Fakhar leads high flying Falcons to impressive win

KARACHI: Fakhar Zaman marked his debut for Abbottabad Falcons in style with a stylish knock in his team’s 52-run victory against Bahawalpur Stags in the opening Group ‘D’ encounter of the AlBaraka Bank presents Haier T20 Cup here on Monday.

The 24-year-old from Mardan who had previously turned out for Karachi teams in domestic competitions until last season before switching allegiance to enhance his cricketing future, toyed with the bowlers to hammer 60 off 48 deliveries.

Thanks to the left-handed Fakhar, who adorned his man-of-the-match innings with six boundaries and a six, the Falcons reached a total which was always going to test the Stags.

And even though Younis Khan, who had elected to bat first at the toss, didn’t get going – caught at deep cover off his opposite number Imranullah Aslam for three – after Fakhar and Yasir Hameed (35 off 25 balls, six fours) began by putting on 67 off 48 balls for the opening wicket, the Falcons still managed to post 174-5.

Pakistan U-19 all-rounder Kamran Ghulam was responsible for the flurry of runs in the closing stages as the last three overs yielded 45 runs.

The first of the three sixes Kamran bludgeoned was a monstrous blow off paceman Ataullah as the white Kookaburra sailed high, wide and handsome in the direction of the National Shooting Range and was forced to be replaced with another.

Kamran also hit three fours in his 13-ball cameo of 36 not out.

The Stags swiftly lost three wickets by the time fourth over ended. Naeemuddin (27 off 37, three fours) and ex-international Kamran Hussain, remaining undefeated on 46 (30 balls, four sixes and two fours) valiantly tried to stem the rot but the result was never in doubt.

Lanky Ahmed Jamal, who won the fast bowlers’ competition organised by the PCB last year in Karachi, took three cheap wickets with his new-ball partner Fazle Rabbi, deputising for Junaid Khan, had two for 27 and slow left-armer Shakeel Khan two for 24.

Junaid, the Pakistan spearhead, is expected to join his Falcons team-mates by Friday since he has still not returned from England where he is contracted with Lancashire.

Scoreboard

ABBOTTABAD FALCONS:

Yasir Hameed c Imranullah b Mudassar35

Fakhar Zaman c Waqas b Hamid60

Younis Khan c Ataullah b Imranullah3

Adnan Raees c Jahanzeb b Hamid23

Sajjad Ali c b Mudassar7

Kamran Ghulam not out 36

Waqar Orakzai not out3

EXTRAS (LB-4, W-1, NB-2)7

TOTAL (for five wkts, 20 overs)174

FALL OF WKTS: 1-67, 2-76, 3-125, 4-127, 5-140

DID NOT BAT: Yasir Shah, Shakeel Ahmed, Fazle Rabbi, Ahmed Jamal.

BOWLING: Kamran Hussain 2-0-22-0; Ataullah 4-0-41-0 (1nb); Jahanzeb Khan 4-0-25-0 (1w); Mohammad Mudassar 4-0-39-2; Imranullah Aslam 3-0-23-1; Hamid Ali 3-0-20-2.

BAHAWALPUR STAGS:

Hamid Ali b Fazle5

Imranullah Aslam c Y. Shah b Ahmed3

Mohammad Yasir b Fazle5

Naeemuddin c Y. Hameed b Yasir Shah27

Faisal Mubashir c Sajjad b Shakeel19

Kamran Hussain not out 46

Jahanzeb Khan c and b Shakeel 0

Ansar Javed st Waqar b Kamran5

Waqas Khan b Ahmed 1

Ataullah c Sajjad b Ahmed0

Mohammad Mudassar not out 0