FAISAL MIRZA, HEAD OF PLAYER REQUISITION AND MANAGEMENT

FAISAL MIRZA, HEAD OF PLAYER REQUISITION AND MANAGEMENT

Who am I and why should you care? A question I was asked over 15 years back now for the first time, and my answer that first time was probably the most heartfelt – I am the only Pakistani alive to be endeavouring to get a degree in Sports Marketing, against all odds, and I have a singular aim of changing the way sports is managed in Pakistan. That journey started almost two decades back now, and though I can’t say I’ve achieved all that was needed, we’ve all come a long way, and there’s still a long way to go.

I have been involved in various iterations of what was initially called the Pakistan Premier League and in its current and real incarnation now is called the Pakistan Super League, whether it be concept development of the property, bidding for it, or as now, taking care of a few critical components of the League. I realise this sounds more like a eulogy now, but I’ve been questioned on numerous occasions as to why there’s a paternal tinge to my handling of the PSL – this preceding prologue should give an insight as to why.

The one component held as critical, in fact imperative to the success of any league, is the acquisition of top talent available and attracting them in to the property to be a part of it. This was one of my core areas of responsibility, and while top player acquisition was a very gratifying task, what’s really been heart-warming to see is our local emerging players stand up and be counted. I felt myself stretched beyond reason at times in fighting almost at times, whether within the team or when faced with opposition from team selectors, to not only justify the necessity of these juniors in each team, but also to highlight the long term and immeasurable impact their participation in such a league would mean for their cricketing careers going forward as well as for Pakistan Cricket.

I had the honour and privilege of conducting the first ever Draft conducted in the Sub-continent, for the PSL late last year, and though calling out the names everyone knows – Afridi, Gayle, Malik, Watson, Pietersen, and so on, was a feeling I can’t begin to explain, as it represented the culmination of months of sleepless nights and endless days spent negotiating with Boards, Associations, and agents, what really gave me a sense of fulfilment was when Quetta Gladiators picked Mohammad Nawaz, Peshawar Zalmi picked Mohammad Asghar, and others equally talented youngsters went to various teams.

Seeing Nawaz uproot Watson’s stumps, and watching Zia get the edge of KP’s bat – that has been the high point of my PSL. Not for the cricketing feats they represent, but for the achievement of the efforts of a small and dedicated few driven to change the destiny of Pakistan cricket to mould it to a bigger, brighter vision we all share for it – to take its place among the top echelon of world cricket.

15TH MATCH REPORT: LAHORE QALANDARS VS PESHAWAR ZALMI

Delport shines for Lahore as they seal victory by 4 runs in a thrilling encounter

Lahore Qalandars desperately needed a win to have any hopes of making it through to the play offs, against a Peshawar Zalmi side which is being billed by experts as favourites to win the tournament. Shahid Afridi won the toss and elected to field first. Azhar Ali was back to lead the Qalandars and opened the innings along with Chris Gayle. Junaid Khan bowled the first over was Zalmi and there was drama straight away! He got Lahore’s danger man Chris Gayle once again for a duck, with a fuller delivery that kept low and hit him on the pads. Gayle was extremely unfortunate with that decision, as hawkeye showed that the ball would have swayed down the leg stump. With that dismissal, Zalmi were ecstatic as Cameron Delport made his way in the middle next. He supported Azhar well in the beginning before taking charge as Lahore picked up momentum and began to score some runs.

Darren Sammy picked up Azhar in the 9th over courtesy an easy catch for Tamim Iqbal at deep wicket. Umar Akmal joined Delport in the middle, and these two explosive batsmen let loose and put on an amazing partnership. Both batsmen began to hit the ball cleanly and took on every single bowler. Delport pulled away Wahab Riaz for a spectacular six, while Akmal only dealt in boundaries on the other end. They put on a 100 run partnership before Cameron Delport departed after an impressive knock (78 from 61) in the very last over as he tried to hit one for six off Junaid Khan. Akmal finished the innings with a boundary and remained not out at 52 from 31 balls, as Lahore Qalandars put up a competitive total of 164/3 in their allotted overs.

The tournament’s best opening pair, Tamim Iqbal and Mohammad Hafeez started proceedings smoothly for Peshawar Zalmi with some good stroke play early on. It seemed they were going to put on another big partnership together until Azhar Ali took one of the catches of the tournament to dismiss Hafeez cheaply off Kevon Cooper. Tamim kept timing the ball beautifully, with some elegant shots all over the ground. He was joined by Kamran Akmal who looked to play second fiddle, as Tamim was in the form of his life. Just as he was beginning to look dangerous, Tamim (30 from 22) was dismissed by Delport as he played a lazy shot straight into the keeper’s hands. Dawid Malan stepped in next, and both batsmen took their time before they started to score some runs. After spending some time in the middle, Malan dispatched Zohaib Khan for a glorious six, as it was anybody’s match with Peshawar Zalmi at 78/2 after their first ten overs. Kamran Akmal fell in the 11th over as Azhar took another catch, this time off Delport’s bowling as Afridi came on to bat with the crowd going wild.

Once again, Afridi went back as quickly as he came in, after hitting one high up in the air as Delport took his third wicket, in what was turning out to be a great day for him with both bat and ball. Things were looking bleak for Zalmi before Shahid Yousuf and Malan lashed out at Adnan Rasool in the 14th over, putting him away for 20 runs and the stage was set for a thrilling finish. With five overs remaining, Zalmi needed 42 runs with Malan looking well set. Kevon Cooper fielded brilliantly off his own bowling to run out Yousuf as Qalandars began to pile on the pressure in the last few overs. Sammy was next and was dismissed by lofting an easy catch to Zohaib Khan at cover in the same over as Zalmi lost two crucial wickets in quick succession. Malan was caught leg before by Kevon Cooper in the 19th over as the Qalandars celebrated hard sniffing a much needed victory. Ehsan Adil bowled the last over as Zalmi needed 16 runs with Wahab and Junaid batting. Wahab smashed him for a six, and Zalmi needed 6 runs from the last ball to seal victory. Adil bowled a low full toss which Wahab missed, as Qalandars’ fans breathed a sigh of relief! Lahore won the match by 4 runs and can still make it to the play offs, much to the relief of all their fans as another thrilling encounter came to an end in the HBL PSL.

Lahore Qalandars hang on for four-run win

Lahore Qalandars 164 for 3 (Delport 78, Akmal 52*) beat Peshawar Zalmi 160 for 7 (Malan 42, Tamim 30, Delport 3-18, Cooper 3-25) by four runs :

Cameron Delport slammed his third half-century of the season and picked up three crucial wickets, setting up a four-run win for Lahore Qalandars against Peshawar Zalmi in Sharjah. Chasing a stiff target of 165, Peshawar recovered from a top-order wobble through some big hitting from Dawid Malan, but the team did not have enough to get over the line. However, despite the defeat, other results in the tournament meant that Peshawar were through to the playoffs.

Lahore, after being inserted, lost Chris Gayle for a first-ball duck, but Delport put up fifty-plus stands with Azhar Ali (25) and Umar Akmal to seize the advantage. Delport's partnership with Akmal for the third wicket yielded 101 runs; Delport hit six fours and three sixes for his 78, while Akmal's 31-ball 52 featured six fours. Their efforts ensured that Peshawar needed to chase at more than eight an over right from the off.

Just as he had done in the previous game, Tamim Iqbal kept the runs flowing for Peshawar with a quick 30, but the team lost wickets in a cluster to soon fall to 95 for 4. Peshawar needed 70 runs from 46 balls at that time, but Malan blew new wind into his team's chase by blasting a 35-ball 42 with three sixes. His blows brought the equation down to 18 off the last two overs, but Malan was trapped lbw by Kevon Cooper off the first ball in the penultimate over, tilting the contest back Lahore's way. Peshawar needed 16 off the last over, and despite a six from Wahab Riaz, they could only muster 160 for 7. Cooper (3 for 25) and Delport (3 for 18) were the pick of the bowlers for Lahore.

PAKISTAN SUPER LEAGUE Injured Shane Watson out of Pakistan Super League

Injured Shane Watson out of Pakistan Super League:

Islamabad United’s hopes of mounting a comeback in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) were dealt a serious blow after their star all-rounder Shane Watson was ruled out of the remainer of the tournament with an abdominal injury.

Watson, who scored 194 runs and bowled some crucial overs in the five PSL games, was vital to United’s prospects in the league after they slumped to the bottom of the table along with Lahore Qalandars.

It has been learnt that the 34-year-old Aussie is likely to be replaced by former Pakistan all-rounder Azhar Mahmood, who would join United as a ‘foreign’ player.

The PSL’s official Twitter handle confirmed the news: “JUST IN Bad news for @IsbUnited as their star player @ShaneRWatson33 is out of the #HBLPSL with an abdominal injury.”

Injuries have seriously hampered United’s cause in the PSL with captain Misbah-ul-Haq, Andre Russell and Mohamamd Sami all picking up niggles.

Pakistan Super League's Anti-Corruption Head Warns of Life Ban

Pakistan Super League head Azam Khan said has warned players, team officials and franchise owners of life ban if found guilty of spot fixing or involvement in any other form of corruption during the tournament

Karachi: The head of Pakistan Super League's anti-corruption and security vigilance unit has warned players, team officials and franchise owners of life ban if found guilty of spot fixing or involvement in any other form of corruption during the tournament. (Pakistan Cricket Board Relying on Twenty20 Super League to Boost Revenue)

According to Colonel (retd) Azam Khan, Pakistan Cricket Board had learnt a lot from the corruption scandals that unfolded in other leagues in recent times.

"We learnt a lot from what happened in the IPL and Bangladesh Leagues and there anti-corruption and security models also helped us in finalising our model for the PS. We have put in a strong security, vigilance and anti-corruption plan into place," Azam said.

"We have made it clear to all franchises that players, officials or franchise owners found guilty of any wrong doing or undesirable activities will face a life ban.

"It is a big challenge for us to ensure the PSL is transparent and corruption free. We picked up a lot of things and put them into place from the models of other leagues."

Azam said their task was to ensure the image of Pakistan cricket didn't suffer in PSL.

"We also sought advice from the ICC anti-corruption and security unit in preparing our plan. We have issued sims of one cellular company to everyone in the league and we have round the clock security at the hotel where teams are staying," he added.

Azam said that players and officials had also been advised to avoid using social media networks during the course of the league.

Thisara Perera Makes History, Takes Hat-Trick Against India in Ranchi Twenty20

Thisara Perera had a memorable evening as he became the first Sri Lankan to take a hat-trick in the second Twenty20 International against India in Ranchi. This was also the fourth hat-trick by any bowler in Twenty20 International History

Thisara Perera stole the show in the second Twenty20 International against India by becoming the first Sri Lankan bowler to take a hat-trick in Twenty20 Internationals. He is now the fourth bowler to take a hat-trick in this format. (Scorecard | Highlights)

Bowling the 19th over, Perera, who had figures of 2-0-26-0 before the start of the over, was all over the place in his first three balls but struck gold in his fourth ball when he got rid of Hardik Pandya for 27, as he mistimed a full toss to long on. In the next ball, Suresh Raina attempted to paddle a low full toss but found Dushmantha Chameera at short fine leg.

On the final ball, Perera bowled another full toss and Yuvraj Singh only managed to hole out to long on as the Sri Lankan sealed a hat-trick.

Perera joined Brett Lee, Jacob Oram and Tim Southee are the other bowlers to have taken a hat-trick in the Twenty20 International format. Lee was the first to achieve the feat against Bangladesh in Cape Town during the 2007 Twenty20 World Cup. Jacob Oram did it at the Premadasa Stadium against Sri Lanka in 2009 while Tim Southee did it against Pakistan in Auckland in 2011.

Perera also has a hat-trick in ODIs, when he picked up 4/42 against Pakistan in Colombo in 2012.

Quetta Gladiators go top with big win

Quetta Gladiators 118 for 3 (Sarfraz 51*, Shehzad 41, Russell 3-18) beat Islamabad United117 (Watson 40, Elliott 3-25) by seven wickets 

After having been blown away by Umar Akmal's blitz on Monday night, Quetta Gladiators rebounded with a punishing win against Islamabad United, their fourth of the tournament, in Sharjah. Victory meant that Quetta took the top spot from Peshawar Zalmi, who had edged a thriller in the first match of the day. The Quetta bowlers vindicated Sarfraz Ahmed's decision to bowl by knocking over Islamabad for 117 in 19.1 overs. Sarfraz himself then led the chase with a typically busy fifty.

New Zealand allrounder Grant Elliott, who had cracked a fifty against Australia three days ago in Brendan McCullum's final ODI at Seddon Park, struck twice in two balls to set the match up for Quetta. Brad Haddin was first stumped by a canny back-of-the-hand slow roller, and then Sam Billings was trapped leg-before. Elliott's double-blow lifted Quetta, after a quick start from Shane Watson, who stood in as captain again; Misbah-ul-Haq was still injured.

The slide seeped into the lower order as well, with Imran Khalid's 18 being the second-best score, following Watson's 28-ball 40. The pitch had slowed down considerably, but Islamabad's shot selection was iffy. Each of Quetta's six bowlers punched his name into the wickets column, Elliott being the best with figures of 3 for 25.

Andre Russell, who had managed only 10 off 13 balls with the bat, engineered a double-strike of his own in the chase, and accounted for Quetta's top three. Sarfraz, however, built on opener Ahmed Shehzad's 41, and sealed the win with seven wickets and 23 balls to spare.

Sarfraz largely profited from sweeps and pulls during his unbeaten 51 off 39 balls, including six fours. Mohammad Nawaz, meanwhile, scratched his way to 14 not out off 21 balls, despite repeatedly getting beaten outside off by Saeed Ajmal.

Quetta thump Karachi to seal playoff spot

Quetta Gladiators 127 for 5 (Shehzad 41, Mir 2-27) beat Karachi Kings 126 for 9 (Malik 45, Elliott 4-15) by five wickets 

Grant Elliott picked up his second consecutive Man-of-the-Match award, helping Quetta Gladiators become the first team to seal a spot in PSL playoffs following their five-wicket win against Karachi Kings in Sharjah.

Elliott followed up his 3 for 25 against Islamabad United on Thursday with a career-best 4 for 15, carving through Karachi's top order and restricting the team to a below-par 126 for 9. Karachi's captain Shoaib Malik top-scored with 45, but nobody else made more than 23, as Elliott struck at regular intervals to thwart any momentum Karachi hoped of building. Anwar Ali, Zulfiqar Babar, Aizaz Cheema and Mohammad Nabi snared a scalp apiece, as Quetta were left needing just over six an over in their chase.

Ahmed Shehzad ensured Quetta aced the small chase without any major worry, as his 27-ball 41 guided the team home inside 19 overs. Karachi kept striking blows at various points, but did not have enough left to defend with, as handy knocks from Kevin Pietersen (26) and Sarfraz Ahmed (29) lifted Quetta to their fifth win of the season.

Pakistan Super League Will Find It Hard to Produce Players Like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma: Waqar Younis

Waqar Younis has stated that one should not expect the Pakistan Super League to churn out players like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma.

Pakistan head coach Waqar Younis has cautioned his countrymen not to expect the Pakistan Super League to immediately churn out players of the class of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, like the Indian Premier League has done for the game. (Pakistan's World Cup Record Against India At the Back of Our Minds: Waqar Younis)

"I think we shouldn’t keep our expectations high from the PSL in its first year. It will take time say three to four years before we can expect this league to also give us the Virat Kohlis or Rohit Sharmas like the IPL did for India," he said on Saturday from Sydney.

Waqar said obviously expectations were high that the PSL would help Pakistan cricket produce some outstanding talent like the IPL had done for the Indian team.

"But we need to be patient and give it atleast three to four years before we can expect the PSL to mould our young talent into international material players," he said.

Waqar however made it clear that while he understood the desire of the franchises to field the sides they think are best for their requirements, he would like to see more players selected in the Pakistan squad play in the ongoing PSL.

"I don’t know what the cricket board can do because after all this is a commercial entity and franchises have their own businesses and requirements. But it would be good if the players picked in the squad for the Asia Cup and World T20 events are given chances to play in the PSL," the former Test captain said.

Waqar clearly didn’t sound too happy with the way some of the Pakistan selected players have not been given regular chances by their franchises.

"I am a bit surprised that Babar Azam is not playing in all matches and Muhammad Irfan is not being tested out fully,” he added.

Waqar was optimistic that the PSL in the next few years would fill a big void in Pakistan cricket and allow young players the opportunity to groom themselves and become top products.

The Pakistan coach was also candid when asked whether he was satisfied with the squad selected for the two coming events.

"I don’t know whether you have spoken to chief selector Haroon Rasheed but I think it is best you speak to him about this. I was consulted by the selectors but it is their final decision on the squad," he stated.

12TH MATCH REPORT: LAHORE QALANDARS VS KARACHI KINGS

Bopara seals victory for Karachi single handedly with the performance of the tournament!

It was time for the big city derby in what was an important match with both teams sitting at the bottom of the table. The stadium was buzzing with excitement as the crowd poured in huge numbers. Dwayne Bravo was the stand in captain for Qalandars as Azhar Ali was rested, while the Kings were without the injured Mohammad Amir. Qalandars won the toss and elected to bowl first, with Nauman Anwar and Shoaib Malik opening the innings for Kings in what was a surprising move. There was drama in the very first over, with Kevin Cooper dropping an easy catch in the deep which would have sent Nauman back to the pavilion. His luck continued as he was dropped once again by Bravo a few overs later and made them pay with some big shots. Malik also got into his stride as Qalandars kept dropping opportunities at regular intervals. Nauman raced to 35 off 25 deliveries before Zohaib Khan dismissed him as he lofted one in the air and was caught at long on by Umar Akmal, who made no mistake that time. James Vince was next, but he fell cheaply as he played one off Zohaib straight to Bravo. Qalandars were finally beginning to hold on to their catches while Malik kept himself busy on the crease at kept scoring at a steady rate. With ten overs gone Karachi managed 73/2, and set themselves nicely for a decent total.

The dangerous Ravi Bopara joined his captain in the middle on the back of an incredible performance against Peshawar Zalmi. Lahore finally stepped up their game and tightened the screws a little, making it difficult for the batsmen to score freely. Malik was dismissed in the 13th over by Zafar Gohar after scoring 27 from 25 balls. Shakib Al Hasan and Imad Wasim could not stay on the crease for long, as Bopara took the responsibility of ensuring Karachi finished the innings strongly. He took his time to settle in but as soon as that happened, there was no stopping him. Once again, he played a brilliant innings and increased the run rate as he kept hitting boundaries one after the other. Cameron Delport and Chris Gayle added dropped a few more catches as Qalandars were made to suffer due to their lackluster effort in the field. Bopara smashed Bravo for 20 runs in the 19th over, and remained not out for a monumental 71 from 43 deliveries, becoming the highest scorer of the tournament in the process. Karachi finished their innings strongly and got to 178/5 in their 20 overs.

Lahore Qalandars needed almost 9 runs an over as Chris Gayle made his much awaited return to the league in front of a full house at Sharjah after sitting out in the last two games. He was joined by Cameron Delport and both batsmen got off to a decent start, taking no risks in the beginning and concentrated mainly on rotating the strike. Gayle hit Malik for a six straight down the ground in the fifth over as Qalandars began to pick up the pace. Delport also looked good with some beautiful stroke play on the other end. Sohail Tanvir was whacked away for three boundaries in the eigth over as the openers began to dominate proceedings. Both openers began to free their arms once they were set and began hitting the ball cleanly, with Lahore racing to 90/0 in their first ten overs. Delport was particularly impressive with his feet movement against the spinners. He was dismissed after a stellar 55 from 39 balls by Usama Mir as he charged down the ground and was stumped by Mushfiqur Rahim. Karachi Kings took a strategic timeout soon after Delport’s dismissal. The timeout worked wonders for Karachi as Bopara, who has not put a foot wrong in the tournament turned the game around instantly, this time with the ball.

He took out the dangerous Chris Gayle on his very first delivery as he mistimed his shot and sent it into the air for an easy catch. Bopara dismissed Qalandars’ stand in captain Bravo two deliveries later, and suddenly the Kings’ fans began to make some noise. Lahore looked to rebuild through Umar Akmal and Muhammad Rizwan and focused on taking the heat out of the situation with some steady batting. Their partnership was short lived as Bopara bowled an exceptional 16th over. His first victim was Rizwan who was bowled out, next up was Hammad Azam who was unlucky to be given out leg before, and one delivery later Naved Yasin perished in the same over as he was caught at short cover as Bopara was on fire! He took three wickets in four balls, picking up the first five wicket haul of the tournament. He dismissed Umar Akmal next, and also became the highest wicket taker of the league as he ended up with sensational bowling figures of 4-0-16-6. The match was over after his spell, as Karachi sealed a comfortable victory by 27 runs in the end. Bopara’s all round performance in this match was mind blowing as his dream run in the HBL PSL continues.

11TH MATCH REPORT: ISLAMABAD UNITED VS QUETTA GLADIATORS

Quetta dominate Islamabad once again as they move to the top of the table

Islamabad United were back in action after a dominant performance against Lahore Qalandars from the day before. Gladiators won the toss and chose to field, as Sharjeel Khan and Shane Watson came to open the innings for United, fresh from a record breaking partnership in the HBL PSL. Their partnership would end earlier this time around though, as Zulfiqar Babar took Sharjeel with a juicy full toss which went unpunished and landed safely in Akbar Ur Rehman’s hands in the fourth over. Watson got off to a flying start and it seemed he never left the pitch from the night before! He took on Muhammad Nawaz and smashed him for consecutive sixes, and in no time had taken Islamabad United to 39/1 after five overs. Brad Haddin whacked a glorious six from the first ball he faced in the tournament and United were off to a promising start. However, things took a dramatic turn for Islamabad once Watson was dismissed off Aizaz Cheema in the seventh over after scoring 40 from 28 balls. Gladiators halted proceedings through some brilliant bowling.

Grant Elliot made his debut for the Gladiators in the HBL PSL and wasted little time in making his mark. He bowled a clever slower ball and deceived Haddin, who was stumped by Sarfraz behind the stumps. He got Billings on his very next delivery, as Islamabad’s batsmen began to lose control of the innings. After the end of their first ten overs, United were 66/4. Wickets kept falling at regular intervals as Gladiators started bossing the match. Khalid Latif was next to fall off Mohammad Nabi as he was caught leg before. Hawkeye revealed that the ball would have missed the stumps. Nawaz picked up Imran Khalid next, just as he was beginning to score some runs. Andre Russell was also sent packing cheaply as Islamabad failed to get a single partnership going and their tail collapsed dramatically. Elliot ended up with 3 wickets as Islamabad were bowled all out for 117 runs in 19.1 overs. Gladiators must have felt pretty confident going in to the break.

Luke Wright and Ahmad Shehzad opened the innings for the Gladiators. They needed to keep wickets intact but Andre Russell had different ideas and bowled a phenomenal third over of the innings. Wright was caught by Sam Billings on the off side, before Russell bowled a superb yorker on the very next delivery to bowl out Kevin Pietersen for a golden duck! It seemed as if we had a match on our hands but Shehzad kept scoring runs steadily on the other end with some beautiful strokes. Quetta’s skipper Sarfraz Ahmed kept rotating the strike and started to build a partnership with Shehzad. Both batsmen put on an important partnership, adding 59 runs from 43 balls for the 3rd wicket before Shehzad became Russell’s third victim as he was caught in the deep by Sharjeel. Shehzad scored a confident

Quetta Gladiators were firmly in control of the match when Nawaz came out to bat. Sarfraz kept the scoreboard ticking knowing that his team did not need to do anything fancy. Ajmal tried to contain runs but wickets were hard to come by for United. The Gladiators cruised to their target in the 17th over, as Sarfraz led from the front and remained unbeaten at 51 from 39 deliveries, capping off another comprehensive victory by seven wickets. Grant Elliott was awarded the man of the match for his wonderful bowling performance. With this win, the Gladiators move to the top of the table once again as they continue to dominate in the HBL PSL.

11TH MATCH REPORT: ISLAMABAD UNITED VS QUETTA GLADIATORS

Quetta dominate Islamabad once again as they move to the top of the table

Islamabad United were back in action after a dominant performance against Lahore Qalandars from the day before. Gladiators won the toss and chose to field, as Sharjeel Khan and Shane Watson came to open the innings for United, fresh from a record breaking partnership in the HBL PSL. Their partnership would end earlier this time around though, as Zulfiqar Babar took Sharjeel with a juicy full toss which went unpunished and landed safely in Akbar Ur Rehman’s hands in the fourth over. Watson got off to a flying start and it seemed he never left the pitch from the night before! He took on Muhammad Nawaz and smashed him for consecutive sixes, and in no time had taken Islamabad United to 39/1 after five overs. Brad Haddin whacked a glorious six from the first ball he faced in the tournament and United were off to a promising start. However, things took a dramatic turn for Islamabad once Watson was dismissed off Aizaz Cheema in the seventh over after scoring 40 from 28 balls. Gladiators halted proceedings through some brilliant bowling.

Grant Elliot made his debut for the Gladiators in the HBL PSL and wasted little time in making his mark. He bowled a clever slower ball and deceived Haddin, who was stumped by Sarfraz behind the stumps. He got Billings on his very next delivery, as Islamabad’s batsmen began to lose control of the innings. After the end of their first ten overs, United were 66/4. Wickets kept falling at regular intervals as Gladiators started bossing the match. Khalid Latif was next to fall off Mohammad Nabi as he was caught leg before. Hawkeye revealed that the ball would have missed the stumps. Nawaz picked up Imran Khalid next, just as he was beginning to score some runs. Andre Russell was also sent packing cheaply as Islamabad failed to get a single partnership going and their tail collapsed dramatically. Elliot ended up with 3 wickets as Islamabad were bowled all out for 117 runs in 19.1 overs. Gladiators must have felt pretty confident going in to the break.

Luke Wright and Ahmad Shehzad opened the innings for the Gladiators. They needed to keep wickets intact but Andre Russell had different ideas and bowled a phenomenal third over of the innings. Wright was caught by Sam Billings on the off side, before Russell bowled a superb yorker on the very next delivery to bowl out Kevin Pietersen for a golden duck! It seemed as if we had a match on our hands but Shehzad kept scoring runs steadily on the other end with some beautiful strokes. Quetta’s skipper Sarfraz Ahmed kept rotating the strike and started to build a partnership with Shehzad. Both batsmen put on an important partnership, adding 59 runs from 43 balls for the 3rd wicket before Shehzad became Russell’s third victim as he was caught in the deep by Sharjeel. Shehzad scored a confident

Quetta Gladiators were firmly in control of the match when Nawaz came out to bat. Sarfraz kept the scoreboard ticking knowing that his team did not need to do anything fancy. Ajmal tried to contain runs but wickets were hard to come by for United. The Gladiators cruised to their target in the 17th over, as Sarfraz led from the front and remained unbeaten at 51 from 39 deliveries, capping off another comprehensive victory by seven wickets. Grant Elliott was awarded the man of the match for his wonderful bowling performance. With this win, the Gladiators move to the top of the table once again as they continue to dominate in the HBL PSL.

10TH MATCH REPORT: KARACHI KINGS VS PESHAWAR ZALMI

Bopara almost took Karachi home as Peshawar seal victory by 3 runs in an epic encounter

On a flat Sharjah track, it was no surprise that Zalmi chose to bat first after winning the toss. Karachi’s squad remained unchanged from the previous match, while Peshawar brought in the young Amir Yamin for Junaid Khan. The ever consistent Tamim Iqbal and Muhammad Hafeez opened the innings for Zalmi as Mohammad Amir rushed in to bowl the first over. Hafeez took the initiative from the start and got off the mark with a terrific boundary. Imad Wasim was next as Hafeez continued to play beautifully, striking three boundaries from that over. Within no time, Peshawar Zalmi were off to great start, with Hafeez looking in sublime form. Tamim kept playing the supporting role on the other end, as his partner targeted every single bowler for runs. The professor went after everyone as Amir was pulled away for an exquisite four, Shakib was smashed for a six down the ground as Karachi Kings seemed to run out of ideas to stop Hafeez. Tamim kept rotating the strike and let Hafeez take charge, which ensured Zalmi set the perfect platform for a big total. Hafeez raced to his half century from only 29 balls in the ninth over with Peshawar in firm control of the match at 78/0. Karachi Kings needed to pick up a wicket soon as Zalmi’s openers were dominating proceedings.

Tamim also got in to his stride as the innings progressed and started to use his feet well against the spin bowlers. Kings’ finally got their much awaited first wicket through Ravi Bopara as Hafeez was dismissed leg before in the 11th over. Hafeez was really unfortunate with that decision as the ball was clearly drifting down the leg stump. The opening pair put 93 on the board from just 63 balls. Bopara struck again and Tamim was sent packing in the 13th after a steady 37 from 35 deliveries. Kamran Akmal continued to keep the runs flowing for Peshawar, with a banging six down the ground as the ball disappeared out of the ground. With fifteen overs gone, Peshawar Zalmi were 126/2 with Kamran Akmal and Dawid Malan in the middle. Akmal departed after a quick 30 from 20 balls off Amir’s bowling and out came Zalmi’s captain, Shahid Afridi. With little time spent on the crease, Afridi skied a full toss off Sohail Tanvir which was caught by Bopara, but unexplainably was given as a no ball by the third umpire for being above waist height even though Afridi was charging down the track. Malan was dismissed after a troublesome time in the middle and was followed by Darren Sammy with less than three overs to go. Afridi and Sammy finished off the innings strongly as they hit Tanvir for 17 runs in the last over, and Peshawar Zalmi managed an impressive 182/4 in their 20 overs.

Lendl Simmons and Nauman Anwar opened the innings for Karachi Kings. Amir Yamin bowled an impressive first over and only conceded two runs. Nauman scored Karachi’s first boundary off Shaun Tait in the second over through a fine shot towards mid wicket. Wahab dismissed Simmons on his very first ball, beating him with sheer pace with a fiery delivery that hit the stumps. Nauman was run out in the next over courtesy some great fielding and a direct hit by Shahid Yusuf at point. Karachi’s misery continued as Imad Wasim was run out two deliveries later in the most comical fashion imaginable. He was strolling towards the crease and failed to ground his bat as Mohammad Asghar clipped off the bails in what should have been an easy run. Karachi’s captain Shoaib Malik was next and he hit a convincing six off Shahid Afridi straight away as he tried to resurrect the chase and lead from the front. His stay was short lived as he perished off Asghar’s bowling in the eight over while trying to dispatch another six. Shakib Al Hasan was next to throw away his wicket to Afridi as Karachi’s middle order collapsed. After ten overs, Karachi Kings were 61/5 with the match way beyond their reach barring a miracle.

James Vince and Ravi Bopara began striking the ball to inject hope in the Karachi camp and picked up the run rate. Vince was particularly impressive, as he began to hit all bowlers with ease and started hitting boundaries at will. Peshawar Zalmi were forced to take a strategic time out as Bopara and Vince gained momentum. That decision worked wonders as Shaun Tait bowled out the dangerous James Vince after he made a quick fire 44 from 28 balls. Karachi needed 72 runs from the last five overs, with Bopara still in the middle. Yamin and Riaz were all put away for runs by Bopara, before he absolutely hammered Shaun Tait in the 18th over and scored 26 runs in an over which put Peshawar in all sorts of trouble. Sohail Tanvir also kept the scoreboard ticking, while Bopara raced to a spectacular 50 from 28 balls in the process. With two overs left and 22 needed, we had a match on our hands. Sohail Tanvir hit an important six off Riaz in the second last over, before being bowled out on the very next ball.

Karachi needed 13 runs from the last over as Darren Sammy was given the ball for the first time in the innings. Bopara dispatched the first ball for six, followed it up with a well taken double before being caught at deep midwicket while trying to finish things off. Bopara departed after an astounding and 67 from 33 deliveries. Karachi needed 4 runs from the last 2 balls. Usama Mir was run out by Kamran Akmal while trying to take a quick single. Amir was on strike as Karachi needed a boundary off the last ball to seal the win, it was all happening in Sharjah! Darren Sammy ensured that did not happen as Zalmi sealed the win by 3 runs. Peshawar were ecstatic, as another thrilling encounter in the HBL PSL came to an end.

BIG MATCH islamabd united vs quetta gladitors

After a clinical victory yesterday Islamabad United face the strong Quetta Gladiators in the second match tonight. Which team do you think will come on top?

PSL: Pakistan Super League International and Foreign players

Pakistan Super League first edition not only brought cheers for Pakistan cricket lovers but it has given our domestic players to share the dressing room with International and foreign players.

In this post we have combined the list of International and Foreign playing in five teams of PSL.

Karachi Kings:

International Players: Bilwal Bhatti, Fawad Alam, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Amir, Nauman Anwar, Shahzeb Hassan, Shoaib Malik, Shoail Tanveer and Sohail Khan

Foreign Players: Ravi Bopara (ENG), Shakib Al Hasan (BNG), Mushafiqur Rahim (BNG), Lendl Simmons (WI), James Vince (ENG)

Lahore Qalandars:

International Players: Azhar Ali, Umar Akmal, Abdul Razzak, Ehsan Adil, Hammad Azam, Sohaib Maqsood, Mukhtar Ahmad, Zafar Gohar, and Mohammad Rizwan

Foreign Players: Chris Gayle (WI) Dwayne Bravo (WI), Davin Cooper (WI), Ajantha Mendis (SRI) and Cameron Delport (SA)

Peshawar Zalmi:

International Players: Shahid Afridi, Kamran Akmal, Mohammad Hafeez, Imran Khan Jr, Wahab Riaz, Abdul Rehman, Aamir and Yamin

Foreign Players: Darren Sammy (WI), Shaun Tait (AUS), Tamim iqbal (BNG), James Allenby (AUS) and Dawid Malan (ENG).

Quetta Gladiators:

International Players: Sarfraz Ahmad , Asad Shafiq, Saad Nasim, Zulfiqar Babar, Bilal Asif, Umar Gul, Anwar Ali, Ahmad Shehzad, Aizaz Cheema and Rameez Raja Jr

Foreign Players: Kevin Pietersen (ENG), Luke Wright (ENG), Kumar Sangakkara (SRI), Thisara Perera (SRI), Elton Chigumbura (ZIM) and Mohammad Nabi (AFG).

Islamabad United:

International Players: Misbah ul Haq, Sharjeel Khan, Saeed Ajmal, Babar Azam, Mohammad Sami, Umar Amin, Mohammad Irfan and Khalid Latif.

Foreign Players: Shane Watson (AUS), Andre Russel (WI), Samuel Badree (WI), Brad Haddin (AUS) and Sam Billings (ENG).

The Pakistan Super League (PSL) continues on Friday with the Karachi Kings taking on Lahore Qalandars at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. The team from Karachi come into the game on the back of another loss against Islamabad United by a close two runs on 7 February. It has been a disappointing campaign for the Kings so far, who started brightly, but faded just when better performances were expected from them. Skipper Shoaib Malik has failed to lead from the front, his performances have been listless, scoring just 63 runs in four innings while taking a meager one wicket. In fact, there has been no standout performer for the Karachi outfit so far, apart from Ravi Bopara, who has looked good so far. Karachi Kings have two more games in hand and will need to win all three matches to stay in contention for a semi-final spot. On the other hand, the team at the bottom of the table, Lahore Qalandars, like their opponents Karachi Kings have won just one game in the league. They have struggled to remain consistent both in the batting and bowling departments. Skipper Azhar Ali looks like he is not cut out for the T20 format, being unable to inspire his troops while his batting has stagnated. The biggest disappointment though has been West Indian hard-hitting batsman Chris Gayle, the left-hander has not lived up to his billing as one of the most feared T20 players in the world, scoring just six runs in two games. Gayle has been in such poor form that the team management dropped him from the playing XI in their last game. The Lahore outfit need to win all their remaining games to stay in contention for a place in the knock-out stage. Prediction

Karachi Kings take on the Lahore Qalandars in the 12^th match of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on 12 February.

The Pakistan Super League (PSL) continues on Friday with the Karachi Kings taking on Lahore Qalandars at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. The team from Karachi come into the game on the back of another loss against Islamabad United by a close two runs on 7 February.

It has been a disappointing campaign for the Kings so far, who started brightly, but faded just when better performances were expected from them. Skipper Shoaib Malik has failed to lead from the front, his performances have been listless, scoring just 63 runs in four innings while taking a meager one wicket. In fact, there has been no standout performer for the Karachi outfit so far, apart from Ravi Bopara, who has looked good so far. Karachi Kings have two more games in hand and will need to win all three matches to stay in contention for a semi-final spot.

On the other hand, the team at the bottom of the table, Lahore Qalandars, like their opponents Karachi Kings have won just one game in the league. They have struggled to remain consistent both in the batting and bowling departments. Skipper Azhar Ali looks like he is not cut out for the T20 format, being unable to inspire his troops while his batting has stagnated.

The biggest disappointment though has been West Indian hard-hitting batsman Chris Gayle, the left-hander has not lived up to his billing as one of the most feared T20 players in the world, scoring just six runs in two games. Gayle has been in such poor form that the team management dropped him from the playing XI in their last game. The Lahore outfit need to win all their remaining games to stay in contention for a place in the knock-out stage.

Pakistan Super League : ISLU anthem video stirs a storm on social media

What sets 'Chhaka Choka' apart from anthems of other franchises in the PSL is that its video is the only out of all teams' that stars the entire squad from all the players to the coach

While the Pakistan Super League is under way in full swing in Dubai, one of the participating teams, Islamabad United, has not only made its mark during the tournament, but also achieved a feat.

The official anthem of Islamabad United, "Chhaka Choka", has received a thunderous response from fans of not just the team, but cricket enthusiasts as well. Written, composed and sung by our very own rockstar Ali Zafar, the video of the funky, hip anthem has taken social media by storm and has been viewed and shared hundreds and thousands of times since its official release less than a week ago.

What sets "Chhaka Choka" apart from anthems of other franchises in the PSL is that its video is the only out of all teams' that stars the entire squad from all the players to the coach to the team director.

Directed by the talented Umair Fazli, the video shows Ali Zafar interacting in his own amusing way with Captain Misbahul Haq, talking to the tall Muhammad Irfan while standing on a ladder, interacting with the iconic Australian player Shane Watson, learning how to bowl from team director and legend Wasim Akram as well as English cricketer Sam Billings, coach Dean Jones, Brad Haddin, Andre Russel of the West Indies and the remaining squad and management.

Talking about the video itself and his experience shooting it, director Fazli said he had a fantastic time as it was like a dream-come-true moment for him working with the legendary Wasim Akram, the popular Shane Watson and Dean Jones.

"We were so short on time for the shoot that we didn't get the time to absorb or enjoy the fact that we were shooting with people we loved watching play. Our concern was to get everyone together at the same time and make them look good and maintain their star images. We didn't have time to celebrate; we had a responsibility to build up their images and we had to fulfil that."

About his experience working with sport stars instead of actors and the few hours only it took to shoot the video, Fazli said, "Actors have experience. Sportsmen aren't really actors, so it was more fun. We could put in some comedy elements in the video to make it look natural. Getting the players to dance with Ali was a lot of fun. It's like one of those jobs you get an offer for, the timeline doesn't make sense, but you say, 'OK, let's aim for the best'. That's exactly what we did and achieved beyond our expectations. We had thankfully done our homework, the preproduction paid off and the entire exercise built our ability to think on our feet." 

Peshawar survive Bopara onslaught for three-run win

Peshawar Zalmi 182 for 4 (Hafeez 59, Tamim 37) beat Karachi Kings (Bopara 67, Wahab 2-29, Sammy 1-9) by three runs 

West Indies' Twenty20 captain Darren Sammy held his nerve with the ball, conceding just nine runs off the final over to guide his team Peshawar Zalmi to a thrilling three-run victory against Karachi Kings in Sharjah.

After 39 overs of a contest that swung one way and then another, the equation was that Karachi needed 13 runs off six balls; Peshawar needed three wickets to secure the win and go top of the table. Sammy bowled full and wide first ball, and Ravi Bopara, who had almost single-handedly brought Karachi back into the game, whacked a six over the cover-point boundary. Bopara then helped himself to a two next ball. Five needed off four balls, with Karachi holding the edge.

Bopara could have sealed a famous win off the next ball, but sent Sammy's full toss straight down the throat of long on. Peshawar were lifted, and Usama Mir could only manage a single off the fourth delivery. Karachi knew they had to run for anything, and their sneaky attempt at stealing a bye off the fifth ball was unsuccessful, as Mir was run out. That left Mohammad Amir, the new man in, with the unenviable task of hitting four off the last ball. After a huge discussion between Sammy and his captain Shahid Afridi, Sammy ran in to bowl the final ball from around the wicket. His wide yorker was not accurate, but Amir failed to get any bat on it, and the Peshawar players broke into wild celebrations.

A close finish was the last thing on everyone's mind, especially Peshawar's, when they reduced Karachi to 48 for 5 in a tough chase of 183. However, Bopara inspired a turnaround, blasting five fours and four sixes during a 33-ball 67 which threatened to take the game away from Peshawar. Bopara put up fifty-plus stands with James Vince and Sohail Tanvir, but unfortunately for Karachi, fell right when his team needed him the most.

Earlier, Mohammad Hafeez blasted his first fifty of the season to power Peshawar to 182 for 4. Peshawar, opting to bat, began on the front foot, as Hafeez and Tamim Iqbal put up an opening stand of 93, before late blitzes from Sammy and Afridi lifted the team past the 180-run mark. Hafeez slammed seven fours and three sixes during his 59.