Sports Bulletin

Sports Bulletin ReportKARACHI: Islamabad United won their third HBL PSL title after they edged over Multan Sultans, by a mere two wickets, in the HBL PSL 9 final following a last-ball thriller, at National Bank Stadium, Karachi on Monday night. The HBL PSL 9 champions bagged PKR 140,000,000 as prize money, whereas, Multan Sultans, the runners-up, received PKR 56,000,000.Multan Sultans won the toss and elected to bat first. The first over, bowled by Naseem Shah, saw the drama unfold as Salman Ali Agha caught Mohammad Rizwan on the fourth ball, only for the umpire to signal a no-ball as Naseem overstepped.Imad Wasim struck on the third ball of the next over to remove Yasir Khan, who was caught by Tymal Mills. David Willey, batting at three, hit Imad for a six on the fifth delivery. On the very next ball, Willey’s stumps were shattered as the second wicket fell for Multan. The fifth over, bowled by Hunain Shah, was capitalized by Rizwan and Usman Khan as both hit two boundaries each to snatch 17 from the over. At the end of the powerplay, Multan stood at 48-2.The 53-run third-wicket stand between Rizwan and Usman was broken in the 10th over as Shadab Khan removed his counterpart for run-a-ball 26. In the next over, Usman smashed a four and a six to keep the score flowing. Imad, returning to the attack, got his third wicket when Johnson Charles (4, 6b) was caught by Naseem at short fine.In the 15th over, Usman brought up his second HBL PSL 9 half-century. In the same over, Usman and Khushdil Shah hit a boundary each as Multan got to 114-4 with five overs left. Shadab removed Usman (57, 40b, 7x4s, 1x6) on the first ball of the next over. Usama Mir, the next batter in, smashed a maximum on his first ball. The Islamabad skipper avenged himself on the subsequent delivery, as Hunain pouched an important catch to dismiss Usama (6, 2b, 1x6).The 17th over, bowled by Imad, saw three wickets at the expense of just three runs, paralyzing Multan’s innings. Khushdil (11, 13b, 1x4) and Chris Jordan (0, 1b) were removed on consecutive deliveries as Imad completed a five-wicket haul, becoming the first bowler to do so across nine HBL PSL finals. Abbas Afridi was run out on the final ball of the same over, as Multan were reduced to 127-9 after losing five wickets for just 13 runs over the course of two overs.With only two overs remaining, Iftikhar stepped on the gas pedal. He smashed two sixes against Mills in the penultimate over. Then, facing Naseem in the final over, he produced two boundaries and one six to help Multan finish at a competitive total of 159-9. Imad was the pick of the bowlers, getting a five-fer. Shadab bagged three wickets.In pursuit of 160-run target, Islamabad United started on a 26-run opening partnership between Colin Munro and Martin Guptill, until Khushdil removed the former for 17 on 13, with four boundaries, in the fourth over. In the final over of the powerplay, Khushdil completed a successful return catch to send Salman (10, 11b, 2x4s) back to the pavilion as Islamabad finished six overs at 46-2.Shortly after, Shadab (4, 8b) failed to execute a sweep shot as Iftikhar disturbed the stumps to bring Islamabad three down, with 58 on the board, after nine overs. Usama, brought to the attack to bowl the 11th over, was on the receiving end of Guptill’s onslaught as he conceded 18 on the back of two sixes and a four. The next over saw 15 runs scored on the back of three boundaries, with Azam Khan hitting two of them.The stabilizing 47-run fourth-wicket stand between Guptill and Azam was unceremoniously ended when the former was run out in the 13th over. Guptill walked back after contributing 50 from 32, showcasing four boundaries and three maximums. Imad joined Azam on the crease, with 58 needed off 43 deliveries. The two could only add 19 runs collectively before Azam (30, 22b, 4x4s, 1x6) edged one to the keeper to award Usama a wicket.Haider Ali (5, 3b, 1x4) and Faheem Ashraf (1, 4b) were removed cheaply as trouble deepened for the chasing side, who required 31 off 17 to get over the line. The 18th and 19th overs yielded 12 and 11 runs respectively, to bring the equation to eight needed from the final over with Naseem (17, 9b, 2x4s, 1x6) and Imad (19 not out, 17b, 2x4s) on the crease. Naseem hit a four on the second ball but was dismissed on the penultimate ball of the game, with scores leveled.Hunain, needing one off the final delivery, hit the winning runs as Islamabad secured the title for the first time since 2018. Khushdil and Iftikhar returned with two wickets each while Willey, Ali and Usama had one each.Players’ Awards:Player of the match: Imad Wasim (Islamabad United)Emerging Player of the Tournament: Mohammad Irfan Khan (171 runs, Karachi Kings)All-Rounder of the Tournament: Saim Ayub (345 runs, Eight wickets, Peshawar Zalmi)Fielder of the Tournament: Mohammad Irfan Khan (Eight catches, Karachi Kings)Wicketkeeper of the Tournament: Azam Khan (10 dismissals, 226 runs, Islamabad United)Bowler of the Tournament: Usama Mir (24 wickets, Multan Sultans)Batter of the Tournament: Usman Khan (430 runs, Multan Sultans)HBL - Player of the Tournament: Shadab Khan (305 runs, 14 wickets, Islamabad United)Spirit of Cricket Award: Peshawar ZalmiUmpire of the Tournament: Asif Yaqoob

Sports Bulletin ReportKARACHI: Islamabad United (IU) and Multan Sultans (MS) set to meet in the final of the HBL PSL edition 9 at Karachi’s National Bank Stadium on Monday. The first ball is expected to be bowled at 9pm, while the toss will take place at 8:30pm.Sultans, who qualified for the final after beating Peshawar Zalmi in the Qualifier, will be playing their fourth consecutive final. They were crowned champions in the 2021 edition and finished as runners-up in the subsequent two editions wherein Lahore Qalandars clinched two back-to-back titles.After finishing third on the table, United beat Quetta Gladiators and Peshawar Zalmi in the two eliminators to earn the coveted berth in the final. This will be two-time champions United’s first final since 2018 – when they last won the HBL PSL title.In the lead-up to the playoffs, Multan Sultans secured 14 points after winning seven out of their ten games. United finished with five wins, whereas their home game against Lahore Qalandars was washed out. As a result, United had 11 points, equaling with the fourth-placed Quetta Gladiators.Multan’s Mohammad Rizwan and Usman Khan are the second and third highest run-getters of the tournament thus far, only behind Peshawar Zalmi’s Babar Azam who ended HBL PSL 9 with 569 runs in 11 innings, including five half-centuries and one century.Rizwan has accumulated 382 runs in as many innings, with four half-centuries. Usman, having appeared in only six games, has made 373 runs on the back of two centuries and a half-century.Colin Munro, with 309 runs from nine games with three fifties, is the highest run-getter for Islamabad United. Islamabad’s skipper Shadab Khan has also starred with the bat and ball alike this season; in 11 games, he has produced 301 runs, including three half-centuries, and taken 11 wickets.Leader of the Sultans’ spin attack, Usama Mir, is the current leading wicket-taker of the tournament, holding the Inverex Fazal Mahmood Cap. He has 23 scalps in 11 games, including one six-wicket haul. His current tally of 23 is the best by any spinner in one edition of HBL PSL and is only two wickets behind Hasan Ali’s record of 25 wickets, the most by any bowler in one edition, which has not been bested since 2019.Sultans’ right-arm pacer Mohammad Ali, playing his maiden HBL PSL tournament, has 18 wickets in 11 games, the most by any pacer in the tournament thus far.Naseem Shah, who made his move to Islamabad United ahead of HBL PSL 9, has the most wickets for his team thus far. Assuming his role as the leader of Islamabad’s bowling attack, the right-arm seamer has grabbed 15 wickets in 10 games.Shadab Khan said: “I’m proud of my team for standing tall in crucial situations and getting through to the final of HBL PSL after a long hiatus of five years. This is what we intended while assembling the squad and all the players have responded very well throughout the group stage as well as the playoffs. Islamabad winning the trophy for the third time will be a great achievement and I’m looking forward to whatever challenge Multan Sultans will pose in the final. Hopefully, our batters and bowlers will step up in a spirited manner as they have done throughout the season and will make us champions.”Mohammad Rizwan said: “I am very proud of the way my team has played in this tournament. Our boys have displayed the true warrior spirit throughout the tournament. Whenever we found ourselves behind the opposition, our players stepped up through their bold and fearless approach.“We have a solid team that has all the bases covered. Our locals, foreigners and emerging players have shone and produced some extraordinary performances. What further helps us is the fact that our team has gelled really well in the last four weeks.”

Sports Bulletin ReportKARACHI: Islamabad United qualified for the final of HBL PSL for the first time since 2018, on the back of a record seventh-wicket partnership between Imad Wasim and Haider Ali, as they beat Peshawar Zalmi by five wickets on Saturday night, at National Bank Stadium, Karachi in Eliminator Two. The final will be played on 18 March at the same venue.Zalmi failed to defend their total of 185-5 as United batters overcame the early hiccup of being 50-4, and secured the berth in the HBL PSL 9 final, completing the target with an over to spare.Islamabad United’s pursuit of the 186-run target met with adversity as Saim, fresh off his batting heroics, struck twice with the new ball; Alex Hales chipped one straight to Mehran Mumtaz at cover while Salman Ali Agha was bamboozled with a fullish carrom ball that rattled his stumps. In the fourth over, Mehran knocked off Shadab Khan’s off-stump to leave United 23-3.Martin Guptill, having lost three partners in the first four overs, teed off in the fifth as he hit Saim for 22 runs on the back of four boundaries and a six. Khurram Shahzad landed another blow for Zalmi on the last ball of the sixth over as he dismissed Guptill for 34 off 21 balls, laced with five boundaries and a solitary six, leaving United in dire straits at 50-4.Azam Khan and Imad Wasim got together to put up a 41-run fifth-wicket partnership injecting stability to United’s innings. Luke Wood destroyed Azam’s (22, 17b, 1x4, 1x6) stumps in the 11th over to leave United reeling with 95 required in nine overs. Haider Ali joined Imad in the middle and the duo took it upon themselves to stage the rescue act. Haider got going with two boundaries against Aamir in the 13th over, while he bludgeoned Arif Yaqoob for a six in 15th over.Aamir’s 18th over, yielding 23, became the nail in the coffin for Zalmi as Imad hit a first-ball four followed by Haider hitting two towering sixes and a four. Haider smashed Wood for his fifth six in the 19th over while Imad hit the winning runs. Imad (59 not out, 40b, 9x4s) and Haider (52 not out, 29b, 2x4s, 5x6s) added an unbeaten 98 for the seventh wicket, the highest in HBL PSL history, to take their side to the final. For Zalmi, Saim bagged two wickets while Wood, Mumtaz and Khurram picked up on each.Earlier, Peshawar Zalmi made the most of the opportunity to bat first as Shadab opted to field after winning the toss. Babar Azam and Saim stitched a fiery 72-run opening partnership after Saim muscled Naseem Shah for a maximum in the first over.In the following over, Obed McCoy found himself on the receiving end as the belligerent southpaw pummeled him for a six over fine leg and then followed it with two boundaries through cover and fine leg, respectively. Salman was employed to bowl the fourth over and gave away 13 runs. Then, Saim welcomed Faheem Ashraf in the sixth over with three boundaries capping off the powerplay with 59 on the board.Saim and Babar duo also became just the third opening pair, and the quickest, to score 1000 or more runs in HBL PSL history. Naseem returned to bowl the eight over and dismissed Babar (25, 22b, 2x4s, 1x6) as skipper Shadab plucked a spectacular catch at mid-off. Babar also breached the 550-run mark in HBL PSL 9 for the second time in the history of the tournament, a feat that has only been achieved by Mohammad Rizwan twice, and Fakhar Zaman once.Mohammad Haris joined Saim in the middle and the pair contributed with a 59-run second-wicket partnership. In the 10th over, Saim brought up his second HBL PSL 9 half-century in style with a maximum over long-off, taking 27 balls to do so.With Zalmi poised for a huge total after having notched 130-1 in 14 overs, Shadab brought his team back into the game with the vital scalp of Saim in the 15th over. Saim returned for 73 off 44, comprising six boundaries and four maximums. In the following over, Naseem dismissed Haris who returned a crucial 40 off 25, on the back of three fours and two sixes.Tom Kohler-Cadmore ransacked 17 runs off the 17th over while Rovman Powell fell for a paltry two off seven in the following over. Kohler-Cadmore’s (18, 9b, 2x4s, 1x6) cameo was ended in the penultimate over by Naseem. Aamir (17 not out, 9b, 1x4, 1x6) stitched a handy unbeaten 25-run sixth-wicket partnership with Hussain Talat (8 not out, 4b, 1x4), playing his first HBL PSL 9 game, to help Zalmi post 185-5 in the allotted 20 overs. Naseem registered a three-wicket haul while McCoy and Shadab bagged one wicket each.

Sports Bulletin ReportKARACHI: Quetta Gladiators’ Abrar Ahmed and Saud Shakeel have both been fined five per cent of their match fees for Level 1 breaches of HBL PSL’s code of conduct during their side’s HBL PSL 9 fixture against Islamabad United at the National Bank Stadium in Karachi on Friday night. Abrar was found to have violated Article 2.4 of the HBL PSL Code of Conduct, which reads as: “Disobeying an umpire’s instruction during the match”. The incident occurred in the 19th over of Islamabad United’s batting, when, while fielding, Abrar rolled the ball all along the ground despite being instructed by the umpires not to do so.In a separate incident, in the same match, Saud was found to have violated Article 2.5 of the HBL PSL Code of Conduct, which reads as: “Using language, actions or gestures which disparage or which could provoke an aggressive reaction from a batter upon his/her dismissal during a match”.After dismissing United’s batter Salman Ali Agha in the 12th over, Saud went close to Salman and made remarks which could have provoked the batter. Both players pleaded guilty to the charges and accepted the sanctions proposed by match referee Mohammad Javed. The charges were imposed by on-field umpires Ahsan Raza and Chris Gaffaney.

Sports Bulletin ReportKARACHI: Islamabad United will join Peshawar Zalmi in the second eliminator after they beat Quetta Gladiators by 39 runs at National Bank Stadium, Karachi on Friday night. Islamabad scored 174-9 in the first innings, which they comfortably defended as Quetta was dismissed for just 135.After opting to bat first, Martin Guptill and Alex Hales put up a 51-run opening partnership, giving Islamabad a strong start. After seeing off Mohammad Amir’s first over for just two runs, Guptill hit three consecutive fours against Mohammad Wasim Jnr in the second over to get things going for the side.Hales (23, 20b, 1x4, 2x6s) hit two maximums against Abrar Ahmed in the fifth over but was caught by Jason Roy off Akeal Hosein in the following over as Islamabad ended the powerplay at 51-1. After the seventh and eighth overs passed quietly, Salman Ali Agha took charge against Wasim in the ninth over, hitting a four and six. By halfway mark, Islamabad stood at 93-1.Saud Shakeel’s introduction to the attack in the 12th over proved fruitful as he broke the 51-run partnership by dismissing Salman (31, 21b, 2x4s, 1x6). Shadab Khan walked in next and hit a quickfire 23 off 13, including one four and two sixes, before he fell to Abrar, with the scorecard reading 131-3 after 15 overs. Guptill got his 56th T20 half-century with a four on the fifth delivery of the 16th over. In the next over, Azam Khan (18, 6b, 1x4, 2x6s) hit two sixes and a four before Hosein avenged himself on the last ball.Islamabad lost four wickets in the 18th and 19th overs; Faheem Ashraf was caught behind off Amir while Haider Ali was run out on the next delivery. Then, Imad Wasim was run out courtesy of an excellent aim at the striker’s end by Wasim. Subsequently, Guptill (56, 47b, 5x4s, 1x6) sent one straight to Roy fielding at long-on. Amir, bowling the final over, castled Hunain Shah on the second delivery. Naseem Shah hit a six on the last ball of the innings to help Islamabad finish with a comfortable total of 174-9 after 20 overs. Amir and Hosein had two wickets each while Saud, Wasim and Abrar picked up one each.In return, Quetta Gladiators had a horror start to the chase as they lost half their wickets inside of the powerplay, whilst in pursuit of 175-run target on the tricky Karachi pitch. Imad, who opened the bowling for Islamabad, drew first blood with opening batter Saud caught behind for a five-ball duck on the final ball of the first over.On the second ball of the second over, Roy edged one to Faheem fielding at first slip and had to join his fellow opener back in the pavilion for just a run off three deliveries. Rilee Rossouw announced himself on the crease with a boundary on his first ball, facing Naseem. However, he could not maintain his stay at the crease and was caught by Haider at deep square in the third over, awarding Imad his second wicket of the day. Continuing his disappointing tally of scores at HBL PSL 9, the Quetta captain returned for a run-a-ball five.Then, Imad returned to bowl his third over and continued his lethal attack on the Quetta batting line-up. Nafay (5, 10b, 1x4), the fifth batter in, fell on the second delivery as the substitute fielder Qasim Akram grabbed a brilliant catch at short mid-off. On the subsequent ball, Evans was run out for a duck as trouble deepened for Quetta who found themselves 21-5 after five overs.Omair Bin Yousuf, who had witnessed his team’s batting collapse from the other end, was then joined in the middle by Hosein. The two batted together to add 52 runs off 34 balls, providing Quetta’s innings with a sense of stability as the side managed to get to 67-5 at the halfway mark. The sixth-wicket stand was cut short in the 11th over when Hosein (31, 18b, 2x4, 3x6) was run out after confusion in the middle. Subsequently, a languid 17-run seventh-wicket stand between Omair and Wasim (6, 10b) followed until the latter fell to Faheem in the 14th over.Amir walked into bat with Gladiators requiring 90 from 40 balls. He hit a dexterous 23 off 14, on the back of four boundaries and a six, attempting to keep Quetta in the game, despite the mounting pressure. The 20-ball 41-run eighth-wicket stand was eventually broken when Amir fell to Obed McCoy in the 17th over.Omair completed his second HBL PSL half-century (50, 37b, 4x4s, 1x6) before Faheem caught him at deep midwicket to award Naseem his second wicket. Hunain rattled Abrar’s stumps in the penultimate over to finish the game, as Islamabad cruised to Eliminator 2, scheduled to be played on 16 March at National Bank Stadium at 9pm. Imad Wasim was the pick of the bowlers for Islamabad, returning with three wickets for just 12 runs in his four overs. Naseem had two wickets while Faheem, Hunain and McCoy had one each.

Sports Bulletin ReportKARACHI: Multan Sultans qualified for the final of the HBL PSL in a row, as they ousted Peshawar Zalmi by a dominating seven-wicket victory in the qualifier on Thursday night at National Bank Stadium, Karachi. Peshawar Zalmi will face the winner of the eliminator one, scheduled between Islamabad United and Quetta Gladiators on 15 March.The Sultans' bowling line-up showcased their depth as all the bowlers contributed towards limiting Zalmi to a below-par total of 146-7, which was later knocked down by the batters in 18.3 overs, registering a convincing win.Multan Sultans’ opening batters, Yasir Khan and Muhammad Rizwan, set the tone for the chase with an impressive 61-run opening partnership. Yasir revealed his intentions from the get-go as he smashed Mehran Mumtaz for a maximum on just the second ball. While Rizwan struggled to get off the blocks, Yasir hit Paul Walter for three boundaries in the fourth over. Sultans notched 45 in the powerplay while the 50-run opening partnership came off 39 balls.Rizwan buckled under pressure in the eighth over as he succumbed to Aamir Jamal for a scratchy 15 off 21 balls with Saim Ayub taking the catch. In the next over, Yasir brought up his maiden HBL PSL half-century off just thirty balls.At the halfway mark, Sultans required a shade above run-a-ball with nine wickets in hand. Mehran returned in the 11th over and dismissed belligerent Yasir for 54 off 37 balls, comprising seven boundaries and one six.Johnson Charles and Usman Khan stitched a 35-run third-wicket partnership until Charles’ (11, 17b, 1x4) troubled stay at the crease was ended by Salman Irshad with a fine yorker. Iftikhar Ahmed (22 not out, 8b, 3x4s, 1x6) walked in and bludgeoned Salman for three boundaries. With a mere eight needed off the last two overs, he smashed Wood for a maximum followed by a single, while Usman (36 not out, 28b, 3x4s) hit the winning runs, taking Sultans to the final of HBL PSL 9. Mehran, Aamir and Salman picked up one wicket each.Earlier, Peshawar Zalmi won the toss and elected to bat first. David Willey struck in the first over, taking his tally of HBL PSL 9 powerplay wickets to eight, as Saim, hit a short ball toward the square boundary but was pouched by Yasir. Mohammad Haris joined Babar Azam in the middle for a 47-run second-wicket partnership.Haris raced to 22 off 13 balls on the back of four boundaries before Mohammad Ali pitched one just outside off-stump on a nagging length, inducing an edge that was caught by Rizwan. Zalmi finished the powerplay with 51-2 on the board. Usama Mir, introduced into the attack in the eighth over, dismissed Haseebullah, who cut the last ball of the over straight in the hands of Ali at short third.Tom Kohler-Cadmore joined Babar to steady Zalmi’s innings with a decent fourth-wicket partnership of 44 off 35 balls. With a boundary in the 11th over, Babar brought up his 1000 T20 runs in 2024. Chris Jordan, bowling the 14th over, unleashed a lethal yorker as he hit the base of Babar’s (46, 42b, 5x4s) off-stump leaving him stunned, with the scorecard reading 101-4.Babar also crossed the 500-run mark in HBL PSL 9, becoming only the second batter, besides Rizwan, to notch this feat twice in the tournament’s history. An over later, Usama returned to bowl the last over of his spell and took his HBL PSL 9 tally of wickets to 23, as he dismissed Kohler-Cadmore for a-run-a-ball 24. Usama, who holds the Fazal Mahmood Cap in HBL PSL 9, also became the bowler with joint second-most wickets in an HBL PSL season, with only Hasan Ali ahead of him with 25 scalps.Rovman Powell, who chipped in with 12 off 11 on the back of a solitary boundary, departed in the 18th over as Jordan bagged his second wicket. The penultimate over saw drama as Abbas Afridi dismissed Aamir Jamal (1, 3b), while a ball later Luke Wood smashed him for a six and a four on successive balls.Jordan bowled an impressive last over giving away just three runs as Zalmi scrambled their way to 146-7 in the stipulated 20 overs. Wood (14, 7b, 1x4, 1x6) and Paul Walter (14, 11b, 2x4s) remained unbeaten after adding 15 runs for the seventh wicket. Usama and Jordan bagged two wickets each while Willey, Ali and Abbas chipped in with one each.

Sports Bulletin ReportKARACHI: The Pakistan Cricket Board today (March 9, 2024) announced umpire and match referee appointments for the HBL PSL 9 three playoffs and the final, which will be played from 14-18 March at the National Bank Stadium in Karachi.The 14 March Qualifier involving table-toppers Multan Sultans and Peshawar Zalmi will be refereed by Roshan Mahanama. Aleem Dar and Richard Illingworth will be the on-field umpires, while Rashid Riaz and Faisal Afridi will be the third and fourth umpires, respectively.Match Referee Mohammad Javed will lead the playing control team for the 15 March Eliminator 1 between Islamabad United and Quetta Gladiators. Ahsan Raza and Chris Gaffaney will be the on-field umpires, while Asif Yaqoob and Rashid Riaz will be the third and fourth umpires, respectively.16 March Eliminator 2 featuring the loser of 14 March match and the winner of 15 March fixture will be refereed by Muhammad Javed. Richard Illingworth and Asif Yaqoob will perform on-field umpire responsibilities, while Ahsan Raza and Faisal Afridi will be the third and fourth umpires, respectively.For the final scheduled on 18 March, Richard Illingworth and Chris Gaffaney will perform the duties of on-field umpires, while Ahsan Raza and Asif Yaqoob will be third and fourth umpires, respectively. Roshan Mahanama will lead the playing control team for the final.

Sports Bulletin ReportKARACHI: Multan Sultans’ Iftikhar Ahmed has been fined five per-cent of his match-fee for a Level 1 breach of HBL PSL’s code of conduct during his side’s HBL PSL 9 fixture against Quetta Gladiators at the National Bank Stadium in Karachi.Iftikhar was found to have violated Article 2.5 of the HBL PSL Code of Conduct, which reads as: “Using language, actions or gestures which disparage or which could provoke an aggressive reaction from a batter upon his/her dismissal during a match”.The incident happened in the third over of Quetta Gladiators’ batting, when Iftikhar used inappropriate language towards the batter who was dismissed. Since Iftikhar pleaded guilty to the charge and accepted the sanctions proposed by match referee Ali Naqvi, there was no need of a formal hearing. The charge was imposed by on-field umpires Rashid Riaz and Richard Illingworth. 

Multan Sultans trounce Quetta Gladiators by 79 runs, Mohammad Rizwan stars in Karachi Sports Bulletin ReportKARACHI: Multan Sultans overpowered Quetta Gladiators by 79 runs at National Bank Stadium, Karachi on Tuesday night and confirmed their place in the Qualifier of the HBL PSL Season 9 and will face Peshawar Zalmi on March 14, 2024 at 9 pm.Batting first, Multan scored 185-4 on the back of half-centuries by Mohammad Rizwan and Johnson Charles. Multan Sultans’ opening batters, Yasir Khan and Mohammad Rizwan could only manage a 16-run opening stand with the former caught behind for 12 on 11, with two fours, in the third over, after Gladiators opted to field first.What followed was a 52-run second-wicket stand as Usman Khan joined Rizwan in the middle to bring stability to Multan’s innings after the early wicket. In the fifth over, Rizwan hit a six while Usman hit two consecutive fours to get the scoreboard moving. Sultans ended the powerplay at 43-1.In the 10th over, Usman (21, 23b, 3x4s) was stunned by Abrar Ahmed, who bowled a magic delivery to outfox the right-hand batter. Johnson Charles, the next batter in, partnered with Rizwan for the longest partnership of the innings; yielding 68 from 43 deliveries. Charles, who contributed 32 from 19 to the partnership, played the aggressor role.In the 14th over, Rizwan brought up his 64th T20 half-century, doing so off 35 deliveries. The next two overs, which yielded 12 each, saw Rizwan hit a six while Charles powered the ball to the boundary twice. In the 17th over, Mohammad Amir dismissed Rizwan (69, 47b, 1x4, 4x6s) after he mistimed a leg-cutter, which was caught by the Quetta skipper, Rilee Rossouw.The fourth-wicket partnership between Charles and Iftikhar Ahmed propelled Multan to a comfortable total, after the two added 46 off just 18, with the last three overs yielding 42 runs. Mohammad Wasim Jnr removed Charles (53, 29b, 6x4s, 3x6s) on the fourth ball of the final over, after the batter had brought up his 36th T20 half-century off 27 balls. Iftikhar (20, 8b, 2x4s, 1x6) remained unbeaten at the other end, after pushing the Sultans total to 185-4. Amir bagged two wickets while Abrar and Wasim had one each.In return, Quetta Gladiators had a horror start to the chase as they lost four early wickets. In the third over, David Willey first trapped Jason Roy (3, 7b) leg-before on the second ball. Then, the last delivery of the over saw Saud Shakeel (14, 9b, 1x4, 1x6) being run out by Yasir who perfected his aim at the stumps from backward point, with the Quetta opener halfway down the crease.Rossouw (10, 9b, 2x4s) hit two fours in the next over to keep the scoreboard moving, however, lost his wicket on the final ball of the fifth over when Willey rattled the Quetta skipper’s stumps. Quetta finished the powerplay at 46-3. Trouble deepened when Laurie Evans (1, 2b), the next batter in, was caught by Chris Jordan at short midwicket off Abbas Afridi, leaving Gladiators 47-4.Then, Khawaja Nafay joined Omair bin Yousuf on the crease for a 26-run fifth-wicket partnership. He hit a four on the last ball of the seventh over. In the following over, Omair produced one four while Nafay smashed a six. Quetta got to 73-4 at the halfway mark. On the first ball of the 11th over, Nafay (16, 14b, 1x4, 1x6) was pinned leg-before wicket by Mohammad Ali after Multan reviewed the on-field decision.Omair managed to score 37 off 25, on the back of three fours and two maximums, before he was caught by Jordan in the 12th over, providing Usama Mir his 19th HBL PSL 9 wicket. In the next over, Akeal Hosein edged to Rizwan behind the stumps as Abbas got his second wicket of the innings. Hosein walked back for a-run-a-ball six, as the batting collapse continued. Usama rattled Amir’s (3, 6b) stumps to bring Quetta eight down in the 14th over, with only 99 runs on the board.Abrar was caught behind for a two-ball duck as Multan inched closer to joining Peshawar Zalmi in the HBL PSL 9 qualifier. Usama picked up the final wicket as Quetta were bundled up for 106, the lowest total of HBL PSL 9. Willey and Usama registered identical figures of three for 22 in four overs, while Abbas picked up two wickets. Ali also dismissed a batter.

Sports Bulletin ReportKARACHI: Peshawar Zalmi have raced to the top position on the points table, after eking out a two-run win against Karachi Kings at National Bank Stadium, Karachi on Tuesday night.Zalmi defended their 147-run total successfully, as the Kings agonizingly fell two runs short, scoring 145-5 in the allotted 20 overs. In doing so, Zalmi also registered the record for the lowest total successfully defended in HBL PSL history at Karachi.Karachi’s pursuit of the 148-run target started solidly as opening batters, James Vince and Tim Seifert, put on a 61-run opening partnership. The powerplay yielded 44 runs, with Seifert being the aggressor. Vince struggled to get off the blocks during his stay at the crease, which was cut short in the ninth over by Naveen-ul-Haq, as he returned for a sluggish 21 off 27 balls on the back of four boundaries.In the next over, Saim outfoxed Shan Masood (0, 2b) with a brilliant ball that turned just enough to hit the off-stump, leaving the batter stunned. At the halfway mark Kings required 84 with Shoaib Malik and Seifert on the crease. In the 11th over Seifert was pinned leg-before wicket against Aamir Jamal, for 41 off 30 balls, comprising eight boundaries.Shoaib and Mohammad Irfan Khan joined forces to stitch a crucial 49-run fourth-wicket partnership off 41 balls, keeping Zalmi on their toes. With 35 required off the last three overs, Naveen bowled Shoaib in the 17th over, who walked back after scoring 22 off 25 balls comprising one four.Luke Wood bowled a fine penultimate over conceding just eight and also dismissing the dangerous Kieron Pollard for a paltry one run. Aamir faced with the challenge of defending 17 runs in the last over, gave away 13 runs off the first five balls as Anwar Ali got off strike.Irfan (39 not out, 26b, 7x4s) needed to hit four off the last ball to earn a consolation win for the Kings. Aamir nailed a yorker as Irfan tried to make room while shuffling to the leg side and missed the ball, taking just one bye off it as Zalmi won the game by a mere two runs. Naveen bagged two wickets while Wood, Aamir and Saim picked up one each.Earlier, the opening duo of Babar Azam and Saim Ayub put on another show of delightful batting after Zalmi won the toss and elected to bat first. They brought up 54 runs at the end of the powerplay. Zahid Mahmood, bowling the seventh over, got rid of Saim (19, 18b, 3x4s) as he turned one prodigiously from outside off to rattle the stumps, bringing an end to the 55-run opening stand.Zalmi notched 75 runs for the loss of one wicket by the halfway mark as Babar played some fluent shots on a turning track. In the following over, Mohammad Haris (13, 11b, 2x4s) was undone by Hasan Ali as Arafat Minhas took an easy catch behind point. Left-hand batter Haseebullah (1, 5b) too failed to make his mark as Arafat bagged his maiden HBL PSL wicket with Irfan pouching the ball at deep midwicket leaving Zalmi 83-3 after 12.1 overs.In the 14th over, Babar took apart Zahid’s leg-spin by hitting him for a six and four to bring up his fifth HBL PSL 9 half-century. Later in the same over, he failed to make his ground at the non-striker’s end while attempting a second run and had to return for 51 off 46 balls, comprising five boundaries and a solitary six.On a tricky wicket, Zalmi could only manage 43 runs off the last five overs courtesy Rovman Powell’s 30 off 18 balls, on the back of three boundaries while Aamir chipped in with an unbeaten eight off seven balls. Arafat, making his HBL PSL debut, bowled the most economical spell of the tournament, returning with a wicket for just 11 runs in four overs, as Karachi bowlers conceded 147-6 in the 20 overs with Sams, Zahid and Hasan bagging one scalp each.