PSL 2023 - 'Hundreds, records are good but team must come first' - Simon Doull slams Babar Azam - WATCH
PSL: Doull slams Babar for playing for 'his hundred' against Quetta Gladiators
New Zealand’s cricketer-turned-commentator Simon Doull slammed Pakistan and Peshawar Zalmi captain Babar Azam for playing ‘his hundred’ against Quetta Gladiators in PSL 2023. While Azam scored his first PSL century the other night - his eighth overall in T20s, Doull wasn’t impressed with his approach as he felt Azam purposely put brakes on his accelerating innings to complete his three-figure mark.
In a video clip shared by Cricket Pakistan, Doull questioned Azam’s approach – who, in the past, has been slammed several times for playing ‘selfish knocks’.
WATCH THE VIDEO HERE –
Meanwhile, what transpired in Rawalpindi on Wednesday night made headlines all over. Batting first after winning the toss, Peshawar scored a mammoth 240 for two in 20 overs while Quetta Gladiators considering their quest to remain in the race for the semis, chased down the target with eight wickets and ten balls to spare. With this, they also completed the third-highest run-chase in T20s.
Stitching an opening stand of 162, Saim Ayub and Babar Azam went berserk, taking the attack to the opposition from ball one. The find of the tournament so far, young Ayub continued to impress everyone with his confident stroke play while Babar, on the other end, looked all poised and composed as ever. Following Ayub’s wicket, Babar deployed a cautious approach as he completed his maiden PSL hundred, scoring 115 off 65 balls.
With some late blitz from Windies’ Rovman Powell, Peshawar Zalmi put up 240 for two inside 20 overs.
Quetta began well with Jason Roystarted finding gaps at will. While the English batter kept getting good support from the other end from Martin Guptill and Will Smeed, he dictated the pace of the chase with his blistering innings. Having completed his fifty in 22 balls, the attacking right-hander upped the ante as he reached his hundred in no time, putting Quetta in the hunt for the semi-final spot.
Thanks to his unbeaten 145 off 63 alongside Mohammad Hafeez’s 41 off 18 balls, Gladiators completed the highest chase in PSL history – third highest in T20s ever.
