LAHORE: Peshawar Zalmi captain Babar Azam failed to execute the plans of their bowling attack after losing by six wickets to Lahore Qalandars in match 38 of Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11.
Batting first, the 2017 champions posted a mammoth total of 199/4 on the board, courtesy half-centuries from Michael Bracewell and skipper Babar Azam here at the Gaddafi Stadium.
Bracewell scored 83 runs off 45 balls with 8 fours and a six, while Babur scored 59 runs off 45 balls with 5 fours and a six.
Apart from them, all-rounder Iftikhar Ahmed contributed significantly to Zalmi’s total with an unbeaten 27 off 14 balls.
Haris Raub and captain Shaheen Shah Afridi took 2 wickets each for Kulanders side.
In turn, the holders chased down a tough 200-run target with the loss of just four wickets and three balls to spare, and Babar admitted his bowlers failed to execute.
“Sometimes you need a wake-up call and that’s what we got today. We didn’t perform well as a bowler,” Babar Azam said in the post-match briefing.
The Qalandars batted in particular targeting rising pacer Ali Raza, who conceded just one wicket in his three overs for 48 runs. However, Babar insisted that his role as a captain has sustained the youngster’s confidence despite his shortcomings.
“You have to be patient with the youngsters because when they are attacked, their plans get derailed. As a captain, you have to give them confidence,” Babur said.
Following a rare defeat against the Qalandars, table-toppers Zalmi will now shift their focus to the qualifiers against either Multan Sultan or Islamabad United at the National Bank Stadium in Karachi on Tuesday.
Notably, Zalmi have won all six PSL 11 matches they have played at the venue so far, prompting their skipper Babar Assam to insist that the conditions suit them, but the need to reassess the conditions with a nine-day gap in play there.
“We have won six matches there and the conditions have suited us. After a break we will return to Karachi, so we will sit together again and assess the conditions,” Babar concluded.