KARACHI: Quetta Gladiators didn’t have an answer to an outrageous onslaught by Azam Khan, who used to be one of their own until he was traded to Islamabad United ahead of the seventh edition of the HBL Pakistan Super League.

The wicket-keeper batter, along with Colin Munro, plundered his former team-mates for runs all over the ground before his new captain Shadab Khan completed a five-wicket haul as United won by 43 runs here at the National Stadium on Thursday.

Chasing 230, Quetta never came close. Even a decent opening partnership of 54 off 35 between Ahsan Ali (50) and debutant Abdul Wahid Bangalzai (14) looked ordinary in the face of such a huge ask.

After Bangalzai miscued a pull off Hasan Ali’s bouncer for Azam to take an easy catch just before the end of the powerplay, the Gladiators kept falling one after the other.

James Vince, playing his first match this season, went for a duck before Shadab got Ahsan to get off the mark when the right-hander mistimed a loopy off-break to get caught at wide long-on.

The all-rounder, who played a heroic knock off 91 off 42 balls for United’s losing cause in their previous match against Multan Sultans, got his Quetta counterpart Sarfraz Ahmed (11), Ben Duckett (11) and Iftikhar Ahmed (six) in a space of just 13 balls.

Shadab got Shahid Afridi in the 14th over to complete his five-for when the former Pakistan superstar holed it out to Hasan at midwicket. The wrist-spinner finished with figures of 5-28.

James Faulkner and Mohammad Nawaz combined for a 76-run partnership off 31 balls for the eighth wicket but that effort was only meant to minimise the damage which was done earlier.

Nawaz hit five sixes and two fours in his 47 off 22 before falling to Hasan with six balls to go and 44 to win for the Gladiators.

Faulkner remained unbeaten at 30 off 14 as he saw Nasim Shah being cleaned up at the other end by Mohammad Wasim.

Earlier, United got off to a flying start thanks to some fireworks by opener Paul Stirling, who smashed 58 off 28 to register his second half-century of the tournament.

The Irishman combined with Alex Hales (22), for a 55-run partnership before the former England opener fell prey to James Faulkner.

With the Australian left-armer introduced into the attack for the fourth over, Hales hit three consecutive fours before skying one for James Vince to take a well-negotiated catch at long-on.

Stirling got United off the mark with a maximum over wide long-on before hitting over extra cover for a four, as Mohammad Nawaz attacked for the Gladiators.

Hales welcomed Sohail Tanvir from the other end with two fours while Stirling smashed the seasoned med­ium-pacer for a sublime drive through the covers for the third boundary of the over.

Young pacer Nasim was also greeted by Stirling with a six and two fours as United posted 41 in just three overs before Hales departed in the next over.

Stirling finally faltered after bringing up his 50 off just 23 balls as Islamabad posted 81 in the powerplay.

The bulky batter, in an attempt to cut Nawaz, played one into the hands of Tanvir at point in the eighth over, which saw Islamabad bring up their 100 runs in just 44 balls.

The over was also the first in which no boundary was conceded.

Right from where Stirling left it off, it was Munro who carried it on for United. The New Zealander, who replaced Rahmanullah Gurbaz to play his first match of the edition, smashed an unbeaten 72 off 39.

Munro saw skipper Shadab Khan depart after scoring a run-a-ball nine by the 12th over but combined with the incoming Azam in a partnership of 93 off 52 that went down to the penultimate ball of the innings.

Azam, who was traded for Iftikhar by the Gladiators in the PSL Draft, went on to score 65 runs off just 35 balls, smashing two fours and six sixes.

He was particularly harsh on Afridi, hitting five of his six maximums against the veteran, who returned from isolation to play his first game for the Gladiators after joining them from Multan Sultans.

He brought up his fifty when he hit Afridi for a six to start the last over before he was cleaned up by the 42-year-old after pulling for a four and another six.

As United posted the highest total of the tournament, Afridi ended up with figures of 1-67 in his four overs.

Published in Dawn, February 4th, 2022