KARACHI: Islamabad probably required a change in leadership to turnaround their misfortune in the Cool & Cool presents Jazz National T20 Cup when they finally won — against Fata at the Multan Cricket Stadium on Wednesday — to end a run of four successive losses.
Newly-returned Pakistan opener Sami Aslam anchored the chase in his first game as Islamabad overhauled Fata’s tally of 139-4 before the last over arrived. The young left-hander late cut spinner Bilal Asif to the fine third man for the decisive boundary to finish on a career-best 61. Man-of-the-match Sami’s 50-ball effort was just his second T20 half century in 16 matches and it contained four fours and one six.
But it was the return of talisman Zohaib Ahmed that inspired Islamabad after succumbing to defeats four times during the competition’s first leg at the Pindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi. Taking over the leadership reins from Naeem Anjum, Zohaib’s presence allowed Naeem to concentrate on his primary job of keeping wickets.
With the appointed captain Umar Gul yet to play in the tournament after being part of the national squad for the recently-ended One-day International series in England, Zohaib picked up the key scalp of hard-hitting Bilal Asif with medium-pacers after Yasir Hameed, standing in for regular Fata captain Fawad Khan, chose to bat first in the late afternoon start.
Umar Siddique, a prodigiously talented left-hander from Lahore who acts as the wicket-keeper in T20 cricket, batted superbly to hit four boundaries and one six in making 51 from 48 deliveries to the be best Fata batsman on view.
Khushdil Shah, the upcoming 21-year-old left-hander from Bannu, added 54 with Umar while striking four boundaries in an undefeated 31 off 27 balls after Yasir had compiled 24 off 28 balls with the aid of three hits to the fence.
Meanwhile, Karachi Whites grabbed a sensational win from the jaws of defeat when edged Lahore Blues in Tuesday’s late fixture.
After Lahore Blues recovered from being 54-4 in 9th over to reach 142-8 when skipper Nasir Jamshed opted to make first use of a slow track, Karachi Whites stood on verge of being crumbling apart when seasoned all-rounder Tariq Haroon perished at the score of 88 in the 15th over.
But wicket-keeper/batsman Mohammad Hasan then not only kept his temperament under strict check but also ensured victory for his side with a magnificent display. The 25-year-old hit 41 priceless runs from just 21 balls with no less than nine boundaries to be declared man-of-the-match.
Debutant Danish Aziz was equally proficient in hammering a brace of sixes and one four while contributing 30 from only 23 deliveries after opener Zain Abbas had made a 33-ball 32 that was spiced with three fours.
Earlier, Asif Raza (44 off 34 balls, three sixes and two fours) and Raza Ali Dar (32 off 24, three fours and one six) rescued Lahore Blues with a fifth-wicket partnership of 65.
The left-arm spin duo of Faraz Ahmed Khan (3-22 in four overs) and Azam Hussain (2-38 in four) were the pick of Karachi Whites’ bowling.
By virtue of third success, Karachi Whites jumped into third place in the standings with six points behind Peshawar and Lahore Whites, who both have eight apiece with Lahore Whites have played one extra game.
At the time of filing this report, Peshawar were hoping to seal their fifth victory on the trot as they took on Rawalpindi in Wednesday’s night fixture.
Results:
Played on Wednesday:
Islamabad beat Fata by seven wickets.
FATA 139-4 in 20 overs (Umar Siddique 51, Khushdil Shah 31 not out, Yasir Hameed 24, Bilal Asif 16); ISLAMABAD 140-3 in 19 overs (Sami Aslam 61 not out, Afaq Raheem 26, Adil Amin 19; Mohammad Irfan 2-19).
Tuesday’s remaining match:
Karachi Whites beat Lahore Blues by three wickets.
LAHORE BLUES 142-8 in 20 overs (Asif Raza 44, Raza Ali Dar 32, Naved Yasin 24, Nasir Jamshed 16; Faraz Ahmed Khan 3-22, Azam Hussain 2-38); KARACHI WHITES 143-7 in 19.4 overs (Mohammad Hasan 41 not out, Zain Abbas 32, Danish Aziz 30, Sohail Khan 16; Ahmed Bashir 2-18, Zafar Gohar 2-22).
Thursday’s fixtures: Karachi Whites vs Rawalpindi (4:00pm); Karachi Blues vs Peshawar (8:00pm).
Published in Dawn September 8th, 2016