LAHORE: Quetta Gladiators skipper Saud Shakeel gave a scathing assessment of his team’s performance after defeating Hyderabad Kingsmen at the Gaddafi Stadium on Sunday to claim their first win of Pakistan Super League (PSL) Season 11.
Speaking in the post-match presentation, Shakeel reflected deeply on his team’s all-round display, acknowledging the importance of adapting to pitch conditions while appreciating key individual contributions.
After Quetta scored 174-8 in their 20 overs, Shakeel explained that the surface was exactly what it demanded.
“The pitch was on the dry side and the pitch needed 175 to 180 runs,” he said. The way Hasan (Nawaz) and Shamil (Ussain) were batting, that maturity was needed.
The captain also highlighted the impact of the finishing batsman, underlining the strategic thinking behind their approach.
“The way (Tom) Curran finished, it gave us momentum and we took that into our bowling. We thought if we got two or three wickets in the powerplay, it would be difficult to chase down this score.”
Finally, Shakeel paid tribute to a teammate’s excellent bowling discipline.
“Salute to Daniel (Ahmed). The way Daniel bowled today – sticking to his line and length – is rare to see.”
Batting first, Quetta Gladiators lost captain South Shakeel early on. Riley Meredith was bowled on the final ball of the second over, South was out for a boundary off one ball to leave the Gladiators 21-1.
Shamil Hussain (54 off 41 balls, 3 fours, 3 sixes) then combined with Hasan Nawaz to rebuild the innings. The pair shared 89 runs before easing the pressure by adding 50 runs.
Shamil scored his second consecutive half-century in PSL 11 before being dismissed by Meredith. Hasan Nawaz scored 53 off 40 balls and was run out by Usman Khan following a direct delivery from Saad Ali.
Chasing 175 for victory, Hyderabad Kingsmen were restricted to 134-8 in 20 overs by some disciplined bowling by Gladiators.
Saim Ayub hit two consecutive fours in the first over and fell to 8 off four balls in no time, before being bowled by a sharp, unplayable bouncer from Alzari Joseph.
In the next over, Abrar Ahmed dismissed the other opener Mas Sadagat for a duck off the second ball, leaving the Kingsmen reeling at 17-2.
Saad Ali and Marnus Labuschagne tried to stabilize the innings, crossing the 50-run mark. However, Usman Tariq made an immediate impact in his first over, dismissing Saad Ali for 7 off 12 balls as the Kingsmen slumped to 51-4.
Skipper South Shakeel then turned his hand and struck on his first ball, claiming the crucial wicket of Labuschagne on 23 off 21 balls (3 boundaries), reducing Hyderabad to 57-5.
Irfan Khan Niazi and Hasan Khan put on a useful 48-run partnership to take the total past 100.
The Kingsmen were under pressure at 105-6 before Hasan Khan’s brilliant 31 off 19 balls (3 fours and a six) was dismissed by Ahmed Daniel.
Mahesh Deekshana 2 runs and Riley Meredith 3 runs unbeaten kept Hyderabad short in the end.