LAHORE: Babar Azam described winning his first Pakistan Super League (PSL) title as captain as a “very big achievement”, crediting his teammates for delivering consistently across all departments throughout the tournament.
Peshawar Zalmi secured their second PSL title with a win over Hyderabad Kingsmen in the final at Gaddafi Stadium, ending a nine-year gap since their maiden triumph under Darren Sammy in 2017.
Babar’s decision to bowl first in the final proved decisive, as Kingsmen were restricted to 129 in 18 overs despite a steady half-century from Saim Ayub. In reply, Zalmi overcame early setbacks thanks to a crucial partnership between Aaron Hardie and Abdul Samad, sealing victory with five wickets in hand.
Reflecting on the achievement, Babar said: “It’s a very big achievement for me and for Peshawar Zalmi and all the fans. Throughout the tournament, we’ve performed really well as a team. We enjoyed our cricket.”
He added: “Every player executed the plans they were given in batting, bowling, and fielding. Our plan was to go match by match. Thank god we won today.”
The captain also praised the team management, led by head coach Ottis Gibson, for maintaining a positive approach. “Management in every match discussion took out the positives, and we focused on that,” he said.
Despite falling for a golden duck in the final, Babar finished as the tournament’s leading run-scorer with 588 runs, equalling a long-standing PSL record and earning the Hanif Mohammad Cap.
“My own form, I wanted to get that back. In this PSL, I tried to give my best, and thankfully I could,” he added.
