ISLAMABAD: Impressive performances from Haider Ali and Imad Wasim on Saturday night ensured Islamabad United qualified for their first Pakistan Super League (PSL) final since 2018, beating Peshawar Zalmi by five wickets in the Eliminator 2 of the tournament in Karachi.
Zalmi, who ended up with 185-5 after 20 overs, struck early blows during United’s batting when all-rounder Saim Ayub dismissed Alex Hales and Salman Ali Agha for 1 and 5 runs respectively.
Reeling at 50-4, United got a breather when Azam Khan and Imad Wasim got together to put up a 41-run fifth-wicket partnership, bringing some stability to the team. Luke Wood clean bowled Azam, who scored 22 from 17, to leave United at 91/5, requiring a further 95 runs in nine overs.
“Haider Ali joined Imad in the middle and the duo took it upon themselves to stage the rescue act,” the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said in a report.
Ali scored an unbeaten 52 runs from 29 balls, hitting five sixes and two fours while Wasim finished with 59 off 40 balls, hitting nine fours.
United chased the target with one over to spare, ending up with a score of 189/5 at the end of 19 overs. Wasim was awarded the Player of the Match award for his unbeaten half-century.
United pacer Naseem Shah was the pick of his team’s bowlers, finishing with figures of 3/30 from his four overs. He took the vital scalps of Zalmi skipper Babar Azam, Mohammad Haris and Tom Kohler-Cadmore.
Speaking at the post-match ceremony, a disappointed Azam said his team lost the decisive match as they bowled “ordinarily” after the first 10 overs.
“I think we were in a good position after 10 overs. But our bowling after that was very bad. We weren’t up to the mark and we thought we had won the match,” he said.
United will take on former champions Multan Sultans at the National Bank Stadium in Karachi on Monday, Mar. 18, for the PSL 2024 final.
Islamabad stun Peshawar to qualify for first PSL final in six years
https://arab.news/2823f
Islamabad stun Peshawar to qualify for first PSL final in six years
- Haider Ali, Imad Wasim score unbeaten half-centuries to help Islamabad beat Peshawar by five wickets
- Islamabad will lock horns with Multan Sultans in the Pakistan Super League final on Monday, Mar. 18
Pakistan mulls enforcing remote work, online classes rules to conserve energy amid Mideast crisis
- Government committee reviews contingency plans as Iran closes Strait of Hormuz, disrupting global oil supply
- Petroleum Division official warns fuel costs may rise if Pakistan is forced to import oil from longer routes
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is considering a range of options to conserve energy which include ordering corporate offices to ensure work-from-home facility for staff and directing universities to shift classes online, a senior official confirmed on Thursday as the ongoing Middle East conflict threatens to disrupt the global supply of petroleum products.
These proposals were discussed by a cabinet committee constituted by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to monitor petroleum prices on Wednesday. The committee meets daily to review the stock of petroleum products in Pakistan and assess the evolving regional situation.
Tensions in the Middle East have surged since Saturday after the US and Israel’s coordinated strikes against Iran and Tehran’s retaliatory attacks against both and Gulf nations. Iran has closed the crucial Strait of Hormuz waterway, through which roughly 20 percent of global oil and gas supply passes through.
Pakistan relies heavily on Middle Eastern crude oil, with the majority of its energy imports typically transiting through the strait, making any disruption a major risk to domestic fuel supplies.
“Yes, proposals such as work-from-home for corporate offices and online classes for higher education institutions were discussed in the high-level committee,” a senior official of the finance ministry told Arab News on condition of anonymity, as he was not authorized to speak to the media.
“However, final decisions will be taken in a couple of days after the action plan is finalized based on priority areas.”
The official said the government may also advise the public to avoid unnecessary travel, adding that fuel supplies would be ensured for various industries and other critical sectors.
Meanwhile, Pakistani authorities have imposed a ban on the export of petroleum condensate, a chemical used by oil refineries, to secure its domestic supply in case the Middle East crisis worsens further.
A senior official from Pakistan’s Petroleum Division told a Senate committee on Wednesday that the country currently has petroleum reserves sufficient to last around one month.
“The country has around one month of refined petroleum products available, along with more than ten days’ worth of crude oil stocks,” the official said, also requesting anonymity.
He added that the government is working on contingency planning to meet future energy requirements if the conflict continues.
“Pakistan is exploring options to import fuel from Saudi Arabia through the Red Sea to ensure uninterrupted supplies,” he said.
Pakistan’s petroleum ministry confirmed the same in a statement on Wednesday, following Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik’s meeting with Saudi Ambassador Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki.
The official warned that petroleum product prices may rise in line with global market trends, particularly if supplies have to be transported through alternative, longer routes.
He added that in the event of a prolonged conflict, Pakistan may consider importing fuel from the US and other countries.
