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PSL 2021: Jack Wildermuth concedes most runs in an over in PSL history
Debuts can go horribly wrong and for Australian Jack Wildermuth, it just went worse in his Pakistan Super League debut for Quetta Gladiators. Bowling in the 19th over of the game, he was smoked all over the park by Danish Aziz, conceding 33 runs in one over, the most for any bowler in PSL’s history. The previous record was held by another Aussie Dan Christain while bowling for Lahore Qalandars. The Brisbane Heat player was asked to bowl the over as the original bowler, Naseem Shah pulled out before starting the overdue to cramps. Aziz, who had just arrived at the crease, barely playing five balls in his innings till then, got a four on the first ball through a Chinese cut. Post that though, all hell broke loose as he smashed one six in the leg side with sheer wrist power, then went on to hit one over long-off after shimmying down the crease. On the fourth ball, he was offered a full ball in the slot and he maximised it to hit a six over the bowler’s head. Frustrated, Wildermuth tried a slower one, but to no reprieve, as it was a no-ball for height and was hit over square for the fourth six of the over by Aziz. The last two balls were anti comatic in the manner that only four runs came from them after such belligerent hitting in the overs prior to them. Aziz had scored 45 off just 12 balls and was heading to what could have been the fastest PSL fifty, but was bowled by a Khurram Manzoor delivery on the fourth ball of the 20th over. The 53 runs conceded by Wildermuth was also the joint-most runs conceded by a bowler in a three-over spell in PSL. He equalled his compatriot from Quetta, Zahid Mahmood's record. It was Aziz’s innings that put the Karachi Kings in a favourable position in a do or die match. The Kings set up a target of 177 for the Gladiators.
PSL 2021: Top five wicket-takers from the Karachi leg
The Pakistan Super League, after a lot of drama, drudgery and negotiations, is set to start its second leg in Abu Dhabi from June 9. The first leg of the tournament (although it wasn’t supposed to be leg wise), held in Karachi was a fantastic affair until Covid-19 breached the tournament and franchise bubbles, leading to its postponement on March 4. The Karachi leg saw a lot of brilliant fast bowling spells and the fact that out of the top five wicket-takers in the tournament so far are all fast bowlers is a testament to it. The pitch definitely bunce and carry and even when there was dew, the raw pace of the bowlers did the magic. In fact Zahid Mahmood, the Quetta Gladiators leggie is the only bowler in the top 10 who is a spinner. Waqas Maqsood, Arshad Iqbal, Dan Christiana and Mohammad Amir among them picked 19 wickets and were one of the reasons why Karachi Kings sits at the top of the table with three wins from five games. Although none of the features in the top five, Iqbal is at the sixth position in the most wickets table. However, Peshawar Zalmi, sitting at the second position with an equal number of wins and losses has two bowlers in the top three and among them, Saqib Mahmood and skipper Wahab Riaz have 20 wickets. On that note, let’s recap the PSL 6’s Karachi leg in terms of the top five wicket-takers. Saqib Mahmood- Peshawar Zalmi Topping the list is the pacer from England who plied his trade in the league for Peshawar Zalmi. Saqib Mahmood took 12 wickets in five innings to make sure that Zalmi remained in the hunt in almost all games. While in the first few games, Mahmood was just another bowler picking two wickets, sometimes stopping the flow of runs, sometimes going for a lot of runs. In fact, it was the game against Quetta Gladiators that made 24-year-old come to the reckoning. In his last over, which was also the last over of the Quetta innings, the Lancashire man picked three wickets, removing the likes of Azam Khan, Ben Cutting and Mohammad Nawaz all in a single over. And he just gave away five runs, three of which were extras. Against Islamabad United in his next game, Wahab Riaz was on fire, but that didn’t stop Mahmood from weaving his own web around the United batters, picking three wickets to dismantle the team from the capitals to a paltry 118 in the 18th over itself. In the last game of that leg against Karachi, Mahmodd was not at his very best, in fact, he was wayward than he had ever been, going for 29 runs in his last two overs as the Kings chased down 189 with three balls to spare. Mahmood though would not be available for the Abu Dhabi leg due to his T20 Blast and Couty Championship duties with Lancashire. Wahab Riaz, the Zalmi skipper would not only miss out on a great bowling partner but also probably their biggest asset. Though the Abu Dhani pitch might not have as much bounce or carry as Karachi did, especially during this time of the year, yet his death bowling abilities are always desirable. Shaheen Afridi- Lahore Qalandars The left-arm Pakistani quick is second on the list with 10 scalps from four innings. He was sensational with his yorkers at the death and swing at the start of the innings, a deadly combination that is getting him the recognition that he truly deserves now. Afridi hit the bullseye in his first-ever attempt only, picking 3014 against the Zalmi team. While he got Imam-ul-Haq off the very first ball of the game, the 21-year-old came back to dismiss the dangerous-looking pair of Ravi Bopara and Sherfane Rutherford, forcing Zalmi to reach only up to 140 in their allotted overs. He was selected Man of the Match for his efforts in that game. In the game against Karachi Kings, Shaheen was once again at the money, conceding just 27 runs in his four overs and picking up three scalps. In the game when the entire bowling attack was going over eight, the Pathan from Pakhtunkhwa remained economical, going under seven. He was once again chosen Man of the match. The only bad game that Shaheen had this season was against Quetta when he was taken for 43 runs in four overs and managed to pick just one wicket. He conceded 38 runs in his last three overs in that game. And in the game against Multan Sultans, Afridi once again took two wickets to get his tally to 10 wickets from four games. Sitting at the fourth position, currently, Shaheen Afridi along with Rashid Khan will hold the key to Lahore’s eventual destiny in Abu Dhabi. Shahnawaz Dhani- Multan Sultans Dhani burst onto the scene of the PSL like a breath of fresh year, always smiling, fun-loving guy celebrating his as well as his teammates’ wickets with the same ecstasy. He is super quick and bows heavy ball, his bouncers were accurate and all this meant that the wickets column of the 22-year-old boy from Larkana in Sindh. Dhani has picked up nine wickets in four innings that he has bowled with his best coming in a game against Quetta Gladiators where he conceded 44 runs but to get the wickets of Azam Khan, Ben Cutting and Mohammad Nawaz. Mostly impressive, Dhani was expensive as well. Sultans have been wriggling in at the bottom two of the table and to get themselves ahead in the league, winning is the only way out. To win, Dhani will be crucial, only this time will have the likes of Blessing Muzarabani, the tall Zimbabwean for company in UAE. Wahab Riaz- Peshawar Zalmi If it wasn’t for the last game that he played against Islamabad United, getting four wickets for just 17 runs and most importantly bamboozling the middle order of the red brigade, Wahab Riaz was going through a lean patch in the tournament. Prior to this game, the figures of Riaz read 2/54, 0/51 and 2/30 in the previous three games. Having taken just four wickets and being expensive before this ultimate game, Riaza, also the skipper of the side was under the pump and he delivered, just when it was required. The 35-year-old picked the wickets of Paul Stirling, Iftikhar Ahmed, Asif Ali and Hasan Ali. More than just being a premier wicket-taking option, Wahab would also have to lead the side thus leading by example would be a preferred option and his big-hitting abilities would also come into the offering. Hasan Ali- Islamabad United Coming back from a long injury, PSL was Hasan Ali’s testing ground to see if he fits into the competitive circle and how it is going. He might not have been that great but was good enough to pick wickets in every game and contribute to his team’s victory, three of them in total from the four games that they played. The 26-year-old picked six wickets and gave away just 89 runs in 16 overs, which is less than six runs an over. Thus, Hasan Ali did not exactly play the main wicket-taker but was good at building pressure which got the other bowlers to try and take advantage of that and get the wickets. The experience of PSL did pay dividends for Ali as he has been able to pick 26 wickets in his last 10 innings. The United bowler will be coming on the back of that form and will be supported by the likes of Mohammad Wasim Junior and Ali Khan in the fast bowling department. The United will be up against Lahore Qalanadras in the very first game of the Abu Dhabi leg at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium from 09.30 pm IST.
Zahid Mahmood replaces Shadab Khan in T20I squads against South Africa, Zimbabwe
Pakistan have brought in wrist spinner Zahid Mahmood as the replacement for Shadab Khan for the T20I series against Zimbabwe. Shadab Khan had injured his toe during batting in the second ODI against South Africa. Apart from Zahid Mahmood’s selection, Pakistan team management under the leadership of skipper Babar Azam and coach Misbah ul Haq has also rewarded Fakhar Zaman for his explosive batting in the second ODI. He has been added to the T20I squad for the series against South Africa and Zimbabwe. Earlier, he was named only in the squad for the ODI series against South Africa and as per the statement released by the PCB, both these changes were required by the team management and approved by the national selection committee. The T20I series against South Africa has been scheduled to be played from April 10 to April 16 which will be followed by their tour of Zimbabwe for a three-match long T20 series and two-match long Test series against the hosts. Pakistan won the first game of the ODI series against South Africa in Centurion while faced a defeat in the second ODI in Johannesburg albeit Fakhar Zaman gave them hope of an unlikely win with a brilliant 193.
Shahnawaz Dahani, Sharjeel Khan named in Pakistan squad; Imad Wasim shockingly excluded
Sharjeel Khan, the tainted Pakistan batsman has been named in the Pakistan squad for the upcoming limited-overs tour of South Africa. The Pakistan Cricket Board named him to the T20I squad after a great showing in the last two Pakistan Super League finals. Sharjeel, 31, was banned for five-years in August 2017 by the Anti-Corruption Tribunal of the Pakistan Cricket Board for his involvement in spot-fixing during the 2017 PSL. Later on, after several appeals, half his sentence was suspended. Apart from Sharjeel, the selection committee has rewarded young fast bowlers Shahnawaz Dahani, Muhammad Wasim Jr. and Arshad Iqbal for showing great form during the PSL6. While Dahani is the T20 squads travelling to South Africa, Dahani is in the test squad and will only travel to Zimbabwe. Fakhar Zaman has made comeback in the ODI squad as an opener. The major exclusions include Shoaib Malik, Imad Wasim, Hussain Talat and Iftikhar Ahmed. Experienced leg spinner Yasir Shah has been kept out of the squad due to injury. Shahab Khan would be the lead leg spinner in the white ball squad while Quetta Gladiators’ Zahid Mahmood has been named in the Test squad. While the white ball squad will leave for Johannesburg on March 26 on a chartered flight, the Test specialists will land in Zimbabwe on April 12. Pakistan squads: T20: Babar Azam (Capt), Sharjeel Khan, Asif Ali, Haider Ali, Muhammad Hafeez, Danish Aziz, Faheem Ashraf, Muhammad Nawaz, Muhammad Wasim jr, Shadab Khan (VC), Muhammad Rizwan, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Arshad Iqbal, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Muhammad Hasnain, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Qadir. ODI: Abdullah Shafique, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam (Capt), Danish Aziz, Imam ul Haq, Saud Shakeel, Haider Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Muhammad Nawaz, Muhammad Wasim jr, Shadab Khan (VC), Muhammad Rizwan, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Muhammad Hasnain, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Qadir. Test: Abid Ali, Abdullah Shafique, Imran Butt Babar Azam (Capt), Fawad Alam, Azhar Ali, Saud Shakeel, Salman Ali Agha, Faheem Ashraf, Muhammad Nawaz, Muhammad Rizwan (VC), Sarfaraz Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shahnawaz Dahani, Tabish Khan, Zahid Mahmood, Sajid Khan and Nauman Ali.
PSL 6: Quetta breaks the streak as Qais Ahmad’s brilliant spell downs Multan
The Pakistan Super League’ sixth edition’s streak of 'teams chasing and winning the game’ was finally broken after 13 games. It was broken by a team and in a match that nobody believed could happen. Quetta gladiators, who had lost their previous four games even after scoring as high as 198, went on to defend 176 against the Multan Sultans, defeating the Mohammad Rizwan led side by 22 runs. Qais Ahmad was the hero of the game for Quetta with his spell of 3-21 in four overs at the National Stadium in Karachi. Ahmad, 20, was included in the side for the first time after the opening match debacle phenomenal with his variations. The Afghan leggie stopped the flow of runs with his leg break and cunning googlies, causing the batsmen to go for unconventional options, making them commit mistakes, and in turn giving away their wickets. In his four overs, Ahmad got the important scalps of James Vince, Shan Masood and Rilee Rossouw, rightfully claiming the award of Man of the Match. The Sultans started the chase of 177 cautiously with the opening pair of Vince and Rizwan adding 63 runs in the first eight overs. However, after the first breakthrough of Vince, the screws were tightened by Sarfraz Ahmed, as he operated spin from both ends, causing all sorts of discomfort to the Multan side. Mohammad Nawaz bowled well in tandem with Qais, making it difficult for batsmen to free their hands. As pressure mounted, wickets kept falling at regular intervals. With Sohaib Maqsood departing at the end of the 13th over, Rizwan was joined by Khushdil Shah, who did play a few shots, but they were one shot too many. Even after Zahid Mahmood and Dale Steyn conceding 12 and 14 runs respectively in two overs and the game getting back in the balance, the Sultans could not capitalise. When 60 runs were needed from the last five overs, Ahmad bowled a brilliant over, giving just eight runs and building even more pressure on the two batsmen in the middle. Khushdil Shah then got out of a Mohammad Hasnain slower ball. In the same over Hsnain removed Carlos Brathwaite as well, forcing Rizwan, who was batting on 66 to fight a lone battle. Mahmood then came back to bowl the 18th over and picked two wickets, removing Rizwan to put the match firmly in Quetta’ kitty. Mere formalities were left after that as whole Multan were bundled out for 154 in 19.4 overs. Earlier in the evening, as predicted, Multan invited Quetta to bat first after they won the toss. Usman Khan, the debutant for Quetta made full use of the opportunity, scoring a brilliant 81 off 50 balls. In his knock of 81, the 25-year-old right-hander hit 10 fours and three sixes, getting Quetta to a blistering start. However, the big-hitting got subdued as Usman got out and more wickets fell regularly. Courtesy of Mohammad Nawaz’s last over hitting, in which he scored 13 runs, the Gladiators reached 176. With this win, Quetta finally registered themselves on the Points Table, although they are still placed at the bottom. This victory also gave them a lifeline and renewed vigour to face Islamabad in the first match of the doubleheader on March 6. Sultans on the other hand would look to find other ways to win a game when they face Karachi on 5th March.