KPK claim accolades along with title

Players praise board for holding Pakistan Cup, wish it was longer

FAISALABAD: The recently concluded Pakistan Cup in Faisalabad’s Iqbal Stadium, which KPK won by a whopping 151 runs against Punjab on Sunday, was dubbed a success by almost all involved in the tournament.

KPK were a force to be reckoned with throughout the tournament and did complete justice to their favourites tag in the final, overpowering Punjab right from ball one as openers Ahmad Shahzad and Fakhar Zaman got them off to a superb start with a 118-run stand in just 15.4 overs.

It came as no surprise then that one of KPK’s star performers, Zohaib Khan, was named the best all-rounder of the tournament as well as its best bowler after he claimed 11 wickets and scored 176 runs with the bat. The 11 wickets Zohaib claimed with his left-arm spin were the tournament’s joint highest along with Sindh’s left-arm pacer Mohammad Aamir.



Zohaib thanked the support he received from the team management. “I managed to perform only due to the help of [coaches] Aslam Qureshi and Shoaib Khan, who have supported me a lot,” said Zohaib. “The wickets were difficult to bat on so I was unable to bat well in most of the matches, but I am glad that I contributed with the ball.”

Zohaib felt KPK’s top order was the catalyst for their win. “Our openers did really well, along with captain Younus Khan,” he said. “The wicket allowed the ball to reverse and then it started breaking when the lights came on. This required a lot of technique and control.”

Zohaib praised the tournament and said it benefited the players by improving their confidence and their ability to play under pressure. “I suggest that the Pakistan Cricket Board increases the number of matches,” he said. “Every team should play at least two matches against each other.”



Meanwhile, man of the match Fakhar Zaman, who scored his first century of the tournament in the final, was delighted with the win. “It is a great feeling to score a century in the final and help your team win,” he said. “These 13 days were really helpful for my career; sharing a dressing room with the likes of Younus, Ahmad Shahzad and Yasir Shah can provide invaluable confidence and experience.”

Fakhar’s 115 helped him finish with a tally of 297 runs in five games, but it was still second to Shahzad’s total of 372 in five games. Shahzad’s performances up the order, which saw him make four consecutive 50-plus scores, earned him the batsman of the tournament accolade. “I tried to be consistent in my performances as the team who gets off to a good start is usually the one who wins on these pitches,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 3^rd, 2016.

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