Fawad Alam's 149 helps Karachi Whites claim One Day Cup for Regions title

Left-handed batsman rose to occasion in team’s five-wicket victory chasing 348

Left-handed batsman Fawad Alam on Sunday once again silenced his critics with a brilliant 149 off 130 balls in the final of the National One Day Cup for Regions to guide his team to a five-wicket victory over Islamabad Region at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

Player of the final Fawad walked in as Karachi were two down for 38 runs while chasing a hefty 348-run target set by Islamabad after the latter chose to bat first.

The 32-year-old hit 18 boundaries to keep the score board ticking while his partner Akbarur Rehman (41 off 67) accompanied him till the 24^th over.

Another quick wicket of Faisal Iqbal (four off seven) meant Islamabad were back in the game with the run rate constantly on the up, but Danish Aziz (unbeaten 86 off 65 balls) hit six maximums and four boundaries to help him team’s cause.

Together, Fawad and Danish pushed Karachi as close as possible to the target, but, with just seven runs needed, Fawad had to walk back after being dismissed off an Ahmed Bashir delivery.

Karachi then went past the finish line with three balls remaining.

“We achieved what we had planned,” Fawad said in the post-match presentation ceremony. “We also set up a camp before the tournament where we decided that we have to win this tournament. So, it is the result of the commitment and the team work shown by everyone.”

When asked about his return to the national team even after piling up performances in all domestic tournaments, Fawad said: “My only job is to perform and leave everything else in the hands of Almighty.”

Meanwhile, Islamabad captain Shan Masood lauded Karachi’s effort while chasing a mammoth target.

“Karachi played really well. Fawad and Danish’s partnership made the match a one-sided affair. We couldn’t stop them from scoring boundaries at crucial moments. We dropped catches, I dropped a catch too, so we lost to Karachi because they outsmarted us in pressure moments,” said Masood.

Winning captain Asad Shafiq was all praise for Fawad for his outstanding efforts in the match and in the past as well.

“It was a collective effort,” said Shafiq. “The way the guys responded, even the senior players, the way they backed me as the captain was exemplary. Danish and Fawad pulled us out a difficult situation with a great partnership. And this is not the first time Fawad has done something exceptional for Pakistan or Karachi. He has proved time and again that he is a good player.”

Earlier, Islamabad had scored 347-4 courtesy Pakistan right-handed batsman Babar Azam’s 105 off 95.