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PSL 2022 Draft | Jason Roy, Fakhar Zaman among six players picked in Platinum category

The Pakistan Super League 2022 edition is going to be a thrilling one as, after the retention round of Pakistan’s premier T20 tournament, the draft round is now taking place at the Bob Woolmer Indoor School in Lahore and is being streamed LIVE on PSL’s Youtube channel. The players are to be drafted in three categories of Platinum, Diamond, Silver and Emerging. Platinum is the top category and a maximum of six players can be picked in the Platinum category, meaning each franchise can pick one player in that category. As per the latest reports, England’s Jason Roy and Chris Jordan, Pakistan’s Fakhar Zaman, New Zealand’s Colin Munro, Afghanistan’s Hazratullah Zazai and Singapore’s Tim David, who is an Australian by birth were picked by Quetta Gladiators, Karachi Kings, Lahore Qalandars, Islamabad United, Peshawar Zalmi and Multan Sultans respectively in the top bracket, which is the platinum category. It is important to note that the franchises were allowed a maximum of eight retentions each prior to sending their last year players in the draft once again. Here is the list of retained players from each side. Karachi Kings Babar Azam (Platinum), Mohammad Nabi (Diamond), Imad Wasim (Platinum), Mohammad Amir, (Diamond), Joe Clarke (Gold, Brand Ambassador), Aamir Yamin and Sharjeel Khan (Gold) and Mohammad Ilyas (Silver). Islamabad United Azam Khan (Traded, Gold), Asif Ali (promoted to Platinum), Hasan Ali (Platinum), Faheem Ashraf (Diamond), Shadab Khan (Diamond, Brand Ambassador), Alex Hales (Gold, Team Mentor), Mohammad Wasim Jnr (Gold) and Paul Stirling (Silver) Lahore Qalandars Rashid Khan (Platinum), Shaheen Shah Afridi (Platinum), Haris Rauf (Diamond, Brand Ambassador), David Wiese and Mohammad Hafeez (Diamond), Ahmed Daniyal, Sohail Akhtar and Zeeshan Ashraf (Silver) Multan Sultans Mohammad Rizwan, Rilee Rossouw (both Platinum), Imran Tahir (Diamond, Mentor), Sohaib Maqsood (Diamond), Khushdil Shah (Gold, Brand Ambassador), Shahnawaz Dahani and Shan Masood (both Gold) Peshawar Zalmi Liam Livingstone, Wahab Riaz (both Platinum), Haider Ali, Sherfane Rutherford, Shoaib Malik (all Diamond), Hussain Talat (Gold), Saqib Mahmood (Gold, Brand Ambassador) and Tom Kohler-Cadmore (Silver) Quetta Gladiators James Vince, Sarfaraz Ahmed (both Platinum), Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz (both Diamond), Shahid Afridi (Gold, Mentor), Mohammad Hasnain (Gold, Brand Ambassador) and Naseem Shah (Gold)

Kingshuk Kusari ∙ 28 Oct 2021

T20 World Cup | All conquering Pakistan looking to make '3 in 3' vs tricky customers Afghanistan

A confident Afghanistan would be up against the strong and unfazed Pakistan side in the Dubai International Stadium on Friday 29 October. This would be Pakistan's third match of the Super 12 stage which could essentially seal them a position in the semi finals of the T20 World Cup. The Babar Azam-led side have bulldozed over the strongest opposition of the group and in all likelihood, they would do the same against minnows Namibia and Scotland. And hence this is the last match of the group stage where they face a team that is well regarded in the T2o format of the game. A strong challenge of spin Not a lot of teams have the variety and the talent that is offered by the Afghan bowling unit. It houses this generation’s most influential spin bowler in Rashid Khan, someone who has been active for about 5-6 years now and still shows no signs of slowing down. There is no doubt that Rashid Khan has the ceiling to retire as the highest wicket-taker in the history of T20 Internationals but it is astonishing how quickly he has come into the contention. Currently, he is the fourth in the list of wicket-takers in T20Is with 99 wickets to his name, and in all likelihood will pass Tim Southee (100) in the next game. The chart is led by Shakib Al Hasan with 117 wickets in 93 matches followed by the legendary Lasith Malinga with 107 wickets from 84 games. And here is where it gets interesting, Rashid Khan, is being compared to bowlers of that stature having achieved his feat in just 52 games. If you were to see off Rashid in the conditions of the UAE, you are faced with the challenge of the mystery spin of Mujeeb Ur Rahman. He outdid Rashid in the last game by picking up 5 wickets for just 20 runs. While certainly not as prolific as his SRH compatriot, Mujeeb’s variations can be tricky to face in these kinds of pitches. Afghanistan’s ability to hit sixes When West Indies won their T20 World Cups, it was based around the system of maximising big shots. The idea was that it is okay for you to concede dot balls if you could compensate for that with your big-hitting prowess. While their glory days are far beyond them, Afghanistan seem to have adopted that school of thought. In their previous match against Scotland, Afghanistan conceded 43 dot balls, which is just over 7 overs worth of dot balls in T20 cricket, and they still managed to score 190 runs. Now superimpose this with the two innings that have gone over 170 runs in the Super 12 stage and you would find the magic revealed. In the match between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, the two teams scored 172 and 171 runs respectively with SL winning the game with 7 balls remaining. Both teams conceded a total of 33 dot balls, much lower than Afghanistan. Not only did Afghanistan not score more runs than both the teams mentioned above, but they also scored more runs by not keeping the scoreboard busy. And here’s where we arrive at our point - Afghanistan batters love to hit their big shots. They hit 11 sixes against Scotland - the highest in a single game in this tournament and they hit 11 boundaries. Barring one batsman (Rahmanullah Gurbaz) every single player had a strike rate north of 145. So beware Pakistan, the fight is coming to you and it is coming to you hard. Pakistan’s artillery Afghanistan might be trying to hit it big, but it will be difficult to do against the quicks from Pakistan. Their slowest of the three pacers Hasan Ali bowls at a nippy pace of 140ks, and their other two are quite literally amongst the fastest bowlers in the world. It will not be easy for Afghanistan to hit these bowlers out of the park, especially in the ground like Dubai. It is a different case when you mishit in Sharjah - the ball might still land into the stands, but that is not going to happen in the big outfield of Dubai. And that is where Afghanistan batters will face their main challenge. Pakistan have played both of their matches on this ground and probably understand the conditions better. It will be a different challenge for the Afghan batters in this behemoth of a ground. Match Details Afghanistan vs Pakistan Match No. 24, Super 12, Group 2 Date & Time - 29 October, 7:30 PM IST (6 PM Local) Venue - Dubai International Stadium, Dubai Broadcast - Star Sports Network, Hotstar Pitch Report The two matches that Pakistan have played in Dubai have offered contrasting openings to the match. In their first one against India, they ball nipped back into the right-handers and put the Indian top order in a lot of trouble. It’s entirely possible that given that this is a night game, and the skill that the pace bowlers have, it will nip a little in the first two overs, but from there it will be a flat batting track. The last two night matches in this venue have suggested that the ball is reverse swinging at the back end of the game. Against New Zealand, Shaheen Shah Afridi did it, and last night it was Mitchell Starc who seemed to have extracted quite a lot of nip as the ball got older. So, if you win the toss, choose to bowl first. Team news Afghanistan Afghanistan have no injuries and are expected to keep the same XI. They are coming off a strong win against Scotland and will look to make it two in two against Pakistan. Playing XI Hazratullah Zazai, Mohammad Shahzad (wk), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi (c), Asghar Afghan, Gulbadin Naib, Karim Jannat, Rashid Khan, Naveen-ul-Haq, Mujeeb Ur Rahman Pakistan Two players suffered blows in the last game for Pakistan. One was Imad Wasim, who hurt his right knee while batting and the second was Asif Ali who was dazed by a bouncer from Tim Southee and had to take the concussion test twice in the same game. There has been no confirmation about either of them from the Pakistan camp and there is no indication that there will be changes made in the first XI. However, one can expect that if Asif Ali does not make it to the XI, former captain Sarfaraz Ahmed might walk into the team. Playing XI Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Asif Ali/Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Imad Wasim, Hasan Ali, Haris Rauf, Shaheen Shah Afridi CE Fantasy XI Mohammad Rizwan (vc), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Hazratullah Zazai, Mohammad Nabi, Shadab Khan, Rashid Khan, Hasan Ali, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Shaheen Shah Afridi (c)

T20 World Cup | AFG vs SCO: GAME! SET! MATCH! Afghanistan destroy Scotland in all departments

Afghanistan captain Mohammad Nabi had said that a win in the match against Scotland will bring smiles on the faces of the fans back home. Well, Nabi’s men and especially Mujeeb ur Rahman and Rashid Khan did what the doctor ordered and ripped through the Scotland batting unit in Sharjah on Monday. Chasing 191 in 20 overs, Scotland could only manage to score 60 runs in 10.2 overs with Mujeeb picking up a fifer while Rashid returning with a four-wicket haul during the course to win the match by 130 runs. Scotland started off the proceedings in a decent manner as openers George Munsey and captain Kyle Coetzer stitched a stand of 28 runs for the first wicket before the latter was cleaned up by Mujeeb which certainly broke the shackles and Scotland were soon reduced to 28/3 at the end of the fourth over. The misery continued for Coetzer’s side as they lost a couple of more wickets in the power play overs with Munsey being sent back in the hut by Mujeeb for 25 off 18, a knock that included a couple of maximums and as many fours. The wickets kept tumbling at regular intervals and Scotland were left tottering at 53/8 to eventually get bowled out. Mujeeb’s five-for came at the cost of just 20 runs in 4 overs while Rashid returned with figures of 4/9 in 2.2 overs. Earlier, in the day, Hazratullah Zazai and Mohammad Shahzad gave Afghanistan a brisk start as the two batters put 54 for the first wicket in less than 6 overs. While Shahzad departed for a 15-ball22, Zazai continued with his onslaught and struck 44 off 30 including three sixes and three fours. Afghanistan were 82/2 in the 10th over when Gurbaz was joined by Najibullah and what unleashed next was a nightmare for the Scotland bowling unit. The two batsmen put on a partnership of 87 runs for the third wicket. Gurbaz fell short of a half-century by just four runs while Najibullah went on to score 59 in 34 deliveries. Captain Nabi also chipped in with a quick-fire 11* off 4 to help the side post 190/4 in 20 overs. Afghanistan captain Mohammad Nabi acknowledged the importance of winning in the start of the tournament and also hailed the openers for their knock. The right-hander further lavished praise on the spin department and the way they fared. “It's important to win at the start of the tournament. Both the openers started well, we finished the powerplay on a good note. The running between the wickets was good and Najib played well to help as post that total,” he said in the post-match presentation. “We have some good spinners in the form of Rashid and Mujeeb, they played everywhere in the world. We have a very good team combination,” he added. Scotland will now play Namibia on Wednesday in Abu Dhabi while Afghanistan will be up against Pakistan in Dubai on Friday.

T20 World Cup | AFG vs SCO: Mohammad Nabi and co. need to yard out Scotland to begin their campaign

It’s yet another World Cup and once again Afghanistan team is in contention, not for making it to the semi-finals but at least upsetting one or two against and making their road difficult for them to reach the semi-finals. That road would however have to be travelled through by meaning out the so-called easy challenges, the first of which is in the form of Scotland. But it would be no easy challenge by any means, to say the least. Different routes to the Super 12 Leading up to the World Cup, the last few months haven’t been easy for the Afghanistan team. The regime change in their country meant that its coaches Lance Klusener, Shaun Tait and recently inducted Andy Flower were not in contact with the entire team for quite some time. Hence the time together that the team has spent with all its staff is even less than a month. But even after that, the kind of form that the Afghan side has shown in the warm-up games has been amazing. They beat defending champions West Indies outrightly and gave a tough time to South Africa too. On the other hand, Scotland, which is not a permanent member of the ICC, has done exceedingly well coming into the Super 12. They beat Bangladesh in their first match and then kept their composure to win against Oman and Papua New Guinea to get through to the next round for the first time in their history. Even their preparation coming into the World Cup as they won three out of four games before the tournament which included two warm-up games, but all those matches were against Associate nations. Thus taking them lightly would be no good to Afghanistan at all. What's at stake? For Afghanistan, this is a game that could very well shape their campaign. With Pakistan beating India comprehensively in their first match, Afghanistan wouldn’t have it easy in their second game against the neighbours. Hence if they lose even their first game, they would be very low on confidence going into the big game. For Scotland, it is an occasion to show their skills and what they are made up of. If they win this one and can get one past Namibia, then not only would they give a better account of themselves, but could also bring in a lot of funding to their game. Now that they already have an ODI status, and with ICC already having 13 teams in the ICC Super League, they might as well make their case for a 14 team Super League and get more chances at the bigger stage. Afghanistan vs Scotland: Match Details Match Number - 17 Date and Time: October 25, 2021, 07:30 pm IST, 06:00 pm Local, 2:00 pm GMT Venue: Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah Broadcast and Livestream: Star Sports and Hotstar Pitch Report The wicket at Sharjah in the last game played well as even a total beyond 170 was chased by Sri Lanka against Bangladesh which had a formidable bowling attack. Agreed that the Bangladeshi team made a lot of errors and dropped crucial catches, but still, the wicket was better than before for stroke-making and hence Scottish players, if they can apply themselves a bit better, could pose a decent enough challenge for the Afghans. Weather Forecast The temperatures in the evening are going to remain in between the higher twenties to mid-thirties throughout the game. Humidity will be low, below 45 and hence not much sweating for the players as compared to the recently concluded IPL. This would also mean that there would be dew as the evening approaches night. Thus the best bet in such conditions would be to win the toss and bowl first, give your spinners a chance to use the wicket first and try and extract some help. Chasing would be easy as the ball would skid along. Team News Afghanistan The Afghan side would be chummed with its last warm-up game and would like to get a smooth combination going with PSL star Hazratullah Zazai and in form Mohammad Shahzad opening the batting. Rahmatullah Gurbaz and Asghar Afghan in the middle are more than good enough to build the innings and with the finishing abilities of Mohammad Nabi and Rashid Khan, the batting lineup looks as good as any. The fact that Afghanistan are lacking in fast bowler is a problem that might haunt them a little. Probable XI Hazratullah Zazai, Mohammad Shahzad (wk), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Najibullah Zadran, Asghar Afghan, Mohammad Nabi (c), Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb ur Rahman, Naveen ul Haq, Hamid Hassan Scotland Scotland on the other hand would look to continue with the winning momentum and anyway tier spinners have done well, so no point in bringing about any change in the Playing XI. Probable XI George Munsey, Kyle Coetzer (c), Matthew Cross (wk), Richie Berrington, Calum MacLeod, Michael Leask, Chris Greaves, Mark Watt, Josh Davey, Safyaan Sharif, Bradley Wheal CE XI Fantasy team Wicketkeeper Mohammad Shahzad Batters Hazratullah Zazai, George Munsey, Calum MacLeod All-rounders Richie Berrington, Chris Greaves, Mohammad Nabi Bowlers Mark Watt, Josh Davey, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb ur Rahman Vice-Captain Richie Berrington Captain Mohammad Nabi

PSL 2021 | Eliminator 2: Hazratullah Zazai butchers Islamabad to send Zalmi to their 4th Final

There are days when a certain batsman takes a whole team out, for Hazratullah Zazai, there isn’t just one day, it’s every day. Right after slaughtering Karachi Kings in the first Eliminator on June 22, the Afghan international came back a day later to butcher Islamabad out of the Pakistan Super League’s title race as well. With this eight-wicket win, the Zalmi confirmed their fourth entry into a PSL Final. They would now face first-time finalists Multan Sultans at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium on June 24. Playing only his fourth match in the league, the left-hander showed maturity and instead of getting bogged down by the controlled Islamabad bowling at the start of the chase. Once settled, he started his usual carnage, hitting sixes and fours at will. In his knock of 66 from 44 balls, the 23-year-old hit six fours and four humungous sixes on the grass banks in the stadium. For such blistering innings to survive, chances are important and Zazai too was offered a chance when United wicketkeeper Mohammad Akhlaq spilt a straightforward catch off the bowling of Hasan Ali in only the third over of the innings. The southpaw was batting at just seven then. Zazai won his third Man of the Match in the tournament in just his fourth appearance. He was partnered well by debutant Jonathan Wells from Australia. He came on after Kamran Akmal chopped one on to his stumps in the very first over of the innings. The duo added 126 in just 81 balls to simplify the 175 run chase for their team. The Adelaide Striker’s veteran was into his element right from the beginning, just after negotiating a horrific mixup on the very first ball that he faced. Wells made a well compiled 55 off 43 balls and remained unbeaten alongside Shoaib Malik to see his team home. Reacting after the two losses and on being forced to bow out of the tournament even after being the best team till the league stage, skipper Shadab Khan was disappointed but vowed to come back strong next year and win the title for the United fans. “We didn't put in the kind of performances (in the playoffs) that we were doing earlier. In these pressure games, it's important to have a grip on your nerves. Other teams played better than us, credit to them,” said the 22-year-old captain. “..that catch of Zazai, if it had been taken, things could have been different. Lots of positives this season, hopefully, we will come back even stronger next year and try to make Islamabad a champion,” Shadab added. Earlier in the evening, after winning the toss, Zalmi skipper invited Islamabad to bat first. United had a horrific start as its most in-form batsman, Usman Khawaja was run out in the most unfortunate of the manners when the ball driven straight by Colin Munro, ricochet from bowler Malik’s shoelaces to hit the stumps at the non-striker’s end. Munro tried his level best to get Islamabad out of that early shock with his 29 balls 44. But his dismissal, in which he was given out after a thin edge was reviewed Wahab on wicket-keeper Akmal’s request, put the red brigade in a lot of discomforts. All their batsmen failed one by one including the star layers like Asif Ali and Iftikhar Ahmed. At 110-8 in the 17th over, the maximum that Islamabad were looking for or could hope to get to was 140. But Hasan Ali had other plans as the bowler went berserk with the bat, hitting five fours and three sixes to reach 45 off just 15 balls before being run out on the penultimate delivery of the 20th over. Mohammad Wasim Jr. stood alongside him to score 17 off 11 balls to push Islamabad to a more than a defendable total of 175. From Zalmi’s point of view inclusion of both Wells and Amad Butt for this game was successful as Butt was the pick of the bowlers for his team, going for just 26 runs in his four overs and picking up the wicket of dangerous-looking Brandon Kings. Skipper Wahab was impressed with the team’s attitude and hope that they could carry the same to the final in a day. He also thanked the Zalmi fans for their support throughout the campaign. “There is no fear. They [players] are playing very good cricket, so I'll just say the pressure is on them [Multan Sultans] again. Let's see if they can handle it. The way my boys have played, they deserve the day off. They need to relax and prepare for the final,” he said. “The fans supported us, prayed for us. It was a difficult route we took to the final but it's a great feeling,” added the 36-year-old veteran.

PSL 2021 | Eliminator 1: Poor fielding costs Karachi as Hazratullah Zazai gets Zalmi one step closer to Finale

It was a night of missed chances for Karachi Kings as they dropped many chances and eventually the match to bow out of the Pakistan Super League 2021. Defending a strong total of 175, the Kings were demolished early on by a storm called Hazratullah Zazai. But when they crawled their way back and needed to defend 7 off the last ball, Sherfane Rutherford offered an easy catch at Point, he was dropped by Danish Aziz. In the 19th over, bowled by Mohammad Amir, a flying shot went near fine leg, but the fielder, Noor Ahmad did not commit himself to it. And finally, when just one run was required and the Karachi skipper Imad Wasim brought the field, another simple chance was created at mid-on, Thisara Perera wasn’t able to judge it and thus after many chances went begging, Zalmi managed to sneak through for a win by five wickets. While chasing, Zazai’s 38 balls 77 in which he hit 10 fours and five sixes had made it extremely easy for the Zalmi to sail through. However, the Kings did not give up and kept striking at the right moment to bring the equation down to 28 off 19 balls. However, Rutherford (17 off 10 balls) and Rovman Powell (1 off 3) kept their calm and saw their team through with a 13 run partnership, even as senior pro-Shoaib Malik (30 off 25 balls) fell before securing the victory for the team. Among the bowlers, Perera was the best of the lot going for just 10 runs in his two overs and also picking the crucial wickets of Zazai and Imam-ul-Haq. Other than him, Amir, Noor and Mohammad Ilyas picked one wicket each. Reacting to the loss, Karachi skipper Wasim rued missed chances but also commended his players for putting a fight every time they were asked to. “We played very good cricket but were 10-20 runs short. Bowlers bowled well, but we dropped a couple of catches. We'll come back hard next year with a different mindset,” he said. Earlier in the night, after winning the toss, Peshawar sent in Karachi to bat first. The Kings were given a cautious start by Babar Azam and Sharjeel Khan. But Sharjeel once again failed to convert his start as the first wicket fell on 41. Martin Guptill disappointed once again, getting out for a first-ball duck. Wickets kept falling even as Babar notched up yet another fifty. But much like in earlier games, just at the time of acceleration, he got out, caught by Powell off Wahab Riaz. Hadn’t it been for the 18 balls 37 run and nine-ball 16 run cameos from Perera and Imad respectively, the Kings would have been defending an even lower total. Riaz, Mohammad Irfan and Umaid Asif picked two wickets each for Zalmi. Reacting to the victory, the 36-year-old Zalmi skipper said, “The boys put in a collective performance today, put in their all on the park and it gives me great pleasure as the captain.” Courtesy of this victory, the team from Peshawar would now clash with Islamabad United in the second Eliminator on June 22 at the Shiekh Zayed Stadium. The winner of this game would then enter the Finals and olay the first time finalists Multan Sultans on June 24. Playing mind games before the all-important second Eliminator, Wahab said, “Pressure is on Islamabad I feel because of the way in which they have played all tournament. Hopefully, we can put in another good performance tomorrow.”

PSL 2021, Eliminator 1 Preview: Old rivals Peshawar, Karachi clash in pursuit of survival

Owing to a decent performance in the do or die match against Quetta Gladiators, Karachi Kings eventually made a place for themselves in the playoffs and will now play Peshawar Zalmi in the eliminator 1. Karachi’s qualification meant that Lahore Qalandars were eliminated from the tournament. Well, all said and done, the Imad Qasim-led side will now be locking horns with the Zalmi team who have some world class players in the ranks. From captain Wahab Riaz to experienced all-rounder Shoaib Malik, Peshawar have a good and strong line up. While a few players had to leave the PSL mid-way for national duties, Zalmi found a new aggressive batsman in Zazai who is equipped enough to take on the bowling attack at a brisk pace. In fact, it was Zazai’s onslaught that handed Zalmi an easy win over Karachi earlier in the league stage. Karachi on the other side have Babar Azam who has been in terrific form in this competition and fast bowler Mohammad Amir who is certainly an exceptional talent. Apart from these two, opener Sharjeel Khan has the ability to go after the bowlers at any given stage. The only issue that Karachi has faced is Babar Azam’s scoring rate especially while chasing. The team management definitely needs to fix this up in this all important match. The sides have faced each other twice in this competition and have a win apiece to their name. Interestingly, both the teams won while chasing the target and by 6 wickets. The winner of this match will play the loser of the Qualifier in the Eliminator 2 while the team that suffers defeat in Eliminator 1 bows out. Match Details Match: PSZ vs KRK, Eliminator 1, Pakistan Super League 2021 Date: Monday, June 21, 2021 Time: 11:30 PM Venue: Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi Pitch Report The tracks in Abu Dhabi have been pretty slow and have had something on offer to the spinners. But the scheduled timing of the match might be taken into consideration as there can be dew factor which can help the batsmen. So, if you win the toss bowl first. Team News Peshawar Zalmi: Three players, David Miller, Fabian Allen and Fidel Edwards had departed for national duties as South Africa and West Indies are slated to lock horns in a T20I series. But players like Zazai, Kamran Akmal, Malik, and skipper Wahab Riaz can play an important role in getting some fruitful results. Karachi Kings: Karachi Kings have a formidable batting line up and some good bowlers to give them stability in the big match. The only issue that needs to be tweaked is Babar Azam’s scoring rate when the side is chasing a target. He needs to accelerate after getting his eye in. Though, his form isn’t really a cause of concern as he has been among the runs in this competition. Probable XI Peshawar Zalmi: Hazratullah Zazai, Kamran Akmal (wk), Imam-ul-Haq, Shoaib Malik, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Abrar Ahmed, Wahab Riaz (c), Umaid Asif, Waqar Salamkheil, Sameen Gul Karachi Kings: Sharjeel Khan, Babar Azam, Martin Guptill, Najibullah Zadran, Chadwick Walton (wk), Imad Wasim (c), Noor Ahmad, Danish Aziz, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Ilyas, Arshad Iqbal Fantasy XI Kamran Akmal, Sharjeel Khan, Babar Azam (C), Shoaib Malik, Sherfane Rutherford, Imad Wasim (VC), Rovman Powell, Umaid Asif, Arshad-Iqbal, Mohammad Ilyas, Wahab Riaz

PSL 2021 | PSZ vs KRK: Hazratullah Zazai, bowlers help Zalmi make easy work of Karachi Kings

Hazratullaz Zazai, playing his first Pakistan Super League game made sure that it would definitely not be his last, rather there would be many more to come. The left-hander hit eight fours and four sixes to lead Zalmi to a comprehensive six-wicket win and climb to the second spot in the PSL Points Table. Be it experienced Mohammad Amir or domestic pace bowlers in Aamer Yamin, Abbas Afridi and Wasqas Maqsood, the talented Afghan didn’t spare anyone as he dealt in boundaries to make a scintillating 26 balls 63. Even when he got out, it was only while trying to hit the winning runs quickly that he missed straighter delivery from Karachi Kings skipper Imad Wasim. Peshawar was chasing a small target of 109 and Zazai made sure that there were no hiccups even as experienced opener Kamran Akmal departed in the second over of the innings. The 23-year-old paired up with Haider Ali and added 84 runs in just 38 balls for the second wicket. The Afghan, who hit the fastest fifty by an overseas batsman (17 balls) and joint fastest for any batsman in PSL, was chosen as Man of the Match for his brilliant performance. Hadn’t it been for the three quick wickets within just one run, most likely Zalmi would have won it by nine wickets and a few more balls to spare. Imad picked up two wickets in his first over of the game as Shoaib Malik once again fell for a duck trying to hit a six to finish the match early. Haider was stumped scampering out of his crease as Noor Ahmad bowled it wide outside off for wicketkeeper Chadwick Walton to remove the stumps. Two West Indians Rovman Powell and Sherfane Rutherford stayed till the end to watch Zalmi through. Karachi captain Imad was clearly upset with the loss but showed his determination by saying, “Nothing to lose now, we have our backs against the wall, and we just have to win now.” “If we think we can't make it, there's no point in playing, so we'll give it our best shot. Let's see how it goes,” he added in his post-match interview. Earlier in the night, Zalmi skipper Wahab Riaz won the toss and took the new ball himself. In the very first over he struck with a toe crushing inswinger to Babar Azam who was removed for a golden duck. Sameen Gul, another player playing his first PSL 2021 game then bowled two brilliant swing deliveries to get the wickets of Martin Guptill and Walton. While to Guptill it was an unplayable outswinger, Walton had no answers to an angling inswinger that hit the new man’s pads even before he could react. From there on wickets just kept falling as a third first timer in PSL 2021 for Zalmi, Abrar Ahmed helped himself to three dismissals. In fact, he was the pick of the bowlers for Zalmi with figures of 3-14. At 73-7 in 16 overs, Karachi were staring at getting bundled out under 100 but for Abbas Afridi, who with the help of his lusty blows got the Kings past 100. He was the top-scored for the blue brigade with an unbeaten 27 from 18 balls. Reacting to the win and promotion in the Points Table, Zalmi captain Wahab was happy with the win but cautioned his batsmen against their attitude. “The way Zazai batted, he took the pressure off, and he made the opposition-run out of bowling options,” Riaz said during the post-match presentation. “In the last three games we have been losing wickets in clumps and we have to work hard and think about it. The batsmen who are playing have to carry it through, otherwise, good teams don't let you make a comeback,” he added. Both these teams will be in action once again on Thursday, June 17. While Zalmi would be up against Shadab Khan’s men from Islamabad who have already qualified, Karachi would look to bounce back from three defeats in a row when it takes on Lahore Qalandars, who themselves have been struggling for the last two games. Both these games would be played at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi.

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