RAWALPINDI: After a poor start to their HBL Pakistan Super League campaign, Lahore Qalandars needed inspiration to stage a comeback. And rose to the occassion their senior pros: skipper Shaheen Shah Afridi and opener Fakhar Zaman.
After Fakhar’s half-century led the Qalandars to a big total, Shaheen showed his magic with the ball along with leg-spinner Rishad Hossain to subject Quetta Gladiators to a 79-run drubbing with more than three overs to spare here at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Sunday.
Chasing a daunting 220, Quetta Gladiators were bundled out for 140 in 16.2 overs, thanks to Shaheen’s 2-6 and Rishad’s 3-31.
Quetta’s innings unraveled early as Shaheen struck in the first over, dismissing captain Saud Shakeel, caught by Fakhar at mid-on after a mistimed tuck.
Spinner Asif Afridi compounded the woes in the second over, removing Hasan Nawaz, thanks to a diving catch by Sikandar Raza at cover, leaving Quetta at 3-2. Finn Allen’s duck followed off Shaheen’s off-cutter, reducing them to 9-3 in the third over.
Kusal Mendis (28 off 14, three fours, two sixes) and Rilee Rossouw (44 off 19, four fours and as many sixes) offered a glimmer of hope with a 45-run stand. Mendis’ lofted six off Asif and Rossouw’s 20-run onslaught against Jahandad Khan, including two sixes and a four, briefly revived Quetta. However, Haris Rauf halted Mendis’ charge in the sixth over, inducing a faint edge to keeper Sam Billings, leaving Quetta at 54-4.
Rossouw’s aggressive knock, featuring a pulled six off Rishad, ended in the ninth over, bowled by the spinner’s sharp googly, triggering a collapse at 89-5. Shoaib Malik (14 off 15) and Akeal Hosein (13 off 12) steadied briefly, but Raza’s double strike in the 12th over — Malik caught at short third and Hosein pouched by a backpedaling Shaheen at cover — left Quetta reeling at 107-7.
Rishad dismantled the tail, bowling Mohammad Amir and dismissing Abrar Ahmed (2-20), reducing Quetta to 114- before Faheem Ashraf’s 21 off 18 (three fours and a six) delayed the inevitable, but Asif Afridi sealed the rout in the 17th over, bowling him with a full, straight delivery.
Earlier, Lahore Qalandars powered their way to an imposing 215-6 in 20 overs, propelled by Fakhar’s dynamic 67, Mitchell’s brisk 37, and a blazing 54 not out off 19 balls from Sam Billings.
The innings, marked by aggressive strokeplay and clever improvisation, capitalised on Quetta’s inconsistent bowling to set a formidable target.
Quetta opted to bowl first, but Lahore’s openers, Fakhar and Mohammad Naeem, started strongly, racing to 16-0 in two overs.
Fakhar’s flicked four off spinner Hosein set the tone, while Naeem’s two boundaries added flair. Naeem’s 10 off seven ended in the third over, bowled by Abrar’s cunning variation, leaving Lahore at 18-1.
Abdullah Shafique joined Fakhar, accelerating with three fours off pacer Amir in the fourth over and a six off Faheem in the sixth, reaching 60-1 at the powerplay’s end. Abdullah’s fluent 37 off 21 was cut short by Hosein’s caught-and-bowled in the eighth over, bringing Mitchell to the crease.
Fakhar and Mitchell forged a 79-run stand, with Fakhar reaching his fifty off 30 balls and Mitchell striking two fours and a six off Faheem. Fakhar’s innings, laced with seven fours and three sixes, ended in the 15th over, caught at cow corner off Hosein. Mitchell being stumped off Abrar’s clever wide delivery later in the same over, left Lahore at 153-3.
Billings took charge, forming a rapid 59-run stand with Raza, who fell to Usman Tariq’s sharp spin in the 17th over. Shaheen’s brief stay ended via Faheem’s yorker in the 19th over, but Billings unleashed carnage, smashing four fours and four sixes.
His back-to-back sixes off Faheem in the final over— one a flat hit over mid-wicket — sealed the fastest fifty by a Qalandars batter as the side accumulated a total that proved more than enough at the end.
SCOREBOARD
LAHORE QALANDARS:
Fakhar Zaman c Faheem b Hosein 67
Mohammad Naeem b Abrar 10
Abdullah Shafique c & b Hosein 37
Daryl Mitchell st Mendis b Abrar 37
Sikandar Raza c Allen b Usman 6
Sam Billings not out 50
Shaheen Shah Afridi c Shoaib b Faheem 3
Rishad Hossain not out 1
EXTRAS (B-4, NB-1, W-3) 8
TOTAL (for six wickets, 20 overs) 219
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-17 (Naeem), 2-73 (Abdullah), 3-153 (Mitchell), 4-153 (Fakhar), 5-170 (Raza), 6-205 (Shaheen)
DID NOT BAT: Jahandad Khan, Haris Rauf, Asif Afridi
BOWLING: Hosein 4-0-40-2, Amir 4-0-46-0, Abrar 4-0-33-2 (1w), Faheem 3-0-49-1 (2w, 1nb), Usman 4-0-31-1, Shoaib 1-0-16-0
QUETTA GLADIATORS:
Saud Shakeel c Fakhar b Shaheen 1
Finn Allen c Mitchell b Shaheen 0
Hasan Nawaz c Raza b Asif 1
Kusal Mendis c Billings b Haris 28
Rilee Rossouw b Rishad 44
Shoaib Malik c Haris b Raza 14
Akeal Hosein c Shaheen b Raza 13
Faheem Ashraf b Asif 21
Mohammad Amir b Rishad 1
Abrar Ahmed c Naeem b Rishad 6
Usman Tariq not out 5
EXTRAS (B-1, LB-1, W-4) 6
TOTAL (all out, 16.2 overs) 140
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-2 (Saud), 2-3 (Hasan), 3-9 (Allen), 4-54 (Mendis), 5-89 (Rossouw), 6-106 (Shoaib), 7-107 (Hosein), 8-108 (Amir), 9-114 (Abrar), 10-140 (Faheem)
BOWLING: Shaheen 2-0-6-2 (1w), Asif 2.2-0-20-2, Jahandad 2-0-34-0, Haris 3-0-35-1 (1w), Rishad 4-0-31-3, Raza 3-0-12-2 (2w)
RESULT: Lahore Qalandars won by 79 runs.
PLAYER-OF-THE-MATCH: Fakhar Zaman
Published in Dawn, April 14th, 2025
