KARACHI: Englishman Tom Kohler-Cadmore struck a half century on his debut in the Pakistan Super League and led Peshawar Zalmi to a six-wicket win over Multan Sultans on Tuesday.
Kohler-Cadmore’s 53 off 32 balls led Peshawar to its highest-ever chase in the PSL — 197-4 — with an over to spare. Young Haider Ali finished off the game quickly by smashing a quickfire unbeaten 25 off only eight deliveries.
It was the fifth successful chase in this edition of Pakistan’s premier Twenty20 league as the teams opting to field first after winning the toss have finished on the right side of the result.
“I just chanced my arm and luckily it came off and we got the win,” Kohler-Cadmore said. “I just try to give my all to the team and if I can influence a game in the field, then that’s great.”
Earlier, Kohler-Cadmore’s countryman James Vince transformed his Big Bash form with a 55-ball knock of 84, including nine fours and three sixes and carried Multan to 193-4 after being put in to bat.
Vince featured in two solid half-century stands, adding 82 runs with captain Mohammad Rizwan (41) and another 71 runs with Pakistan international Sohaib Maqsood, who made 36 off 21 balls.
Captain Wahab Riaz had a forgetful game as the left-arm fast bowler conceded 51 runs off his four overs without taking a wicket and conceded five fours and three sixes.
Another Englishman, Saqib Mahmood (2-36), was the pick of Peshawar bowlers as the fast bowler had the wickets of Maqsood and Vince in successive death overs.
Maqsood gloved a short ball to wicketkeeper and Vince was sharply caught at square leg by tall Mohammad Irfan in the penultimate over.
Pakistan discard Kamran Akmal set the tone for Peshawar’s run-chase with 37 off 25 balls before he fell lbw to Usman Qadir’s googly.
Kohler-Cadmore, who hit six fours and a six, and Imam-ul-Haq (48) kept Peshawar in the hunt with a 77-run partnership before Multan hit back through little-known fast bowler Mohammad Shahnawaz (2-44), playing his first Twenty20.
Imam was run out while going for a needless second run and Shahnawaz struck twice in the 17th over by claiming two wickets. Sherfane Rutherford was neatly caught at point by West Indies Carlos Brathwaite and two balls later Kohler-Cadmore sliced a short ball to point.
But Shahnawaz conceded 24 in his last over as Haider and Shoaib Malik smacked him for three sixes to hand Multan its second successive loss in the tournament.
Peshawar wins high-scoring Pakistan Super League game against Multan
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Peshawar wins high-scoring Pakistan Super League game against Multan
- Englishman Tom Kohler-Cadmore struck a half century on his debut in the Pakistan Super League
- Led Peshawar Zalmi to a six-wicket win over Multan Sultans on Tuesday
Pakistan launches first skills impact bond to fund training with private capital
- New $3.57 million pilot ties investor returns to job placement and retention outcomes
- The program aims to upskill youth at scale, with 40 percent of trainees targeted to be women
KARACHI: Pakistan on Tuesday launched its first-ever Pakistan Skills Impact Bond (PSIB), a private-capital-funded instrument aimed at financing technical training by linking investor repayments to measurable employment outcomes, as the government seeks new ways to upskill its rapidly growing workforce without relying solely on public spending.
The Rs 1 billion ($3.57 million) pilot tranche, backed by a government guarantee, is part of a three-year program designed to fund skills training through an outcome-based model, under which investors are repaid only if trainees achieve results such as certification, job placement and at least six months of employment retention.
Social impact bonds are a form of results-based financing in which private investors provide upfront capital for social programs, while governments or donors repay them only if agreed performance targets are met. Pakistan’s skills bond is intended to shift training finance away from traditional input-based budgets toward a market-oriented approach that rewards verified outcomes and crowds in private investment.
“Speaking at the event, Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb, Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue, underscored the transformational importance of the PSIB in Pakistan’s broader economic reform agenda and human capital strategy,” the finance division said in a statement. “He described the day as ‘an important moment focused on education and training,’ reiterating that Pakistan’s demographic dividend can only be realized if the country succeeds in upskilling and reskilling its youth at scale.”
The program is anchored in collaboration with the National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC) and is expected to evolve over time, with later tranches potentially linking repayments to a small share of trainees’ future earnings, a move officials say could help make the model financially self-sustaining.
The bond forms part of a broader government push to adopt social impact financing across priority areas including education, gender equality, health, climate resilience and poverty reduction, the statement said.
“Highlighting gender inclusion as central to the program design, the Finance Minister welcomed the recommendation led by the British Asian Trust that 40 percent of trainees under the PSIB be women, acknowledging that women’s participation and leadership in the workforce will play a decisive role in shaping Pakistan’s economic trajectory,” it added.
The Ministry of Finance has provided the initial guarantee to help establish credibility and attract investors, but has stressed the support is limited to the pilot phase.
The government has noted the model is intended to support Pakistan’s large youth population by aligning training with labor market demand, including high-value digital skills, while reducing long-term pressure on public finances.
The launch ceremony was attended by senior government officials, development partners, private sector representatives and international organizations involved in structuring and financing the bond.
