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Another action packed edition of the hugely popular national T20 tournament came to an end, as the Rawalpindi Rams pulled off a stunning win over the luckless Karachi Dolphins on Friday.
Karachi has now lost all five of the finals they have played in the shortest format of the game; however they fought every inch of the way against the Rams before succumbing in the super over.
The tournament was a roaring success once again, as the cricket-deprived fans of Faisalabad packed in at the Iqbal stadium to witness some of the best talent in the country.
Though there were a number of stars who were absent.
The absentees included Shahid Afridi, Umar Gul, Abdul Razzaq, Rana Naveed and Wahab Riaz who are all playing in the English T20 tournament which ran parallel to the Faisalabad tournament.
Despite the absence of these leading exponents of the crash-bang-and-wallop variety of the game, the tournament provided real fireworks, right from the outset.
The opening game saw a blacksmith from the host city, Asif Ali, hammer his way to a belligerent ton against Multan.
The Tigers from Multan were tamed into submission as Ali struck 7 sixes and 9 fours in his innings of 100 that came off in only 59 balls. The innings was reminiscent of Shahid Afridi’s 37-ball century in his maiden innings at the international level.
Ali was also playing his first innings in a major event and delighted the crowd with his brilliance. The 19 year old has a long way to go yet, and one hopes that he would be given a run at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore so the he can improve his game further.
The highest run scorer in the competition was another debutant, Rameez Raja Jr. The right-handed batsman from Karachi was a revelation; his innings in both the semi-final and final of the tournament had a touch of class about them, as he displayed an ability to hit boundaries at will.
He scored 97 in the semi-final against the highly fancied Sialkot side, before leading his team’s pursuit of a big total in the final, with a well measured 64.
In-all Raja scored 238 runs in five matches, averaging nearly 48 runs per innings at a strike rate of nearly 160.
Besides Raja, Pakistan internationals Asad Shafiq, Ahmed Shehzad, Shahzeb Hasan and Shoaib Malik also impressed in patches.
The tournament was a great success for Rawalpindi skipper Sohail Tanvir, who dazzled with both bat and ball. He also proved his worth as an able leader; his 117 runs, scored at an average of 58 runs per innings, included a crucial half century in the semi-final against the defending champions, Lahore Lions.
He was miserly with the ball in his hands at the top of the innings, gaining prodigious swing and reminding viewers of his outstanding run in the inaugural edition of the Indian Premier League.
He took six wickets in-all at an average of 23 runs per wicket, and is now pinning hopes of a recall to the national team on this impressive run in the event.
On the bowling front, Karachi’s Sohail Khan was impressive with his pace and accuracy which yielded 14 wickets. His haul included one four-for and a five wicket haul in the final match.
The ‘one test veteran’ had faded away after his lone test match more than two years ago; however, he is set to catch the eyes of the national selection panel on the basis of his showing in Faisalabad.
The bowler of the tournament award however, went to Raza Hasan, the talented left-armer from Rawalpindi. The spin bowler showed nerves of steel and a relentless temperament under pressure.
He was the toughest bowler to get away in the entire event; Sohail Tanvir played a master stroke when he asked him to bowl the super over in the final. Raza duly responded, he choked Shahzeb Hasan and Rameez Raja and sent back Khalid Latif, as the Rams ran through the Dolphins.
Former Pakistan cricketer and then-coach of the national U-19 team Ijaz Ahmed, had stated during the 2010 Junior World Cup that the bowler was absolutely ready for international cricket. A year down the line the youngster has proven him right.
Meanwhile, the tournament can be regarded as a big success as far as crowd interest is concerned, at the same time one feels that the time is right for the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to think seriously of marketing the event better. With a little effort, a franchise system like the IPL can be introduced. The security situation remains vulnerable in the country, but that does not mean that the tournament can not be made financially lucrative for players and the teams taking part in it.
PCB should also try and rope in cricketing icons like Brian Lara, Ian Botham, Sanath Jaysuria, and Steve Waugh with the idea of making them ambassadors of the tournament. These greats along with International Cricket Council officials should be invited to witness the tournament. Such moves would help allay the fears of the sporting community besides enhancing the image of the country.
Upon their return, the foreign players and officials can spread the word around the globe that cricket remains the number one passion in Pakistan even in these troubled times.
