National T20 Cup | Match 22 | Central Punjab [127/1] beat Balochistan [125/8] by 9 wickets

[MenInG]

Balochistan - Haris Sohail (captain), Bismillah Khan (vice-captain, wicketkeeper), Abdul Wahid Bangalzai Akbar-ur-Rehman, Akif Javed, Ammad Butt, Awais Zia, Imam-ul-Haq, Imran Butt, Kashif Bhatti, Khurram Shahzad, Taimur Khan, Umaid Asif, Umar Gul, Usama Mir and Yasir Shah

Central Punjab - Babar Azam (captain), Saad Nasim (vice-captain), Abdullah Shafiq, Abid Ali, Ahmed Bashir, Ali Shan, Ehsan Adil, Irfan Khan Niazi, Kamran Akmal (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Akhlaq, Waqas Maqsood (replaces Naseem Shah), Qasim Akram, Rizwan Hussain, Sohaibullah, Usman Qadir and Zafar Gohar.

 

[Firebat]

Central Punjab won the toss and elected to field first

 

[MHN1293]

Finally saad naasim removed from the team sheet. Should have been done from the day babar returned

 

[shamaan]

Who's akhlaq ahmad ?

 

[shamaan]

Finally saad naasim removed from the team sheet. Should have been done from the day babar returned

Agreed never seen such a poor player worse than club cricket player

 

[Titan24]

Who's akhlaq ahmad ?

27 year old batsman. He scored 3 50s in 5 matches for CP 2nd XI.

 

[Titan24]

Good over from Qasim.

 

[Gullycricket]

27 year old batsman. He scored 3 50s in 5 matches for CP 2nd XI.

Really liking this merit based promotion of players from 2nd division

 

[shamaan]

27 year old batsman. He scored 3 50s in 5 matches for CP 2nd XI.

Okay thankyou atleast hes not older than 30 lol

 

[Titan24]

Good bowling from Qasim. Got the wicket of Imam

 

[Titan24]

Qasim with 2 in 2, on a hatrick

 

[shamaan]

Amatuer brainless

 

[naseem]

Qasim wow.....Wahid early anxiousness got the better of him this time....if he can't take this pressure how he will play ar international level where pressure and stakes are high

 

[Titan24]

CP bowling well and Balochistan is definitely struggling at 37/4 in 9 overs

 

[ataullah]

usman qadir looks a good wrist spinner. Pak should invest in him as we lack a wrist spinner right now. Should replace Yasir Shah. Thoughts?

 

[Loralai]

usman qadir looks a good wrist spinner. Pak should invest in him as we lack a wrist spinner right now. Should replace Yasir Shah. Thoughts?

I think Mohammed Irfan from Bajaur needs to be given more opportunities - he's a really talented bowler who has been treated very harshly.

 

[Titan24]

Watching Babar bat is one or the best things in the currently in cricket.

 

[Goooby]

Watching Babar bat is one or the best things in the currently in cricket.

Seriously, it just seems like he's playing against kids on most days.

 

[naseem]

Babar is naturally gifted batsman everything looks so easy

 

[Saj]

Finally saad naasim removed from the team sheet. Should have been done from the day babar returned

Some players just will not let go of that starting spot unfortunately.

 

[shamaan]

27 year old batsman. He scored 3 50s in 5 matches for CP 2nd XI.

Is he attacking Bateman or does he take his time before playing shots?

 

[Saj]

Very one-sided match that with Balochistan's big guns failing to fire.

Well done to young Qasim Akram on 2 wickets.

Babar making batting look too easy in this tournament so far.

 

[shamaan]

usman qadir looks a good wrist spinner. Pak should invest in him as we lack a wrist spinner right now. Should replace Yasir Shah. Thoughts?

He defo been the stand out bowler in this tournament hes got the variation decent control and can spin the ball

 

[ataullah]

Today Abdullah Shafiq was 10/10...The way he played swing under his eyes was like a seasoned international in England. He was on par with Babar if not better the way he negotiated swing. I would put him in test and odi team right away. I think his ceiling is very high. He has potential to be a great tier 1 test player. I really hope we don't waste him

 

[Titan24]

Is he attacking Bateman or does he take his time before playing shots?

Havent seen him playing but as per 2nd XI numbers recently I think he takes bit of time but, then he was batting in the top 3 for CP 2nd XI so cant really say how he would adapt batting at no 4 or 5.

 

[shamaan]

Did anyone see when abdullah played the hook and how babar was telling him what he should have done or what mistake he made or was it just me over thinking

 

[ataullah]

Did anyone see when abdullah played the hook and how babar was telling him what he should have done or what mistake he made or was it just me over thinking

Lol babar was explaining to him. Its great for Abdullah to bat with King babar

 

[Titan24]

Today Abdullah Shafiq was 10/10...The way he played swing under his eyes was like a seasoned international in England. He was on par with Babar if not better the way he negotiated swing. I would put him in test and odi team right away. I think his ceiling is very high. He has potential to be a great tier 1 test player. I really hope we don't waste him

Agreed. Hopefully he can continue performing in QAE as well because, would like him to have more games under his belt before playing for Pakistan.

 

[Titan24]

Did anyone see when abdullah played the hook and how babar was telling him what he should have done or what mistake he made or was it just me over thinking

Yes noticed that and I think it was good from Babar. Babar has seen him bat now in the nets and on the field and possibly thinks he can be developed.

 

[Omer2002]

This kid has big big future

 

[shamaan]

Did anyone see when abdullah played the hook and how babar was telling him what he should have done or what mistake he made or was it just me over thinking

 

[MenInG]

 

[shamaan]

Lol babar was explaining to him. Its great for Abdullah to bat with King babar

Yes explaining how he could have played that even better of course it I's babar is a treat to watch

 

[shamaan]

Agreed. Hopefully he can continue performing in QAE as well because, would like him to have more games under his belt before playing for Pakistan.

But what position would he bat maybe oppening?

 

[shamaan]

Yes noticed that and I think it was good from Babar. Babar has seen him bat now in the nets and on the field and possibly thinks he can be developed.

Oh yeah defo was good it also shows that he knows shafique is a very good player otherwise he wouldnt have given him tip.

 

[MenInG]

Rawalpindi, 12 October 2020:

Fast bowler Ahmed Bashir took his career-best figures (four for 23) as Central Punjab earned much-needed two points in the 22nd match of the National T20 Cup for First XI teams with a comfortable nine-wicket victory against Balochistan at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Monday night.

The 24-year-old Ahmed, who had taken three wickets in his first appearance of the tournament against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa last Tuesday in Multan, took his tournament tally to seven wickets from a mere two appearances with a fine bowling effort on a pitch that offered some assistance to both seamers and spinners as Balochistan were restricted to 125 for eight in 20 overs.

Central Punjab batsmen then coasted past the target with captain Babar Azam making another entry in the record books by reaching 1000 runs in National T20 Cup in a mere 27 innings (fastest-ever). Babar followed his 86 not out and 86 in the previous two games with an exquisite unbeaten 64-run innings (40 balls, nine fours, two sixes).

Babar added 86 runs for the first-wicket with Kamran Akmal in a mere 9.4 overs, Kamran was dismissed by Amad Butt for 33 (27 balls, six fours)

Babar and Abdullah Shafiq finished the game with 38 balls to spare with an undefeated second-wicket stand of 41 runs; Abdullah scored 27 off 15 balls (four fours).

Reflecting on his performance, man-of-the-match Ahmed Bashir said: “The pitch is supporting the bowlers here as this is a faster pitch compared to Multan. The captain and coach told me to bowl as per the field. I also bowled slower ones and yorkers as they instructed and got the desired results for my team.”

Central Punjab asked Balochistan to bat first after winning the toss. Balochistan were rocked early in their innings as off-spinner Qasim Akram dismissed Imam-ul-Haq (5) and his Pakistan U19 teammate Abdul Wahid Bangalzai (0) off successive balls in the third over. Qasim who bowled brilliantly with the new ball conceded a mere seven runs in his three-over opening spell.

On the other end, Opener Awais Zia (5) was sent packing by Ahmed Bashir on the fifth ball of the sixth over as Balochistan were left reeling at 20 for three. The situation worsened for the batting side as Bismillah Khan was dismissed by leg-spinner Usman Qadir for 11 runs.

Akbar-ur-Rehman (19) added 44 runs for the fifth wicket with his captain Haris Sohail before falling to Bashir.

Haris top-scored with a fighting 41 off 36 balls (three fours, three sixes); he became Bashir’s fourth victim after the right-armer had accounted for Amad Butt (15) two balls earlier.

Meanwhile, Central Punjab have now accumulated six points from eight matches (three wins, five losses) while Balochistan have a tally of eight from as many games (four wins, four losses).
Scores in brief

Balochistan 125-8, 20 overs (Hairs Sohail 41, Akbar-ur-Rehman 19; Ahmed Bashir 4-23,Qasim Akram 2-7)

Central Punjab 127-1, 13.4 overs (Babar Azam 64 not out, Kamran Akmal 33, Abdullah Shafiq 27 not out; Amad Butt 1-23)

Result – Central Punjab won by nine wickets

Man-of-the-match – Ahmed Bashir (Central Punjab)

 

[Bewal Express]

usman qadir looks a good wrist spinner. Pak should invest in him as we lack a wrist spinner right now. Should replace Yasir Shah. Thoughts?

I have watched Qadir and tbh, i wasnt a fan but this year he looks to have improved his control and if he can spin the leg spinnner a little more by bringing his arm down a tiny bit, he will go to a new level. His figures dont do justice because at least 10 runs each spell are given away by poor fielding.

 

[Bewal Express]

Today Abdullah Shafiq was 10/10...The way he played swing under his eyes was like a seasoned international in England. He was on par with Babar if not better the way he negotiated swing. I would put him in test and odi team right away. I think his ceiling is very high. He has potential to be a great tier 1 test player. I really hope we don't waste him

Too much too soon has undone many a young player from PK. Take it easy, lets get the lad batting in the FC games and keep giving him opps and then gently work him into the teams.

 

[Syed1]

This new guy Babar Azam seems like he can bat, will go far.