Fakhar, Salman sparkle as Qalandars down Zalmi to qualify for playoffs

Staff Report

RAWALPINDI: Fakhar Zaman and Mohammad Salman Mirza shone with bat and ball, respectively as the duo helped Lahore Qalandars down Peshawar Zami by 23 runs in a rain-hit 13-over contest here at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Sunday night. Qalandars were helped to a mammoth total of 149-8 in the allotted 78 balls courtesy Fakhar Zaman’s belligerence, who also overtook Mohammad Rizwan as the leading run-scorer (369 runs), as he struck his 23rd HBL PSL half-century. In turn, Zalmi lost seven wickets for 63 runs before reaching 123-8. Left-arm pacer Salman, who picked four wickets on his HBL PSL return after playing two matches in 2021, removed Saim Ayub in second over, while he castled Mohammad Haris and Max Bryant on back-to-back balls in 4th over to break Zalmi’s momentum early on.  After rain reduced the virtual quarter-final contest to 13 overs, Peshawar Zalmi opted to field first. Fakhar and Mohammad Naeem (22, 10b, 3x4s, 1×6) provided Qalandars a blazing start with a fiery 54-run opening stand in just 3.4 overs.

While Fakhar, who scored 60 off 36 balls, kept on bludgeoning boundaries throughout the innings – seven fours and three sixes in total, Qalandars were helped by contributions from Kusal Perera (17, 8b, 2x4s, 1×6), Asif Ali (18, 6b, 1×4, 2x6s) and Shaheen Shah Afridi (8 not out, 6b, 1×6). Zalmi bowlers gave away just 22 runs taking three wickets in the last three overs but Qalandars had already jotted a healthy total at a blazing 11.46 runs per over. For Zalmi, Ahmed Daniyal, Ali Raza and Daniel Sams picked up two wickets each. In reply, Peshawar found themselves in trouble after accumulating 20 runs off first 11 balls as Saim was dismissed hit-wicket, while Haris and Bryant were stemmed by Salman. Skipper Babar Azam’s 13-ball stay, which yielded 16 runs, was ended by Sikandar Raza in 6th over with scorecard reading 42-4.

Maaz Sadaqat (4) fell to Haris Rauf, while Shaheen Shah Afridi outfoxed Abdul Samad after he had hit two fours in his 10-ball stay scoring 17 runs and Luke Wood for a two-ball duck. With Zalmi reeling at 63-7, no.7 batter Sams (26 not out, 14b, 2x4s, 2x6s) and Ahmed Daniyal (24, 14b, 2x4s, 2x6s) staged a fightback with a 14-ball 32-run stand before player of the match Salman returned to complete his figures of 4-31 in three overs. Sams’ hitting wasn’t enough as Zalmi fell 23 runs short.

Brief scores:

Match 29: 13-over match – Lahore Qalandars beat Peshawar Zalmi by 26 runs at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium

Lahore Qalandars 149-8, 13 overs (Fakhar Zaman 60, Mohammad Naeem 22; Ahmed Daniyal 2-22, Ali Raza 2-26, Daniel Sams 2-28) vs Peshawar Zalmi 123-8, 13 overs (Daniel Sams 26 not out, Ahmed Daniyal 24; Salman Mirza 4-31, Shaheen Shah Afridi 2-19)

Player of the match – Mohammad Salman Mirza (Lahore Qalandars).