KARACHI: Peshawar Zalmi captain Babar Azam on Tuesday shared that he wants to regain his full potential after scoring a century in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11th qualifier against Islamabad United at the National Bank Stadium.
Batting first, the table-toppers amassed a mammoth total of 221/7 in their 20 overs, led by captain Babur, who top scored with 103 off 59 balls with 12 fours and 4 sixes.
His 57-ball hundred in the recently-concluded tournament, his second in the ongoing edition and fourth overall in his glittering PSL career, helped him equal three major PSL records and was named man of the match.
Reflecting on the high-stakes match against United and his personal brilliance in the ongoing PSL 11 as a whole, Babar admitted he was starting to feel like he was back to his best before expressing his determination to continue delivering consistent performances.
“I’m starting to feel like I’m back to my best. I’m trying to keep things simple, trust my skills and adapt my game to the situation – what the pitch demands, how to handle different bowlers, when to attack,” Babbar said in the post-match briefing.
“The hard work I put in before PSL is helping now, even though things weren’t there before, they are starting to come back and I want to continue this consistency,” he added.
Babur’s brilliance was backed up by Zalmi’s bowling attack, which bundled United out for 151 in 18.4 overs and gave the 2017 champions a 70-run victory that sent them into the final.
Notably, Zalmi have emerged as a force to reckon with in this year’s PSL as they have lost just one match in their dominant campaign so far, and their skipper Babar has been credited with providing solid platforms with the bat for fellow top-order batsmen Mohammad Harris and Gusal Mendis.
“When you get off to a good start in the first six overs, it gives you a cushion to play your natural game and maintain the run rate. The way Haris plays and puts pressure on the opposition helps, then I play my part and try to carry that momentum forward,” Babur said.
“If we get 60-70 in the powerplay, the aim is to keep it till the end, whether it’s me or Mendis, even if one of us is out, we try to continue that run.”
Notably, United fell well short of the target, level on runs with three-time champions Zalmi, as fast bowler Aaron Hardy and off-spinner Sufiyan Muqeem dismantled their batting unit in the second half of the innings.
“Hardy and Subian bowled well and that was the turning point of the match and even Basit bowled well in the end,” Babar continued.
“Overall, it was a complete team effort in bowling and fielding and full credit to the boys for executing their plans throughout the match. Now, with the final coming up, we will savor this win, but will quickly shift our focus and try to get our plans back on track.”