DUBAI: It was a one-way traffic in the HBL Pakistan Super League on Sunday night as Hasan Ali and Wahab Riaz combined to help Peshawar Zalmi steamroll Lahore Qalandars by seven wickets at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

A.B. de Villiers, the retired South African legend, must have wished for a happier ending rather than a crushing defeat on his 37th birthday.

Leading the side in the absence of injured Mohammad Hafeez, de Villiers just watched helplessly as Lahore were blown away inside 16 overs for only 78 — the second lowest total in PSL history after their own 59 last year, also against Peshawar.

Hasan was simply unplayable upfront after Darren Sammy had elected to field upon winning the toss. The Pakistan paceman took all the four wickets to go down in the mandatory power play overs, including the prized scalp of de Villiers.

Fakhar Zaman was the first to go, top-edging a simple chance for Umaid Asif to hold on after making only six. Next up was Sohail Akhtar, caught at cover for the same score as his opening partner.

And following de Villiers exit after striking three boundaries in an eight-ball 14, Hasan cleaned up Brendan Taylor (1) on the last ball of the sixth over as Lahore slid to 39-4.

The procession continued unabated. Ibtisam, the young leg-spinner from Hyderabad, chipped in with the wickets of Hardus Viljoen (1) and Hassaan Khan (7) before Wahab completed the last rites as the left-armer finished with 3-17 in 3.1 overs.

Scoreboard

LAHORE QALANDARS:

Fakhar Zaman c Umaid b Hasan 6

Sohail Akhtar c Umar b Hasan 6

A.P. Devcich c Ibtisam b Pollard 18

A.B. de Villiers b Hasan 14

B.R.M. Taylor b Hasan 1

Agha Salman c Ibtisam b Wahab 13

G.C. Viljoen lbw b Ibtisam 1

H. Khan st Kamran b Ibtisam 7

Shaheen Shah Afridi b Wahab 4

Haris Rauf b Wahab 0

Rahat Ali not out 1

EXTRAS: (LB-5, W-2) 7

TOTAL: (all out, 15.1 overs) 78

FALL OF WKTS: 1-14, 2-14, 3-37, 4-39, 5-56, 6-60, 7-70, 8-72, 9-75.

BOWLING: Hasan Ali 4-0-15-4; Umaid Asif 2-0-17-0; Wahab Riaz 3.1-0-17-3 (2w); Ibtisam Sheikh 4-0-14-2; Pollard 2-0-10-1.

PESHAWAR ZALMI:

Kamran Akmal b Shaheen 0

Imam-ul-Haq lbw b Haris 1

Umar Amin not out 61

W.L. Madsen b Rahat 5

K.A. Pollard not out 6

EXTRAS: (LB-2, W-6) 8

TOTAL: (3 wkts, 10.1 overs) 81

FALL OF WKTS: 1-2, 2-6, 3-62.

DID NOT BAT: L.A. Dawson, D.J.G. Sammy, Hasan Ali, Wahab Riaz, Umaid Asif, Ibtisam Sheikh.

BOWLING: Shaheen Shah Afridi 3-0-25-1 (4w); Haris Rauf 3-0-24-1 (2w); Viljoen 1-0-13-0; Rahat Ali 2-0-9-1; Hassaan Khan 1-0-2-0; Agha Salman 0.1-0-6-0.

RESULT: Peshawar Zalmi won by seven wickets.

UMPIRES: R.K. Illingworth (England) and Rashid Riaz (Pakistan).

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Hasan Ali.

Published in Dawn, February 18th, 2019

Opinion

Editorial

Hasty transition
Updated 05 May, 2024

Hasty transition

Ostensibly, the aim is to exert greater control over social media and to gain more power to crack down on activists, dissidents and journalists.
One small step…
05 May, 2024

One small step…

THERE is some good news for the nation from the heavens above. On Friday, Pakistan managed to dispatch a lunar...
Not out of the woods
05 May, 2024

Not out of the woods

PAKISTAN’S economic vitals might be showing some signs of improvement, but the country is not yet out of danger....
Rigging claims
Updated 04 May, 2024

Rigging claims

The PTI’s allegations are not new; most elections in Pakistan have been controversial, and it is almost a given that results will be challenged by the losing side.
Gaza’s wasteland
04 May, 2024

Gaza’s wasteland

SINCE the start of hostilities on Oct 7, Israel has put in ceaseless efforts to depopulate Gaza, and make the Strip...
Housing scams
04 May, 2024

Housing scams

THE story of illegal housing schemes in Punjab is the story of greed, corruption and plunder. Major players in these...