KARACHI: Defending champions Lahore Qalandars captain Shaheen Afridi has admitted that a lack of partnerships and expensive fielding was the reason for his side’s heavy loss to Peshawar Zalmi.
In the post-match presentation, Afridi reflected on a poor batting display that saw Callanders bowled out for just 97 runs in 17 overs while chasing 174 runs.
The defeat leaves Lahore sixth in the table with two wins and three losses from five matches.
During the post-match presentation, Afridi defended his decision to bowl first, saying it suited the conditions, but admitted his team failed to execute their plans with the bat.
“I believe it was the right decision to bowl first given the circumstances, but unfortunately, we suffered a slump in our batting. In such circumstances, a solid partnership was needed to sustain the innings,” Shaheen said.
“It didn’t happen for us today, but I’m sure we’ll fix it and play better in the next game,” he added.
The left-arm pacer further pointed to the importance of taking chances on the field, noting that one missed chance in particular could have changed the course of the match, while urging his side to focus on the rest of the tournament.
“For the bowling unit, we created chances but we have to take them. If we had taken that catch when Gusal Mendis was on one or two, it would have changed the whole complexion of the match. However, missed chances are part of the game,” he said.
“We still have five matches left in the tournament and we know we have to be clinical and perform at our best from here,” he concluded.