KARACHI: Just days before the star of HBL Pakistan Super League season 5, Quetta Gladiators’ head coach Moin Khan declared that rookie Azam Khan will be a trump card for his team.
The fact that Azam, an overweight 21-year-old, had precious little to show going into the PSL, meant that Moin was ridiculed on the social media over his prediction. The fact that Moin also happens to be Azam’s father allowed some critics to even level charges of nepotism.
But on Sunday evening, for the second time in the current season, the big-hitting Azam forced his critics to eat their words.
Azam smashed 46 from just 30 balls to propel Quetta’s run-chase here at the National Stadium. He played the lead role in an 85-run partnership for the fourth-wicket with skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed which helped secure a five-wicket win for Quetta against Karachi Kings.
Defending champions Gladiators chased down the 157-run target with an over spare. Azam top-scored in the run chase with a 30-ball 46 and struck four fours and two sixes. He was declared player of the match for his match-defining innings.
Sarfaraz, the Gladiators captain, was not out on 37 which came off 28 balls. With 27 off 20, which included two fours and two sixes, Shane Watson was the other notable run-getter.
Earlier, pacer Mohammad Hasnain took three wickets for 33 runs and Tymal Mills returned two for 30 which limited the home side to 156 for nine after Karachi Kings’ captain Imad Wasim elected to bat.
Iftikhar Ahmed, batting at six, struck two fours and six in his 25 off 18 towards the end of the innings to take his side to a competitive total.
Alex Hales, playing his first PSL match this season, was the top-scorer in Kings’ innings with a 27-ball 29, which included a four and a six.
The second best performance, in terms of runs, came from Babar Azam who hit five fours in his 23-ball stay at the crease which brought him 26 runs. Gladiators now top the table on four points after three matches. Kings are locked with three other teams in second place on two points, but are in fifth based on their inferior net run rate.
Quetta will now travel to Rawalpindi to take on Islamabad United in Rawalpindi on Thursday. Karachi Kings play Multan Sultans at the latter’s home on Friday.
Karachi Kings won toss
Karachi Kings
Babar Azam b Mills 26
Sharjeel Khan c & b Nawaz 6
Alex Hales c sub (Abdul Nasir) b Hasnain 29
CS Delport c Nawaz b Sohail 22
CAK Walton run out 1
Iftikhar Ahmed c Naseem b Hasnain 25
*Imad Wasim run out 8
CJ Jordan c & b Mills 14
Umaid Asif b Hasnain 9
Mohammad Amir not out 0
Extras (b 2, lb 12, w 2) 16
Total (6 wickets; 20 Overs) 156
Did not bat: Arshad Iqbal
Fall: 1-31 , 2-47 3-76, 4-86 , 5-96 , 6-112), 7-13), 8-149 , 9-156
Bowling: Sohail Khan 4-0-24; Naseem Shah 4-0- 23-0; TS Mills 4-0-30-2; Mohammad Hasnain 4-0-33-3; Anwar Ali 2-0-19-0; Mohammad Nawaz(3) 2-0-13-1
Quetta Gladiators
JJ Roy run out 17
SR Watson run out 27
Ahmed Shehzad c Jordan b Imad 11
Sarfraz Ahmed not out 37
Azam Khan run out 46
Mohammad Nawaz(3) c Hales b Jordan 1
Anwar Ali not out 12
Extras (b 1, lb 4, w 1) 6
Total (5 wickets 19 Overs) 157
Yet to bat: Naseem Shah, TS Mills, Mohammad Hasnain, Sohail Khan
Fall of wickets: 1-4, 2-54, 3-55, 4-140 , 5-144
Bowling: Imad Wasim 4-0-20-1; Mohammad Amir 4-0-30-0; Umaid Asif 3-0-25-0; CJ Jordan 4-0-34-1; Arshad Iqbal 4-0-43-0
Result: Quetta Gladiators won by 5 wickets
Man of the Match: Azam Khan (Quetta Gladiators)
Umpires: Richard Illingworth (ENGLAND) Faisal Afridi (Pakistan). TV Umpire: Asif Yaqoob (Pakistan)