Holder shines on debut in HBL PSL X opener
Jason Holder's four-wicket haul led defending champions Islamabad United to an eight-wicket win over Lahore Qalandars in the opening match of the HBL PSL X at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Friday evening. This was also West Indies' fast bowler debut game in the HBL Pakistan Super League.
After being put into bat, two-time champions Qalandars were dismissed for 139 in 19.2 overs. Only four batters - Abdullah Shafique (66, 38b, 6x4s, 3x6s), Sikandar Raza (23, 21b, 3x4s, 1x6), Daryl Mitchell (13, 14b, 2x4s) and Haris Rauf (10, 10b, 2x4s) - managed to reach double figures.
Qalandars lost half of their side in the 14th over with just 93 runs on the board. Right-handed batter Abdullah Shafique stitched a 35-run partnership for the fifth wicket with Zimbabwe's international Sikandar.
For United, Holder ended up taking four wickets for 26. He was equally supported by captain Shadab Khan, who took three for 25 from 3.2 overs.
In turn, chasing 140 runs to win, Islamabad United got off to cautious start, scoring just 37 runs in the powerplay and losing Andries Gous (4, 6b, 1x4) to Asif Afridi. New Zealand's Colin Munro and Pakistan's international Sahibzada Farhan got together in the second over with eight runs on the board. The pair stitched a 55-run partnership for the second wicket before right-handed batter Sahibzada (25, 24b, 3x6s) was dismissed in the ninth over with Sikandar taking a diving catch off Haris Rauf's bowling.
At the halfway stage, United were 69 for two, needing 71 more runs to win. At that juncture of the game, Munro and Pakistan's T20I captain Salman Ali Agha ensured there were no further hiccups, guiding United to win with 14 balls to spare.
Munro returned undefeated on 59 off 42 balls, which included seven fours and a six, while Salman scored an unbeaten 34-ball 41, smashing three fours and a six.
For Qalandars, Asif Afridi and Haris snapped a wicket each.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Express Tribune
9 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Pakistani players retain positions in latest ICC T20I rankings
Pakistan's bowlers have made notable strides in the latest ICC T20I rankings, propelled by strong performances in recent international matches. Fast bowlers Haris Rauf and Abbas Afridi have both advanced in the rankings, now sharing the 18th position with 605 rating points. Shaheen Afridi, the left-arm pacer, has also risen, securing the 35th spot with 552 points. Pakistan's T20I vice-captain, Shadab Khan, moved up to 58th, alongside spinner Abrar Ahmed, who both earned 476 points. However, young bowlers Naseem Shah and Sufiyan Muqeem have seen a decline, falling to 92nd and 95th positions, with 407 and 406 points, respectively. No Pakistani bowler is currently in the top 10. New Zealand's Jacob Duffy tops the T20I bowling rankings, while England's Adil Rashid holds second place. India's Varun Chakaravarthy has dropped to third. In the T20I batting rankings, Pakistan's Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan remain in the 12th and 13th spots, respectively, while wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Haris holds firm at 30th. Babar is the top-ranked Pakistani batter in his position. Middle-order batter Hasan Nawaz has dropped to 46th, and Saim Ayub has fallen to 62nd. Pakistan's T20I captain (name omitted) has slipped two places to 76th, while Fakhar Zaman has fallen to 87th. Australia's Travis Head continues to dominate the batting rankings, with India's Abhishek Sharma in second. England's Phil Salt has slipped to fourth, as India's Tilak Varma rises to third.
Business Recorder
5 days ago
- Business Recorder
Manchester United boost profit forecast after Europa League run lifts ticket sales
Manchester United raised their annual core profit forecast on Friday as the club's strong performance in the Europa League drove ticket sales and broadcast revenue. United forecast adjusted core profit of between 180 million pounds ($244 million) and 190 million pounds for the year ending June, up from an earlier projection of between 145 million and 160 million pounds. Ticket sales jumped more than 50% to 44.5 million pounds in the three months to March as the club had a good run in the Europa League, before losing the finals to Tottenham Hotspur. United had their worst Premier League season since they were relegated in 1974 and hopes of participating in a European competition next season were dashed after they lost the Europa League final. 'We had a difficult season in the Premier League, which we all know fell below our standards and we have a clear expectation of improvement next season,' CEO Omar Berrada said in a statement. Man United's Dalot calls for reflection after Europa League final loss United's absence from European competitions, which are lucrative sources of broadcasting revenue, deals a huge blow to the club's future finances and has drawn anger and disappointment from fans worldwide. Jim Ratcliffe, who holds a stake of about 29% in the club and runs their football operations, has taken steps to revive the club's fortunes, including by cutting jobs, raising ticket prices and stopping free lunches at staff canteens. Those benefits are expected to be realised from the first quarter of the new fiscal year starting July, the club said on Friday. United reported a net loss of 2.7 million pounds for the three months ended March 31, compared with a loss of 71.5 million pounds a year earlier.
Express Tribune
04-06-2025
- Express Tribune
Babar, Rizwan tumble from ICC T20I top 10, Haris climbs into top 30
Listen to article In a significant reshuffle following Pakistan's recent T20I series against Bangladesh, former captains Babar Azam and Muhammad Rizwan have dropped out of the top 10 in the ICC Men's T20I Batting Rankings, while emerging batter Mohammad Haris has surged into the top 30 after a stellar performance. According to the latest rankings released by the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Wednesday, Babar has fallen three places to 12th, while Rizwan has slipped one spot to 13th. The two had held positions in the top 10 for several months and were Pakistan's most consistent performers in the format, but were dropped from the recent T20I series against Bangladesh following a dismal run of form. No Pakistani player currently features in the top 10 of the T20I batting rankings. Despite the slide in senior players' rankings, the spotlight has shifted to rising talent Mohammad Haris, who made a remarkable jump of 210 positions to reach 30th. His explosive unbeaten 107 off 46 balls in the third T20I against Bangladesh capped off a successful series in which he also scored 41 and 31 in the earlier matches. Haris finished as the series' leading run-scorer with 167 runs at an impressive strike rate of 201.12. Youngster Hasan Nawaz, who ended the series as the second-highest run-getter with 121 runs, also made significant gains, climbing 57 places to reach the 46th spot. Saim Ayub improved four spots to 61st, while skipper Salman Ali Agha advanced 42 positions to 76th. Australia's Travis Head now tops the T20I batting charts, followed by India's Abhishek Sharma and England's Phil Salt in second and third places, respectively. On the bowling front, pacer Abbas Afridi moved up 18 places to share the 19th spot with South Africa's Anrich Nortje and Pakistan's Haris Rauf. Afridi impressed with figures of 2 for 26 in the high-scoring third T20I. All-rounder Shadab Khan also saw improvement, climbing 10 places to 14th in the ICC Men's T20I All-rounder Rankings after contributing 55 runs and four wickets across the series.
