Zamans – batsman Fakhar and pacer Khan – joined hands on Wednesday night to help Lahore Qalandars defeat Peshawar Zalmi by 29 runs and push their team to the second spot on the points table in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 7 at the National Stadium, Karachi.
Zaman had left Zalmi reeling when he sent back Hussain Talat and Kamran Akmal on consecutive deliveries to leave them needing 133 in their last 11 overs.
The Qalandars had set a target of 200 runs for Peshawar after Wahab Riaz opted to bowl first against Lahore. And skipper Shaheen Afridi set the tone for Lahore’s victory by dismissing Peshawar Zalmi opener Hazratullah Zazai for zero on the third ball of the innings.
The loss of the early wicket put Zalmi on the backfoot and regular wickets by Lahore never allowed them to take control of the game.
For Zalmi, Kamran Akmal and Haidar Ali made 41 and 49 runs, respectively, but the team was unable to catch up to the high required run rate.
Zaman Khan took three wickets for Lahore, while skipper Shaheen and David Weise took two wickets each. Rashid Khan took a wicket as well.
Zalmi ended their 20 overs with 170-9 helping Lahore register a 29-run victory. Peshawar would have been all out in the last over had David Weise’s hattrick wicket not overturned by the review.
Earlier, openers Fakhar Zaman and Abdullah Shafique led Lahore Qalandars’ charge to post 199 runs on board losing four wickets in their quota of 20 overs.
Fakhar made his third successive half-century in the 10th over. However, in the same over, Usman Qadir dismissed Shafique for 41 runs to break the opening stand.
Fakhar continued his attack on the Zalmi bowlers before being dismissed by Hussain Talat in the 13th over for 66. By the time the left-hander was dismissed he had given the platform to his team to set up a huge target for Peshawar.
Kamran Ghulam and Mohammad Hafeez, who came in at three and four respectively, combined for 45 off 30 balls before the former holed out a full toss by Salman to Malik, who took a brilliant catch at long-on after adding 30 off 23 (three fours and a six).
Hafeez went on to score an unbeaten 37 off 19 balls, displaying quick running between the wickets as he hit only three fours and a six in a knock which had a strike rate of 194.73.
Though South African all-rounder David Wiese was caught behind for a golden duck, it was Rashid Khan who ensured the Lahore outfit finished well.
The Afghan wrist-spinner started off his seven-ball cameo with a slash over point for six off Salman.
As the right-armer returned to bowl the last over, Rashid hit him for two sixes — one a slice over the offside and the other a short-arm jab to clear square-leg to end up with 22 runs as Lahore posted 199.
For Peshawar, Salman Irshad took two wickets while Usman Qadir and Hussain Talat picked one each.
TEAMS
Peshawar Zalmi: Kamran Akmal (wk), Hazratullah Zazai, Haider Ali, Hussain Talat, Shoaib Malik, SE Rutherford, BCJ Cutting, Wahab Riaz (C), Arish Ali, Usman Qadir, Salman Irshad
Lahore Qalandars: Fakhar Zaman, Abdullah Shafique, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hafeez, Zeeshan Ashraf (WK), D Foxcroft, D Wiese, Rashid Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi (C), Haris Rauf, Zaman Khan
