Sports Bulletin

Karachi : Mark Chapman struck an unbeaten 69 off 33 balls as Islamabad United chased down 193-run target with four wickets in hand and eight balls to spare against Multan Sultans in the 40th and final league match of the HBL Pakistan Super League 11 at the National Bank Stadium, Karachi on Sunday.The win lifted Islamabad United to second on the points table on 13 points from 10 matches and earned them a Qualifier clash against table-toppers Peshawar Zalmi, with the winner advancing directly to the 3 May final and the losing team dropping into Eliminator 2, scheduled for 1 May. Multan Sultans, who finished third with 12 points, will take on fourth-placed Hyderabad Kingsmen in Eliminator 1 on 29 April in Lahore.Chasing 193, Islamabad United lost Sameer Minhas in the second over for one off four balls, edging Mohammad Ismail to sweeper cover where the catch was completed by his elder brother Arafat Minhas in a notable derby moment between the siblings on opposing teams.Devon Conway and Mohsin Riaz steadied the chase with a 31-run stand for the second wicket. Conway (18, 15b, 4x4s), who survived a leg-before-wicket review on umpire's call off Muhammad Imran, drove a fuller delivery past mid-off for four before edging Imran to a diving Steve Smith at mid-off. Mohsin made 25 off 17 balls with five fours before paddle-sweeping Faisal Akram to short fine leg, where Ismail completed a juggling catch at 72-3 in 7.3 overs.Shadab Khan and Chapman steadied the innings with a 63-run stand for the fourth wicket. Chapman, who had been dropped on zero by Mohammad Wasim Jnr at midwicket, capitalised in style as he struck Wasim Jnr for two fours and a six in the 11th over and brought up his half-century off just 26 balls with a tracer-bullet four through the covers off Faisal Akram. Shadab perished after contributing 36 off 28 balls with five fours, mishitting Wasim Jnr to Smith at long-on as the scoreboard read 135-4 in the 14th over.Haider Ali’s cameo of a five-ball 13 featuring two sixes ended as he was caught at deep cover off Faisal. Faheem Ashraf made 11 off nine balls before Peter Siddle had him caught at deep cover by Imran with Islamabad finding themselves 171-6 in the 18th over. Chapman, however, refused to be denied as he pulled Siddle for a six over square leg to bring up United's 100, launching Ashton Turner for a 90-metre six over long-on and finishing unbeaten on 69 off 33 balls with four fours and six sixes. He finished the game with back-to-back fours off Wasim Jnr.Earlier, opting to bat first, Multan Sultans’ opening batters Sahibzada Farhan and Smith got off to a flying start with a 60-run stand inside the powerplay. Sahibzada flat-batted Mohammad Salman Mirza for a six over long-off in the second over and flicked Imad Wasim through midwicket for four. Smith pulled Mohammad Salman Mirza for six over midwicket and lashed a length ball through the covers for four. Both batters fell on consecutive deliveries — Smith for (30, 19b, 4x4s, 1x6) edging a Salman off-cutter behind to Conway, before Shadab had Sahibzada (30, 18b, 4x4s, 1x6) caught at deep midwicket by Sameer Minhas, jolting Multan at 60-2 after 6.1 overs.Josh Philippe (11, 13b) put on 42 with top-scorer Shan Masood before Imad had him caught at short midwicket by Green at 102-3 in the 12th over. Ashton Turner managed nine off five balls with a six off Green before being caught and bowled by himShan, who reverse-swept Shadab for four and launched Green for two sixes over midwicket and long-off, was bowled by Salman Irshad for 44 off 33 balls (2x4s, 3x6s) at 129-5. Arafat and Wasim Jnr then propelled Sultans past 190 with a 56-run stand for the seventh wicket off 23 balls.Arafat struck Salman Irshad for a six over long-off and a flicked four through midwicket and clobbered Faheem for a six over deep midwicket. Faheem returned to dismiss Imran (5), before Arafat got run out for 31 off 19 balls (1x4, 3x6s) in the 20th over after a mix-up with Wasim Jnr. Wasim Jnr finished unbeaten on 26 off nine balls with two fours and two sixes, hammering Salman for two consecutive sixes and a four through third man as Sultans posted 192-7.Scores in brief:Match 40 – Islamabad United beat Multan Sultans by four wickets at National Bank Stadium, KarachiMultan Sultans 192-7, 20 overs (Shan Masood 44, Arafat Minhas 31, Sahibzada Farhan 30, Steve Smith 30, Mohammad Wasim Jnr 26 not out; Imad Wasim 1-23, Faheem Ashraf 1-23)Islamabad United 193-6, 18.4 overs (Mark Chapman 69 not out, Shadab Khan 36, Mohsin Riaz 25; Faisal Akram 2-41, Peter Siddle 1-24, Mohammad Ismail 1-29)Player of the Match: Mark Chapman (Islamabad United(Tuesday’s Qualifier: Peshawar Zalmi vs Islamabad United at National Bank Stadium, Karachi; 7pm PKT

 Islamabad (Sports News): Hyderabad Kingsmen thumped Rawalpindiz by 108 runs to displace Lahore Qalandars from the fourth spot on the points table based on better net run rate as they defended their mammoth 244-6 total here at the National Bank Stadium, Karachi on Sunday afternoon.Glenn Maxwell, Usman Khan and Kusal Perera’s blazing half-centuries took Kingsmen to a total well beyond the 200-run mark as they were required to win by at least 86 runs and overtake Qalandars. In turn, Hunain Shah proved to be the difference as he bagged T20 career best 4-22 after Rawalpindiz were cruising at 56-1 in 5.2 overs.With 245 needed to win their second game of the tournament, the Rawalpindiz could have still ended Kingsmen’s journey in the tournament if they scored 159 or more but fell for 136 all out in 17.1 overs losing seven for 42 in 7.2 overs.Usman Khawaja, who remained 66 not out off 43 balls hitting nine fours, couldn’t find any stable partners after walking in to bat in the second over with the fall of Shahzaib Khan to Akif Javed. Khawaja and Rizwan collected 43 runs off 22 balls to scare the Kingsmen but not to be.Player of the match Hunain created impact straightaway in his first over as he removed Mohammad Rizwan (26, 15b, 4x4s) and castled Kamran Ghulam for a duck in a space of three balls.At this juncture, Sam Billings (23, 12b, 1x4, 2x6s) and Khawaja again threatened Kingsmen’s hopes with a fluent 38-run stand, which included two sixes and as many fours. Akif induced a false shot off Billings after getting hit for a six and began the rot in Rawalpindiz batting at 94-4 in 10 overs.Akif then got rid of the dangerous Dian Forrester in the 12th over after which wickets fell at regular intervals with Rawalpindiz losing five for 34. Akif picked up three for 38, while Mohammad Ali and Glenn Maxwell picked up one wicket each.Earlier, Kingsmen came out all guns blazing after they were asked to bat first and were faced with the challenge of posting a mammoth total on the board. Following skipper Marnus Labuschagne’s (5, 5b, 1x4) early departure, Maaz Sadaqat (28, 11b, 5x4s, 1x6) and Usman Khan brisk 54-runs stand to take 64 runs off the first five overs.Saim Ayub (12, 5b, 1x4, 1x6) then launched a six and a four in last over of powerplay as Kingsmen found themselves 78-2 in six overs. Usman, who contributed a fiery 54 off 26 balls, hit four fours and as many sixes in his outing.Saad Masood struck twice at the start of ninth over to remove Usman and Muhammad Irfan Khan to leave Kingsmen 119-5. With the innings on crossroads, top-scorer Glenn Maxwell (70, 37b, 8x4s, 3x6s) and Kusal Perera (50 not out, 30b, 5x4s, 1x6) came together to put on a game-changing partnership of 108 off 59 balls.Before falling on the first ball of last over, Maxwell unleashed fury on Rawalpindiz bowling attack as he hit Sears for a six and four in 11th over and two fours in 18th over, Amir for three fours in 17th over and Amad Butt for two consecutive maximums in 19th over. It was his 59th T20 half-century.Perera brought up his third HBL PSL fifty and played a supportive knock. Hassan Khan closed the innings in emphatic manner hitting Forrester for a four and two sixes on the last three balls as he finished with 16 off four.Saad picked up two for 34, while Asif and Sears dismissed one batter each.Scores in brief:Match 39 – Hyderabad Kingsmen beat Rawalpindiz by 108 runs at National Bank Stadium, KarachiHyderabad Kingsmen 244-6, 20 overs (Glenn Maxwell 70, Usman Khan 54, Kusal Perera 50 not out, Maaz Sadaqat 28; Saad Masood 2-34)Rawalpindiz 136 all out, 17.1 overs (Usman Khawaja 66 not out, Mohammad Rizwan 26, Sam Billings 23; Hunain Shah 4-22, Akif Javed 3-38)Player of the Match – Hunain Shah (Hyderabad Kingsmen)

Karachi (Sports News): The Women’s National Selection Committee has named a 15-member squad for the three-match ODI series between Pakistan and Zimbabwe women’s teams scheduled to take place at National Bank Stadium in Karachi from 4 to 9 May. The three-match T20I series will be followed by ODI series and the squad for the T20I series will be announced in due course.Fatima Sana will continue to lead the side in the three ODIs – part of ICC Women’s Championship 2025-29. The ODIs will be played on 4, 6 and 9 May with the first ball of each ball set to be bowled at 3.30pm PKT. Pakistan are currently placed fifth in the ICC Women’s Championship with two points after featuring in an away ODI series against South Africa earlier this year.Uncapped Momina Riasat has also been included in the 15-member squad.Zimbabwe women’s team will embark on their maiden tour of Pakistan for the series and will arrive in Karachi on 29 April. Both teams will train at the National Bank Stadium from 30 April to 3 May.The T20I series will follow at the same venue on 12, 14 and 15 May, with matches set to begin at 7.30pm.Pakistan women squad:Fatima Sana (captain), Aliya Riaz, Ayesha Zafar, Diana Baig, Gull Feroza, Momina Riasat, Muneeba Ali (wk), Najiha Alvi (wk), Nashra Sundhu, Natalia Parvaiz, Rameen Shamim, Sadaf Shamas, Sidra Amin, Syeda Aroob Shah and Tasmia RubabReserves: Iram Javed, Eyman Fatima, Saira Jabeen, Tuba Hassan and Ambar Kainat.Player support personnel: Ayesha Ashhar (team manager), Wahab Riaz (mentor/head coach), Abdur Rehman (spin bowling coach), Umaid Asif (fast bowling coach), Abdul Majeed (fielding coach), Imran Farhat (batting coach), Mohammad Arslan (media manager), Waleed Ahmed (analyst), Moeen (strength & conditioning coach), Tehreem Sumbal (physiotherapist) and Kiran Shahzadi (masseuse).Series schedule (All matches at National Bank Stadium, Karachi):29 April – Zimbabwe arrival30 April to 3 May – Training sessions4 May – First ODI (3.30pm)6 May – Second ODI (3.30pm)9 May – Third ODI (3.30pm)12 May – First T20I (7.30pm)14 May – Second T20I (7.30pm)15 May – Third T20I (7.30pm)

 Lahore (PR): The tickets for the HBL Pakistan Super League 11 final scheduled for 3 May are set to go on sale at 4pm from Monday, 27 April at pcb.tcs.com.pk, while physical tickets will be available at 18 designated TCS Express Centres in Lahore from Tuesday at 10am, the PCB confirmed today.Fans should aim to reach the Gaddafi Stadium by 18:30 PKT to witness the Curtain Closing Ceremony before the Final Match of the Tournament.Fans can buy VIP enclosures (Fazal Mahmood and Imran Khan) tickets for PKR 6,000, while the premium enclosures (Rajas and Saeed Anwar) will be available for PKR 4,000. First class enclosures, which comprise of Abdul Hafeez Kardar, Abdul Qadir, Javed Miandad and Sarfaraz Nawaz, are priced at PKR 2,000.Seats in the Hanif Mohammad, Imtiaz Ahmed, Saeed Ahmed and Inzamam-ul-Haq, which are categorised as General enclosures, will be available for a minimum of PKR 1,500.The thrilling action of the HBL PSL 11 final can also be enjoyed from the VVIP enclosure (Waqar Younis) at the Iqbal End whose tickets can be bought for PKR 8,000. The tickets for Zaheer Abbas enclosure at the Jinnah End will carry a price of PKR 10,000. The PCB Gallery tickets are prized at PKR 12,000.

Dubai (Sports News): Seasoned batter Muhammad Waseem has been named the interim captain of the UAE Men’s National Team for the ICC CWC League 2 Series – Nepal 2026. UAE will play Nepal and Oman in the double-league tri-series – pathway for the ICC Men’s ODI World Cup 2027. The series will be played at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground, Kirtipur. Waseem has previously led the side in 26 ODIs. He has replaced Rahul Chopra (ODI captain) who has been rested for the tour. UAE will play Nepal in their first match of the series on Saturday 25 April. Their next three matches are on Monday 27 April, Friday 1 May and Sunday 2 May against Oman, Nepal and Oman respectively. All series matches will begin at 9:30am local time. *UAE squad for ICC CWC League 2 series matches:* Mohammad Waseem (captain), Adeeb Usmani (wicketkeeper), Ajay Kumar, Akshdeep Nath, Aryansh Sharma (wicketkeeper), Haider Ali, Harpreet Bhatia, Jash Giyanani, Junaid Siddique, Khuzaima Bin Tanveer, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Shahdad, Muhammad Zuhaib, Nilansh Keswani and Sohaib Khan.Support Staff: Amjad Ezzi (team manager), Lalchand Rajput (head coach), Stanley Chioza (fielding coach), Azharuddin Qureshi (strength and conditioning coach), Manpreet Sidhu (video analyst) and Manish Pardeshi (physiotherapist). ICC CWC League 2 Nepal – UAE matches schedule (Local time – Kirtipur):*Saturday, 25 April – Nepal vs UAE – 9:30am, Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground, Kirtipur.Monday, 27 April – UAE vs Oman – 9:30am, Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground, Kirtipur.Friday, 1 May – Nepal vs UAE – 9:30am, Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground, Kirtipur.Sunday, 3 May – UAE vs Oman – 9:30am, Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground, Kirtipur. 

Lahore (Sports News): Karachi Kings stormed to their first victory in six matches in a stunning manner as they chased a 200-run target against Lahore Qalandars with eight balls left and five wickets in the bag in the 35th match of the HBL Pakistan Super League here at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore on Thursday.Khushdil smashed 44 not out at a strike rate of 314 to finish the game after walking in to bat at number seven with 54 required off 27 balls.The bumper double-header day comprised of Twin Cities Derby and the HBL PSL Clasico on 23 April. With the win, Karachi Kings have at large extended their overall dominance over Lahore Qalandars by 16 to 7 and most importantly saved themselves and Quetta Gladiators from being ousted from the Playoffs race.Qalandars are now placed at the fifth place with nine points to their name and a must-win match left to play against Peshawar Zalmi. Kings, who are sixth on the table, will face Quetta Gladiators in a do or die game. On Friday night, fourth-placed Hyderabad Kingsmen and third-placed Islamabad United will face each other in an important clash.Khushdil and Warner shared a fiery unbeaten 57 off 19 balls to take the Qalandars by a surprise. The duo first hit a four each against Haris Rauf in the 17th over to bring down the equation to 34 needed off three overs. Shaheen Shah Afridi was tonked for three sixes and a four by Khushdil in the subsequent over to almost nail the game.With 11 needed off 12 balls, Khushdil saw off a yorker on the first ball for no run, then took a two before going ballistic on the third and fourth balls as he hit Haris for consecutive sixes to finish the game. Kings have won all their four matches in Lahore with two coming against Qalandars, while they lost five on the trot in Karachi.Earlier, David Warner kept the innings intact with an unbeaten 63 off 44 balls hitting nine fours and one six. It was his fifth HBL PSL half-century and 117th overall. Kings lost Jason Roy for nine in the second over, Reeza Hendricks for 10 in the fifth with 39 runs on the board with both wickets falling to Ubaid Shah. Salman Ali Agha fell for 14 off 15 against Haris as Kings were reduced to 69-3 in 8.3 overs.At this juncture, Moeen Ali played a brisk and much-needed knock of 39 from 17 balls hitting one four and four sixes in a 58-run stand with Warner.Moeen hit Sikandar Raza for two sixes in the 12th over when the required un rate had crept above 12. His stay at the crease was cut short by Ubaid in the 14th over after which Azam Khan chipped in with an eight-ball 14. Daniel Sams castled Azam as Khushdil walked out to bat.After being asked to bat first, the Qalandars were propelled to a 199-6 total in 20 overs on the back of half-centuries from Fakhar Zaman (61, 41b, 5x4s, 3x6s) and Abdullah Shafique (62, 36b, 5x4s, 3x6s) and a nine-ball 20 from Daniel Sams.Qalandars lost Mohammad Farooq for a 15-ball 18 in the fourth over before Fakhar and Abdullah took the centre stage and put on a 110-run stand off 62 balls. Lahore took 57 runs off the powerplay and brought up the team hundred in 9.5 overs.Moeen put an end to the stand by removing Fakhar in the 14th over from where Qalandars lost five for 65 in 38 balls. Rizwanullah removed Abdullah after Moeen had skittled Charith Asalanka for a three-ball duck. Sikandar Raza remained unbeaten for a 12-ball 18 hitting a solitary six in his outing.Sams smashed two sixes in his 20-run knock, while skipper Shaheen also hit a six and a four in his 10 off four balls before becoming Hasan’s 138th scalp in the HBL PSL – who is now two wickets ahead of the Qalandars’ skipper on the all-time chart.Scores in brief:Lahore Qalandars 199-6, 20 overs (Abdullah Shafique 62, Fakhar Zaman 61, Daniel Sams 20, Sikandar Raza 20 not out; Moeen Ali 2-26)Karachi Kings 203-5, 18.4 overs (David Warner 63 not out, Khushdil Shah 44 not out, Moeen Ali 39; Ubaid Shah 3-41)Player of the Match – Khushdil Shah (Karachi Kings)Friday’s fixture: Hyderabad Kingsmen v Islamabad United at National Bank Stadium, Karachi; 7pm PKT

Karachi (PCB Report):Steve Smith hit a composed half-century as Multan Sultans romped to their sixth win chasing the 167-run target set by Rawalpindiz in the 31st match of the HBL Pakistan Super League 11 here at the National Bank Stadium, Karachi on Tuesday’s double-header day. On Wednesday, Karachi Kings will take on Peshawar Zalmi in the first match at the Gaddafi Stadium, while Multan Sultans will return to face Hyderabad Kingsmen at the National Bank Stadium. Sultans are placed second on the points table with 12 points, while Rawalpindiz have copped their eighth straight loss. Opting to bat first, the Rawalpindiz were struck two early blows by Multan Sultans’ new ball duo of Muhammad Imran and Peter Siddle. Shahzaib Khan fell for a four-ball duck to Imran, while Siddle got rid of Yasir Khan to reduce Rawalpindiz to 6-2 in two overs. It was at this juncture that Daryl Mitchell and Mohammad Rizwan came together to stitch a 63-run stand off 50 balls. The duo was quiet till the fifth over with Rawalpindiz 19-2 before they hit Arafat Minhas for a six and a four to take 14 off the sixth. Arafat returned to break the partnership in the 11th over after Rawalpindiz were 67-2 at the halfway mark. That the Rawalpindiz were able to score 99 off the last 10 overs was largely due to Dian Forrester’s unbeaten 37 off 15 balls and Mitchell’s unbeaten 58 as they stitched 45 off 20 balls for the fifth wicket. Sam Billings (29, 20b, 2x4s, 1x6) walked in at 69-3 in the 11th over and helped keep the innings on track putting on a 52-run stand with Mitchell. Mohammad Wasim Jnr came on to remove Billings in the 17th over. Forrester hit three fours and three sixes in his aggressive outing. His boundaries came in the last three overs in a set of six and four each. Mitchell, who hit his 28th T20 half-century and fourth in HBL PSL, struck three fours and two sixes as Rawalpindiz finished with 166-4 in 20 overs. In turn, Sultans reached the target with eight balls to spare and six wickets in the bag. Smith hit 56 off 31 balls with the help of five fours and three sixes, in which he looked at his best. It was his second HBL PSL half-century and 31st in T20s. After Sahibzada (20, 17b, 4x4s) was castled by Asif Afridi for the first of his two wickets in the fourth over, Smith and Philippe (17, 19b, 1x4) shared a 69-run stand, which was largely dominated by the former. Shan Masood contributed 20 off 22 balls hitting just one four after Philippe and Smith fell to Asif and Saad Masood, respectively in consecutive overs with Sultans 100-3 in 11.3 overs. Skipper Ashton Turner remained unbeaten for 37 off 21 balls and made sure to finish the game hitting three fours and one six in his outing, while Arafat was seven not out off three balls with the help of one four. Asif’s two wickets came for 28 runs in four overs, while Razaullah and Saad dismissed one batter each. Scores in brief:Rawalpindiz 166-4, 20 overs (Daryl Mitchell 58 not out, Dian Forrester 37 not out, Sam Billings 29, Mohammad Rizwan 26; Mohammad Imran 1-9) Multan Sultans 167-4, 18.4 overs (Steven Smith 56, Ashton Turner 37 not out, Sahibzada Farhan 20, Shan Masood 20; Asif Afridi 2-28)Player of the Match – Steven Smith (Multan SultansWednesday’s fixtures:Karachi Kings v Peshawar Zalmi at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore; 2.30pm PKTHyderabad Kingsmen v Multan Sultans at National Bank Stadium, Karachi; 7pm PKT 

Lahore (Sports News):Fakhar Zaman’s blazing century helped Lahore Qalandars register a thrilling nine-run win over Quetta Gladiators in the Match 30 of HBL Pakistan Super League 11 at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Tuesday evening.Lahore Qalandars moved to fourth on the table with eight points, while Quetta Gladiators dropped to fifth with six points.Fakhar’s 103 off 51 balls, which included 11 fours and six sixes, powered Lahore to 197 for six in 20 overs. In reply, Quetta fought hard through half-centuries by Shamyl Hussain and Rilee Rossouw, but fell short as they finished on 188 for 7.Lahore lost Mohammad Farooq early for four in the second over with just seven runs on the board, but Fakhar steadied the innings with Abdullah Shafique in a 57-run stand for the second wicket. Abdullah contributed 14 off 15 balls before he was dismissed in the seventh over with the score at 64 for two.Fakhar then found strong support from Charith Asalanka. The pair added 96 runs for the third wicket to put Lahore in a commanding position. Fakhar dominated the stand with attacking strokeplay all around the ground, while Asalanka made 31 off 24 balls with three fours and one six.Asalanka fell leg-before-wicket to Brett Hampton in the 16th over with the score on 160, while Fakhar was dismissed in the next over for 103, caught by Shamyl Hussain off Usman Tariq at 164-4. Daniel Sams then added late impetus with 18 not out off 12 balls hitting two fours and one six, while Shaheen Shah Afridi chipped in with eight as Lahore closed on 197-6.For Quetta, Alzarri Joseph was the most economical bowler conceding 23 in four overs including a maiden first over, while Hampton, Abrar Ahmed and Usman Tariq picked up one wicket apiece.Quetta made a positive start in the chase as Shamyl Hussain and Saud Shakeel added 49 runs for the opening wicket. Saud made 17 off 17 balls before Sikandar Raza provided Lahore with the breakthrough in the sixth over.Shamyl continued the charge and raced to 53 off 31 balls striking five fours and three sixes, scoring his third HBL PSL half-century in his debut season, but Lahore hit back through a sharp run-out by Sams with the score on 88 in the 10th over.Haris Rauf then struck with the next ball to dismiss Hasan Nawaz for naught, leaving Quetta 88-3.Rossouw then launched a counterattack to revive the chase, hammering 62 off 29 deliveries with five fours and five sixes. His innings shifted momentum before Ubaid Shah removed him in the 15th over, caught behind by Haseebullah with Quetta on 149-5.Khawaja Mohammad Nafay scored 12, Bevon Jacobs made two and Brett Hampton added seven, but Quetta could not keep up with the required rate. Haris removed Hampton in the 18th over to leave Quetta at 160-7.Abrar Ahmed then played a fighting unbeaten knock of 24 off 14 balls, hitting five fours, while Alzarri Joseph remained not out on three. Despite the late resistance, Quetta finished on 188-7.Haris Rauf led Lahore’s bowling effort with 2-28 in four overs, while Shaheen, Ubaid, Sikandar and Usama Mir claimed one wicket each. ShaheenScores in brief:Lahore Qalandars 197-6, 20 overs (Fakhar Zaman 103, Charith Asalanka 31; Khalil Ahmed 2-38)Quetta Gladiators 188-7, 20 overs (Rilee Rossouw 62, Shamyl Hussain 53, Abrar Ahmed 24 not out; Haris Rauf 2-28). 

Karachi (Sports News): Babar Azam registered his third HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) century as unbeaten Peshawar Zalmi thumped Quetta Gladiators by a record 118-run margin in the second match of Sunday’s double-header here at the National Bank Stadium, Karachi.Monday, 20 April will be a rest day in HBL PSL before the action returns on Tuesday with another double-header split between Lahore and Karachi.Peshawar Zalmi’s 255-3 in 20 overs became the third-highest total in the HBL PSL and only the fifth score ever in excess of the 250-run mark. In turn, Zalmi’s rookie pace duo of Ali Raza (3-9) and Mohammad Basit (3-26), who combined to dismantle three of the top four batters and blew away Gladiators for a mere 137 in 18.1 overs. The 118-run winning margin registered by Zalmi is the fourth-highest in terms of runs after they also registered the 159-run margin against Karachi Kings on 9 April at the same venue. Zalmi now have 15 points to their name off eight games.Peshawar Zalmi took 76 runs off the last five overs of their innings, while Babar dramatically brought up his 12th T20 century and first in 67 innings on the last ball of the innings – 52nd ball of his outing - with a double.Babar, who finished on 100 off 52, hit six fours and four sixes and also put on a brisk unbeaten 66-run stand off 22 balls with Aaron Hardie (26 not out, 10b, 3x6s). Babar’s all four sixes came in the last four overs as he went after Abrar Ahmed, Usman Tariq and Alzarri Joseph. It was also the first time in T20 cricket that a batter faced only a solitary dot ball after facing 50 or more balls.Earlier, Babar and Kusal Mendis again joined forces to put on a second century partnership in the tournament worth 135 runs off 75 balls after Mohammad Haris (16, 6b, 1x4, 2x6s) departed in the second over. Mendis, the leading run-scorer in the HBL PSL 11 with 413 runs, fell for 83 off 44 balls hitting 10 fours and three sixes. This was Mendis’ third half-century besides his 109 against Kings on 9 April.The duo brought up the second-highest powerplay score in HBL PSL 11 – 80-1. By the halfway mark Zalmi had notched 115 runs and then Usman broke the stand in the 15th over with scorecard reading 165-2.From this over, young Farhan Yousuf (19, 8b, 2x4s, 1x6) laid the marker for the big total by hitting Usman for a six and a four on consecutive balls. He fell to Abrar in the 17th over as Babar and Hardie went ballistic.For Gladiators, Jahandad, Joseph and Usman Tariq were hit for 50 more runs.In the chase, Quetta Gladiators’ left-arm pacer Mohammad Basit brought the goods in the fourth over removing Saud Shakeel for 12 and Rilee Rossouw for a golden duck. Ali Raza, who was constantly clocking in excess of 140 kph, during his 3.1 overs, then removed Hasan Nawaz in last over of powerplay, at the end of which the Gladiators were 42-3.No.6 Bevon Jacobs (34, 27b, 1x4, 3x6s) and no.5 Dinesh Chandimal (19, 8b, 1x4, 2x6s) threatened for moments before perishing as Gladiators slumped from 44-3 to 82-7 and then 137 all out. Jospeh struck two sixes in his 15-ball 19 not out. Ali Raza’s figures read 3.1-0-9-3, while Basit’s three came in four. Sufyan Moqim and Michael Bracewell picked up one wicket each.Scores in brief:Peshawar Zalmi 255-3, 20 overs (Babar Azam 100 not out, Kusal Mendis 83, Aaron Hardie 26 not out)Quetta Gladiators 137 all out, 18.1 overs (Bevon Jacobs 34, Shamyl Hussain 21; Ali Raza 3-9, Mohammad Basit 3-26, Aaron Hardie 2-11)Player of the Match: Babar Azam (Peshawar Zalmi)

Lahore (Sports News): The Pakistan Cricket Board has announced match officials for the forthcoming Pakistan v Zimbabwe Women’s series scheduled to take place at the National Bank Stadium in Karachi from 4 to 15 May.The six-match white-ball series includes three ODIs and three T20Is. The ODIs are part of the ICC Women’s Championship 2025-29, followed by three T20Is.Sri Lanka’s Nimali Perera will stand as on-field umpire in all six matches of the series. PCB’s match umpires including Zulfiqar Jan, Tariq Rasheed, Saleema Imtiaz, Faisal Afridi and Nasir Hussain will perform their duties as match officials across the white-ball series. Humairah Farah will perform reserve umpire duties in the ODI matches.Umpire and match referee appointments (Matches from 4 to 15 May)4 May – First ODI – Nimali Perera and Zulfiqar Jan (on-field umpires), Tariq Rasheed (third umpire), Humairah Farah (reserve umpire); Kamran Choudhry (match referee)6 May – Second ODI – Nimali Perera and Tariq Rasheed (on-field umpires), Zulfiqar Jan (third umpire), Humairah Farah (reserve umpire); Kamran Choudhry (match referee)9 May – Third ODI – Nimali Perera and Saleema Imtiaz (on-field umpires), Tariq Rasheed (third umpire), Zulfiqar Jan (reserve umpire); Kamran Choudhry (match referee)12 May – First T20I – Nimali Perera and Faisal Afridi (on-field umpires), Nasir Hussain (third umpire), Saleema Imtiaz (reserve umpire); Ali Naqvi (match referee)14 May – Second T20I – Nimali Perera and Nasir Hussain (on-field umpires), Saleema Imtiaz (third umpire), Faisal Afridi (reserve umpire); Ali Naqvi (match referee)15 May – Third T20I – Nimali Perera and Saleema Imtiaz (on-field umpires), Faisal Afridi (third umpire), Nasir Hussain (reserve umpire); Ali Naqvi (match referee)