eight boundaries including two sixes.

Malik scored played an anchoring 27-run knock from 20 balls and saw his team chase down the total in the 16th over.

For Quetta Gladiators, Mohammad Amir, Abrar Ahmed and Akeal Hosein picked one wicket each.

Earlier, Karachi Kings’ captain Shan Masood opted to bowl first after winning the toss, and the decision bore fruits as they booked the Gladiators on a paltry 118.

Hasan Ali led the bowling attack for Karachi Kings with four wickets while Blessing Muzarabani and Zahid Mahmood bagged two wickets each.

Karachi Kings Squad for PSL 9: Shan Masood (c), Kieron Pollard, Daniel Sams, Mohammad Nawaz, Tim Siefert/Fawad Ali, James Vince, Hasan Ali, Shoaib Malik, Imran Tahir, 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: Phil Simmons ‘hopeful’ for top-four finish with shift in Kings’ momentum

RAWALPINDI: Karachi Kings head coach Phil Simmons was “hopeful” that the former champions would bank on the momentum and win their remaining matches to make it to the HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) 9 playoffs.

Simmons, while interacting with the media following Karachi Kings’ dominant seven-wicket victory over Quetta Gladiators, stated that things are coming together for the former champions.

“We are struggling to put everything together. I think today was much better especially [our] bowling and in the field. We should have maybe finished it earlier with the bat but things are coming together.

“Today was an excellent victory, the way we bowled is how we want to bowl in every game. Sometimes, it’s not gonna happen but it happened today. All the catches were taken. So, it is how we wanna play and yes, hopefully, this is the momentum we need to win the other games and get into [final] four.”

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Phil Simmons further revealed that Karachi Kings have “more or less” found the perfect combination to go about in their remaining HBL PSL 9 fixtures.

“I think, more or less that would be the first-string team. You know you’re looking to make sure, you have those three seamers plus this leg-spinner’s been bowling very well,” said Simmons.

“So, that’s great and we have Shoaib, he’s bowling. We are getting there. I think we are close to where we want to be,” he added.

Simmons then shed light on the impactful performances senior players like Shoaib Malik and Kieron Pollard gave for the Kings and expressed his hope that the youngsters would learn from their valuable experience.

“Well, the thing about it is that it’s still our rebuilding phase. So, we thought that you need some sort of experience with the youngsters,” stated Simmons.

“Fortunately for us, the senior guys are doing most of the work but I hope that the youngsters are learning from them. So, maybe in a couple of years when they are not here, we will have a full-fledged younger team but so far they’ve been doing the job so it is good,” he concluded.

READ: Lahore Qalandars knocked out of PSL 9 Playoffs race

RAWALPINDI: Zaman Khan’s four-wicket haul after Rassie van der Dussen’s gutsy half-century led Lahore Qalandars to their first win in the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL) 9 here at Pindi Cricket Stadium on Wednesday.

Set to chase 163, the United’s batting unit unfolded on 145 in 18.5 overs despite Faheem Ashraf’s unbeaten 41.

The home side had a disastrous start to the run chase as they lost six wickets inside seven overs with just 38 runs on the board.

Following the slump, Azam Khan partnered briefly with Faheem Ashraf for an anchoring 35-run partnership which lasted with the former’s departure in the 11th over.

The right-handed batter smashed three boundaries and two sixes on his way to a 19-ball 29.

Faheem then put together an important partnership with Naseem Shah when the duo added 42 runs for the eighth wicket.

Naseem scored a brisk 27 off 16 deliveries before falling victim to Shaheen Shah Afridi in the 16th over.

But Faheem kept the scoreboard ticking and brought United in touching distance to a thrilling victory when they needed 18 off eight deliveries.

However, Zaman Khan trapped Rumman Raees lbw with a ferocious yorker and United, as a result, bundled out on 145 in response to Qalandars’ 162.

Faheem remained stranded at the non-striker’s end 41 not out off 31 deliveries which featured four boundaries and a six.

Zaman led the bowling attack for the Qalandars with 4/37, followed by Afridi, who bagged two wickets.

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Put into bat first, the defending champions, who are yet to win a match in the ongoing tournament could manage a subpar total despite Rassie van der Dussen’s half-century.

The visitors had a disappointing start to their innings as they lost their openers Sahibzada Farhan (2) and Fakhar Zaman (10) inside the batting powerplay with just 16 runs on the board.

The Qalandars then sustained another blow to their batting charge when Shai Hope (6) perished in the sixth over, bringing them down to 30/3 in the seventh over.

Following the slump, Qalandars’ captain Shaheen Shah Afridi promoted himself in the batting order, coming out to bat at No.5.

He offered a brief counterattack with his quickfire cameo and put together a brisk 46-run partnership with van der Dussen before falling victim to his Islamabad United counterpart Shadab Khan in the 11th over.

Afridi smashed four sixes on his way to a 14-ball 30.

But Rassie van der Dussen stood his ground firm and put together brief partnerships with Sikandar Raza (4) and Ahsan Hafeez Bhatti (13) before finally perishing in the 18th over.

He remained the top-scorer for the Qalandars with 64 off 44 deliveries, featuring four boundaries and as many sixes.

Later, David Wiese bolstered Lahore Qalandars’ total with an unbeaten 24-run cameo. His 11-ball knock featured three boundaries.

Rumman Raees led the bowling attack for Islamabad United in their all-important PSL 9 fixture with 2/19, while Naseem Shah, Hunain Shah, Imad Wasim, Faheem Ashraf and Shadab made one scalp each.

READ: Lahore Qalandars knocked out of PSL 9 Playoffs race

RAWALPINDI: Two-time champions Lahore Qalandars have officially been knocked out of the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL) 9 Playoffs race.

The Qalandars, who won two titles on the trot, failed to register a single victory in this season thus far.

The two-time champions are currently at the bottom of the PSL 9 standings with one point in seven matches.

Their solitary point also came as a result of a washout on Saturday when the persistent rain here washed out their fixture against Peshawar Zalmi.

Due to the constant downpours, the toss was delayed initially as covers were placed on the ground.

The rain stopped briefly, prompting efforts from the groundsmen to dry the ground, but the rain returned, ultimately leading to umpires deciding that no play could be possible.

Lahore Qalandars started their PSL 9 campaign against two-time champions Islamabad United with an eight-wicket defeat.

They then lost against Quetta Gladiators, Multan Sultans, arch-rivals Karachi Kings and Peshawar Zalmi to remain winless at the halfway group stage of the tournament.

Their fortune did not change in the second leg of the PSL 9 as the defending champions again lost to last season’s runners-up Sultans.

Lahore Qalandars are taking on Islamabad United in a bid to taste the first triumph in their eighth PSL 9 fixture.

READ: Hasan Ali, Tim Seifert guide Karachi Kings to crush Quetta Gladiators