Shahzaib, Sami help Karachi Blues to winning start

Defeat city rivals Karachi Whites by nine runs in National T20 Cup opener

Our Correspondent August 26, 2016

Shahzaib’s 60-run knock allowed Karachi Blues to kick off their campaign with a comfortable win while also earning him the man of the match award. PHOTO: APP

KARACHI: A half-century by Shahzaib Hasan and three wickets by Muhammad Sami guided Karachi Blues to victory over city rivals Karachi Whites in the opening match of the National T20 Cup at the Rawalpindi Stadium yesterday.

Opting to bat first, Karachi Blues posted 158 runs for the loss of eight wickets in their 20 overs. Opener Khurram Manzoor was dismissed on a duck but his partner Shahzaib scored 60 off 50 balls to give them some early momentum.

All-rounder Bilawal Bhatti then provided the late impetus with an unbeaten 21 off just 10 balls, with Sami also providing a handy seven-ball 15.

Chasing 159, Karachi Whites were restricted to 149-8 as Sami took 3-29 in his four overs, while Saeed Ajmal and Bhatti claimed 2-21 and 2-26 respectively.

PCB’s urge to fix what isn’t broken threatens T20 Cup

39-year-old Tariq Haroon was the top scorer for Karachi Whites, scoring 28 runs off just 12 deliveries.

Fast-bowler Sohail Khan, fresh from his exploits for the Test side in England, also showed he is handy with the bat as he scored 25 runs off 14 balls.

Shahzaib was named the man of the match and said he has been working hard in the nets recently. “I always try to implement all the skills I learn during practice and that paid off today,” he said.

The captain of the winning team Latif felt his side could have scored more but praised his bowlers for defending a total he thought was below par.

Domestic season to begin with T20 Cup

“Our batsmen did not perform as expected,” he said. “Shahzaib was the only one who added runs to the total and gave the bowlers something to defend.”

Latif singled out former Pakistan pacer Sami for his performance. “Sami is a world-class bowler,” he said. “He has always performed for Karachi in other competitions too and he has been active in leagues worldwide and is in full fitness.”

Meanwhile, losing captain Akbarur Rehman feels their batsmen need to improve quickly as the top-order failed to get going. “We will try to overcome this in the next matches,” he promised.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 26^th, 2016.

Like Sports on Facebook, follow @ETribuneSports on Twitter to stay informed and join in the conversation.