Shehzad, KP take Quetta to 200 against Peshawar

SHARJAH: Ahmed Shehzad continued to press for his return to national duty with a sparkling 71 off just 38 balls which enabled Quetta Gladiators to 200-7 in their HBL Pakistan Super League playoff against Peshawar Zalmi here at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Tuesday night.

During what was his third fifty in last three PSL games following 59 against Islamabad United and 54 against Karachi Kings, Shehzad even overshadowed the big-hitting English star Kevin Pietersen as he played the lead role in a second wicket stand of 90 that came off only 42 balls.

Shehzad, 25, last played for Pakistan almost a year ago in the ICC World Twenty20 championship. Since then he has been overlooked for international duty.

However, his PSL exploits might force the selectors to change their mind.

Meanwhile, it was the third time that a total of 200 or more was achieved at this season of PSL and two of them have come from the Gladiators.

When Shehzad and Pietersen were in action, it seemed that Quetta might go on to accumulate something in the vicinity of 250 as they were 121 for 1 in 10 overs. But the second half of their innings turned out to be a different story. While Shehzad and KP hit towering sixes in the first ten, the last ten saw Quetta weathering a dry spell of 38 balls without a boundary.

Shehzad was the first to fall as he was dismissed by Darren Sammy but not before hitting one of the most entertaining knocks of the current PSL season. He hit four sixes and seven fours. The dangerous Pietersen was sent back by Wahab Riaz after a spectacular 22-ball 40. Two of his three sixes flew out of the stadium to disrupt the Sharjah traffic. Anwar Ali with a 10-ball 20 was the next big contributor followed by captain sarfraz Ahmed (17). Wahab Riaz was the pick of Zalmi bowlers with 3-40.