KARACHI: Peshawar Zalmi on Saturday outclassed Islamabad United in a one-sided contest, winning its third straight match and reaching the top of the points table by defeating its rival by six wickets in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) tournament.
Peshawar won the toss and invited Islamabad to bat on a wicket where all PSL matches during this season have been won by the teams chasing, including those who faced the daunting challenge of making over 190 runs.
Zalmi took early wickets and dismissed United for the tournament’s lowest total of 118 runs in 17.1 overs.
In response, Peshawar cruised to 122-4 with 17 balls to spare. Haider Ali hit three sixes and three fours in 36 off 18 balls.
Zalmi was 6-2 when it started batting, but Tom Kohler-Cadmore (46) and Shoaib Malik (29 not out) steadied the chase and Ali finished off.
Earlier, Riaz led his team’s strike against Islamabad by taking the wicket of Paul Stirling in the first over. Phil Salt was the second to go after he lost his wicket to English bowler Saqib Mahmood. Salt scored 9 off 11 balls.
Faheem Ashraf who had made significant contributions to his team’s total in the last matches only managed to score two runs. Skipper Shahab Khan was run out on a good throw by Imam-ul-Haq to wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal.
Alex Hales who remained the top scorer of the match for his side (41 off 27) was the next to go to the pavilion. Hussain Talat scored 22 off 15, Iftikhar Ahmed 7 off 12, and Asif 19 off 12.
Wahab Riaz remained the most successful bowler and showed his best performance in PSL tournaments by grabbing four wickets and conceding 17 runs. Saqib Mahmood also demonstrated outstanding bowling skills by taking 4 wickets in 2.1 overs.
Mujeeb-ur-Rehman and Umaid Asif both grabbed one wicket each.
Earlier in the day, Babar Azam helped Karachi Kings win a match against Multan Sultan by hitting his second successive PSL half century.
Babar’s unbeaten 90 off 60 balls — including 13 fours and a six — led Karachi to 198-3 with seven balls to spare in yet another successful chase in Pakistan’s premier Twenty20 league, Associated Press reported.
Multan had earlier spoiled a blistering start and were restricted to 195-6 as Karachi skipper Imad Wasim followed a familiar script of captains putting the opposition into bat after winning the toss.
Peshawar defeats two-time PSL champion Islamabad by 6 wickets
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Peshawar defeats two-time PSL champion Islamabad by 6 wickets
- Zalmi’s third straight victory has put it on top of the tournament’s points table
- Peshawar’s skipper Wahab Riaz led from the front by taking four wickets and conceding 17 runs
Pakistan, UK discuss regional security, cross-border attacks as senior official visits Islamabad
- British envoy for Afghanistan Richard Lindsay’s visit comes at a time of a surge in militancy in Pakistan’s border regions
- Pakistani diplomat says both sides reviewed broader security challenges, emphasized coordination to address ‘shared concerns’
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani and British officials have discussed regional security challenges and cross-border attacks during talks in Islamabad, a Pakistani diplomat said on Tuesday, during a visit of the United Kingdom’s Afghanistan envoy, Richard Lindsay, to the Pakistani capital.
Pakistan and the UK regularly cooperate on counterterrorism and security, with a focus on intelligence-sharing to combat militant activity. Lindsay’s visit comes at a time of a rise in militancy in Pakistan’s western provinces, which border Afghanistan.
Mohammad Sadiq, Pakistan’s special representative for Afghanistan, said the discussions in Islamabad focused on the regional security situation, particularly the urgent challenge posed by cross-border attacks.
“We also exchanged views on the latest regional security developments and broader security challenges,” he said on X. “We emphasized the importance of continued cooperation and coordination to address shared concerns and promote regional stability.”
Islamabad frequently accuses Afghanistan of allowing its soil and India of backing militant groups, such as the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), for attacks against Pakistan. Kabul and New Delhi deny this.
In recent years, Pakistan and the UK have engaged with each other on counterterrorism and cross-border crimes as part of bilateral cooperation.
Both sides held the second round of the Pakistan-UK Counter Terrorism Dialogue in London in February last year, reviewing global and regional threats and exchanging best practices. Over the years, armed forces of both countries have also maintained close cooperation, particularly in counterterrorism efforts and professional military training.
