Advertisement
Advertisement
Peshawar Zalmi’s captain, Babar Azam, shared his thoughts after a crushing defeat against the Quetta Gladiators in the second match of PSL 10 at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Saturday.
In their pursuit of a daunting target of 217 runs, Peshawar Zalmi, captained by Babar Azam, was bowled out for just 136, resulting in an 80-run defeat.
Peshawar Zalmi had a rough start, losing their captain Babar Azam for a duck with only three runs on the board, as he was dismissed by Mohammad Amir in the very first over.
Saim Ayub, returning to competitive cricket after an injury, put up a valiant effort, scoring a fifty off 37 balls, but struggled to find stable partners.
For the Quetta Gladiators, Abrar Ahmed was the standout performer, taking four wickets for 42 runs in his four overs, while both Mohammad Amir and Usman Tariq claimed two wickets each.
Abrar Ahmed was awarded Player of the Match for his remarkable performance.
Babar Azam expressed disappointment over the failure to implement plans, noting that the powerplay during both innings was crucial.
“I think we failed to execute our plans. The first six overs in both innings proved to be crucial, and we lost momentum during those phases,” he said.
The skipper pointed out that the pitch behaved differently while batting second.
“The pitch behaved a bit differently in the second innings and kept a bit low at times. It’s not an excuse, but the lack of partnerships and the regular fall of wickets really hurt us,” he observed.
The right-handed batsman praised Saim Ayub’s performance, highlighting Inzamam-ul-Haq’s influence in the dressing room.
“Saim’s knock was outstanding — he’s definitely going to be a key player for Peshawar Zalmi this season.”
“Having someone like Inzamam as a mentor is invaluable. He shares his wealth of experience, and the youngsters are eager to learn from him,” he concluded.