KARACHI: Young fast bowler Zaman Khan held his nerve in the final over and snatched a dramatic eight-run win for Lahore Qalandars over two-time champion Islamabad United in the Pakistan Super League on Saturday.
Defending 12 in the last over, the 20-year-old Zaman gave away just three runs off the first four balls before hard-hitting batter Asif Ali holed out at long off for 15 off the fifth delivery as Islamabad finished at 166-5.
Zaman finished with 1-29 but his last-over heroics upstaged Shadab Khan’s brilliant all-round performance to win player of the match award.
Earlier, leg-spinner Shadab (4-20) and fast bowler Waqas Ahmed (4-35) both pulled back Lahore’s total to 174-9 through some superb bowling in the middle and death overs.
Colin Munro was lucky to score 60 off 45 balls and Shadab (52) made his second half-century this season as Islamabad cruised to 136-2 in 15 overs.
Lahore could have got the wicket of Munro before he had scored, but Lahore captain Shaheen Shah Afridi didn’t go for leg before wicket review against the New Zealand left-hander.
Rashid Khan broke the century stand when Shadab played an expansive shot against the googly of Afghanistan leg-spinner and was caught at deep mid-wicket.
“We should have finished off the game, but I played a rash shot which cost us the game,” Shadab said.
Asif, famous for his big shots in T20s, smashed Haris Rauf for a six in the 19th over to bring down the target to 12, but Zaman intelligently varied his pace in the final over to deny Islamabad victory.
Lahore earlier were derailed by the spin of Shadab in the middle overs despite getting a blazing start of 83 runs from Abdullah Shafique (44) and Fakhar Zaman (38).
Shadab grabbed four of the five wickets as Lahore slumped to 98-5 in space of 23 balls. Harry Brook made 37 and David Wiese scored 20 but Ahmed picked up four wickets including three in the last over to peg back Lahore’s total.
With six points, Lahore is second behind Multan Sultans, who will take on Peshawar Zalmi in Saturday’s other game. Islamabad have four points from four games.
Lahore Qalandars beat Islamabad United by 8 runs
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Lahore Qalandars beat Islamabad United by 8 runs
- Zaman Khan held his nerve in the final over to snatch the dramatic win for Lahore
- Defending 12 in last over, the 20-year-old Zaman gave away just three runs off first four balls
Pakistan launches digital cash aid for low-income families during Ramadan, PM says
- Ramadan relief moves from state-run Utility Stores to targeted digital wallet transfers
- Government to transfer financial assistance through wallets to support sehri, iftar expenses
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will provide financial assistance to low-income households through digital wallets during the fasting month of Ramadan, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Thursday, announcing a government relief initiative aimed at helping families afford daily meals.
The support program comes as many Pakistanis continue to face elevated food and utility costs despite easing inflation, with Ramadan traditionally increasing household spending on staple foods, fruits and energy consumption.
For decades, government-run Utility Stores Corporation outlets were central to Ramadan relief in Pakistan, selling subsidized flour, sugar, ghee and pulses through special “Ramzan packages” that drew long queues in low-income neighborhoods. In recent years, however, authorities have steadily scaled back the system amid mounting losses, corruption complaints and logistical inefficiencies, shifting instead toward targeted cash transfers delivered through digital wallets and banking channels.
The change reflects a broader policy move away from state-managed commodity distribution toward direct financial assistance intended to give households flexibility while reducing leakages in subsidy programs.
“The Government of Pakistan has launched a Ramadan package under which financial assistance will be transferred to deserving individuals through digital wallets so that households can maintain sehri and iftar meals,” Sharif said in a message issued by his office.
The prime minister said Ramadan encourages compassion and collective responsibility toward vulnerable segments of society, adding that welfare support was part of the state’s duty during the holy month.
Officials say the digital cash transfers approach improves transparency and reduces corruption risks while enabling faster payments nationwide, particularly in urban low-income communities.
But the shift to fully digital assistance also brings challenges.
Access to smartphones and reliable mobile Internet remains uneven, particularly in rural areas and among older recipients, while many low-income households use SIM cards registered to someone else, complicating verification.
