LAHORE: Quetta Gladiators captain Saud Shakeel admitted that despite a strong finish, his team fell short of par after Islamabad United won by eight wickets in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) Season 11 at the Gaddafi Stadium on Thursday.
Speaking during the post-match presentation, Shakeel reflected on his team’s performance, analyzing both batting and fielding.
“Based on the way we started the bat, I think we could have scored an extra ten runs, even though we finished the innings well,” Shakeel said. “Ultimately, I think the pitch actually played better in the second inning than the first.”
The opener identified key moments that shaped the match and highlighted the crucial middle-order partnership that turned in United’s favour.
“The turning point of the match was definitely the partnership between Shadab (Khan) and Sameer (Minhas),” he said. “They avoided dangerous shots and moved the scoreboard in their favor.”
He reflected on his own team’s late-innings tactical approach, explaining how tactical advice from the dugout affected their acceleration phase.
“Given the change in pace of our innings, Tom Curran and Hasan Nawaz were given specific instructions to go big after the 15th over,” he concluded. “We knew we had to hit a competitive total, so that message was sent from the dugout to make sure we were up to speed in time.”
Batting first, Quetta Gladiators scored 183 runs for the loss of 5 wickets in 20 overs. Openers Shamil Hussain and Saud Shakeel got off to a blistering start, with Salman Irshad combining for 50 before dismissing Hussain for 21 runs.
Shatab Khan removed Shakeel on 42 off 26 balls and then twice reduced Quetta to 93 for 5. However, Hasan Nawaz (64 not out from 35 balls) and Tom Curran (29) steadied the innings with a vital partnership to lift the team to a competitive score.
In response, Islamabad United chased down the target with 2 wickets and an over to spare. Sameer Minhas was unbeaten on 83 off 48 balls (8 fours, 3 sixes) and Shatab Khan was unbeaten on 68 off 38 balls (5 fours, 4 sixes).