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LAHORE: Peshawar Zalmi captain Babar Azam praised the team’s effective performance in their convincing victory over Lahore Qalandars in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 10 here at Gaddafi Stadium on Thursday.
Chasing a modest 130, Peshawar Zalmi comfortably reached the target, losing three wickets in the process with 20 balls to spare.
Peshawar Zalmi faced early setbacks while chasing, losing Saim Ayub on the third ball of the first over. Soon after, Tom Kohler-Cadmore fell to an outstanding delivery from Haris Rauf in the next over, leaving Zalmi in a precarious position at seven for two.
On a pitch that assisted fast bowlers, Lahore Qalandars’ pacers bowled waywardly in the opening overs, allowing Zalmi to capitalize. Mohammad Haris led the charge after an early hiccup as they posted 40 at the end of the fourth over.
Shaheen Afridi dismissed Haris on the last ball of the fourth over, after scoring a spirited 20 off 16 balls, including two sixes in that same over.
At 40-3 in 5 overs, the game looked evenly poised; however, it was Babar Azam and Hussain Talat who took the game away from the Qalandars with a solid 93-run partnership
The duo batted with composure, taking their total past the 100-run mark in the 14th over. Both Babar and Hussain remained unbeaten, ensuring their team’s victory.
Babar scored 56* off 42 balls, hitting seven fours and one six, while Hussain contributed 51 runs off 37 balls, including five fours and a six.
While speaking in the post-match presentation, Babar credited the bowling unit for their execution in a must-win game.
“As I said at the toss, we’re in a position where every game is a must-win—there’s no room for error. Credit to our bowling unit, they really stepped up and dominated the powerplay, which gave us early control,” he said.
Babar Azam deemed the Peshawar Zalmi squad as well-balanced, admitting the reliance on their top five or six.
“Looking at our squad, it feels like a well-balanced unit. While Hussain and Mitch can contribute with the ball, we generally rely on our core top 5-6. The key is always execution—sticking to our plans and adapting to the conditions, ” he added.
The right-handed batter highlighted the strong partnership he formed with Hussain Talat, especially during a time when they lost early wickets.
“During the chase, we lost early wickets, which put us under pressure. But the idea was to rebuild calmly and play our natural game till around the 10th over. Hussain’s knock was outstanding—his reading of the situation made a real difference,” Babar concluded.
READ: PSL 10: Babar, Joseph star as Peshawar Zalmi thrash Lahore Qalandars
