Sports Report
RAWALPINDI: Peshawar Zalmi skipper Babar Azam scored his maiden Pakistan Super League (PSL) century after Saim Ayub’s baton charge on the hapless Quetta Gladiators’ bowlers as Peshawar Zalmi scored the second-highest total of the ongoing eighth season.
Opting to bat first against Quetta Gladiators, who took the field without their regular captain Sarfaraz Ahmed in a must-win match, Peshawar Zalmi openers gave their bowlers a ruthless thrashing as the pair recorded the second-highest PSL partnership for any wicket. Babar replied to his critics with the bat by scoring his maiden century in PSL 8 with a strike rate of 171.66.
The two batters scored 162 runs off 81 balls to register the second-highest partnership in the tournament’s history.
Saim continued his top form and smashed 74 off just 34 balls, including all of his unbelievable shots. The left-handed batter impressed viewers by smashing six boundaries and five maximums.
Dwaine Pretorius bagged the young gun with a slower delivery in the 14th over. But Babar kept going and scored his first PSL century. The skipper suffered immense criticism for his strike rate in the previous match. However, he proved himself again by scoring a century, with an improved scoring rate.
He got run out after scoring 115, laced with 15 boundaries and three sixes.
In the end, Rovman Powell contributed a quick 18-ball 35. Pretorius was the lone wicket-taker in the first innings.
Peshawar Zalmi Playing XI
Mohammad Haris (wk), Babar Azam (c), Saim Ayub, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Haseebullah Khan, Rovman Powell, Aamer Jamal, Wahab Riaz, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Arshad Iqbal
Quetta Gladiators Playing XI
Jason Roy, Will Smeed, Martin Guptill, Mohammad Hafeez, Iftikhar Ahmed, Umar Akmal, Mohammad Nawaz (c), Dwaine Pretorius, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah, Aimal Khan
