KARACHI: Stand-in captain Moeen Ali insisted that Karachi Kings’ batting unit needed to be “a little braver” after their 8-wicket defeat to three-time champions Islamabad United in the 25th match of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) at the National Bank Stadium on Thursday.
Batting first, the home side managed to amass 150/6 in 20 overs despite an unbeaten half-century from Reeza Hendricks.
Hendricks scored an unbeaten 51 off 44 balls and put on 50-plus partnerships with Jason Roy and wicket-keeper batsman Azam Khan, who scored more than 30 runs, but the 2020 champions could not put a fighting run on the board despite losing just four wickets in the fourth 18 overs.
Moeen, who can deliver 8 runs off five balls, admitted that the 2020 champions were struggling with only 8 balls to spare.
“We were very poor from here. Some good individual performances, but generally our batting was passive and we didn’t take the game,” Moeen said in the post-match presentation.
“We have to be a bit bolder, we have a long batting line-up, so we have to make the most of it. Maybe me, Khushi and Abbas will also come earlier,” he added.
Moeen said the former Australian opener, scheduled against Multan Sultans at the same venue on Sunday, was fine and could play in the next match, while Kings regular skipper David Warner, now out of two matches with a back problem, said.
“Warner is better than yesterday and hopefully he will be in the next game.”