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KARACHI: Karachi Kings all-rounder Moeen Ali has admitted that his side failed to adapt to conditions and were outplayed in their 159-run defeat to Peshawar Zalmi in their Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 clash at the National Bank Stadium on Thursday night.
Karachi endured a tough evening after Zalmi posted a towering 246 for 3, driven by a record-breaking 191-run partnership between Kusal Mendis and Babar Azam. In response, the Kings collapsed for just 87 in 16.1 overs, marking a heavy setback in their campaign.
Speaking after the match, Moeen pointed to poor adaptation to conditions as a key factor behind the defeat.
“The pitch was fine, we just did not play well, probably did not adapt to the conditions or wicket as much as we should have,” Moeen said in the post-match press conference.
Reflecting on the batting collapse during the massive chase, Moeen stressed the importance of intent in the powerplay while acknowledging the difficulty of balancing aggression with caution.
“You need to have a good start, a good power play. We needed to get off to a flying start and not lose many wickets, which is always difficult when you are playing aggressive cricket,” he said.
“Maybe we should have been a bit smarter with the run rate. But it’s still early in the tournament, winning games is the most important thing. You cannot really think too much about the run rate at this stage.”
He also credited Peshawar Zalmi’s bowling unit for executing their plans effectively.
“I thought they bowled really well. It was just a bad day in the office for us,” he added.
The England all-rounder further reflected on the challenge of maintaining rhythm in a tournament schedule, especially after Karachi’s seven-day gap between matches, having last played on 2 April before returning to action on 9 April.
“A seven-day break is quite long. It is difficult for players because we cannot really go anywhere, and it can affect rhythm,” Moeen explained.
“Having said that, we still have to be professional, train well, and perform. You can get into bad habits during long breaks, so we have to be careful. But these things can happen in cricket. we just need to come back strong in the next game.”
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