Zafar Gohar — the Islamabad United stars in Friday's match, which propelled the team to the top of the board with their victory over Peshawar Zalmi — said the delivery that dismissed losing captain Darren Sammy has been a "magic ball".

Talking to reporters after the match between United and Zalmi, Gohar said he stuck to the plan laid out by captain Misbahul Haq and the team coach: pick up as many wickets on a pitch that favoured spinners.

Gohar said that the one-year period during which he had to stay away from cricket due to lack of fitness had been "tough" for him. However, he said he trusted his skill and worked hard to improve his performance, with visible results in Friday's match.

Sammy, in his post-match conversation with reporters, also credited United's superior performance for their victory and praised Misbah as a "great captain".

"There is a reason he is Pakistan's most successful captain," he said. "I think his players played better today than my players, simply."

However, he said it was too soon to rule the Zalmi out since the "tournament is still wide open".

"The Zalmi never give up," he insisted. "Tomorrow is another day, another opportunity to play a good game of cricket."

He admitted, however, that the team had crumbled under pressure.

"If our [batsmen] had batted responsibly it could [have] been a different game," he said.

"We need to touch on all areas, improve by 10 per cent — then we will be much stronger," he stressed.