Lahore Qalandars head coach Aqib Javed credits Shaheen Afridi for bringing energy to team
LAHORE
Grand finale of the Pakistan Super League’s (PSL) Seventh season will be played today (Sunday) between Lahore Qalandars and Multan Sultans here at the Qaddafi Stadium Lahore.
Qalandars, held their nerves Friday to overcome Islamabad United in the second Eliminator, a thriller, while Sultans had maintained their thunderous PSL campaign and defeated Qalandars in the Qualifier earlier Thursday to directly promote themselves to grand finale.
Sultans have tasted defeat only once this season, that too by the Qalandars in a league stage match. Qalandars, on the other hand won six of their ten league stage matches, while lost four. They also had lost Thursday’s qualifier to Multan Sultan, but came back strongly against Islamabad United in the eliminator.
In Friday’s eliminator, Qalandars scored 168-7 from their twenty overs, thanks to Abdullah Shafique’s elegant fifty and David Wiese’s blistering knock of 28* (8).
In reply, United were in trouble early on, as the returning Paul Stirling fell to a stunning catch from Rauf off Shaheen Shah Afridi’s bowling, and Hales was starved of the strike, facing just eight balls in the powerplay. At the other end, Lahore continued to chip away, and before the powerplay was out, Will Jacks, Shadab Khan and Liam Dawson had all fallen.
However, Hales and Azam played vital knocks to keep United in the hunt. Azam smashed a four and a six off Mohammad Hafeez’s only over, while Hales dealt the same treatment to Samit Patel as United began to break the back of the chase. Qalandars briefly lost their discipline in the field. Three consecutive balls saw, in the following order: a Hales drop that went for six, five wides, and another Hales drop, suddenly making the equation a very favourable 55 off 47 with six wickets in hand.
This took us to the dramatic last over, where United needed only eight to win. Muhammad Wasim Jr, who did not score any runs on the first two balls, was run out while trying to take a double on the third ball and returned to the pavilion. Better Waqas Maqsood was also caught by Abdullah Shafiq on the first ball-bound wicket boundary. Haris Rauf, Zaman Khan, and Shaheen Afridi bagged two wickets each. David Wiese knocked out one player.
Earlier Lahore Qalandars head coach Aqib Javed has credited skipper Shaheen Shah Afridi for bringing energy to the team after his team advanced to the final of the ongoing seventh edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL).
“Captain Shaheen Afridi has a hand in bringing energy to the team. Even if I am not with the team, I would be confident as Shaheen is leading the team,” said the former Pakistani fast bowler.
Aqib said that he is delighted that Qalandars have reached the finals of the PSL.
“Every player in the team knows his role and plays accordingly. Both Harris Rauf and Shaheen Afridi have separate importance in the Qalandars team”, Aqib added.
“I am sure that the team will fight till the last ball in the final. It will be a good final,” assured the coach.
Javed was not available to the Qalandars in the two play-offs and is likely to miss the grand final too as he has tested positive for COVID-19.
The Qalandars coach is currently isolating himself.
“I am feeling better than before, and I only had a cold. I did not have severe symptoms of COIVD. I am completing the necessary isolation,” Aqib said about his illness.
