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Shadab Khan (Islamabad United captain): No, I lost the toss. I wanted to bowl. Typical Pindi pitch, very hard to contain on these pitches. I had no doubt over our depth and caliber. Our dressing room is always calm. Azam Khan is in great form and he is very dangerous. Even during the Strategic Time-Out, Azam was targeting one over and he did that. Definitely we want to play fearless cricket. When you do that, there will be some failures which should be accepted. (Regarding Faheem Ashraf's promotion) Low-value wicket, spinners mattered too. I play spin well but left-handed batter is better. Later on in the tournament, we need him as a batter too.
Azam Khan: It is all about practice. When I am back in Karachi and playing club games, I try to stay calm there also. It was a mature knock from me, I will rate the Quetta knock above. Just asked Faheem to give me the strike against Tabraiz so that I could take him. Happy that I could do that. (About him appreciating Asif Ali for the first-ball six) That six took some pressure of me.
Azam Khan has been named as the 'Player of the Match'
Time for the Post-match Presentation!
Azhar Mahmood: Absolutely brilliant knock from Azam Khan. He sucked up the pressure, he kept hitting the boundaries. He knew when to take chance and when to take chances. Really really good innings, Faheem Ashraf and his partnership with Azam gave us a chance. It was a great fielding effort from the boys. Mubasir then a great effort from Hasan Ali. I think he is a phenomenal talent, He has game awareness which is great. From the management, we always give him confidence. In the end, doesn’t matter how much confidence you give to someone it is he who has to go out there and perform. He has performed back-to-back games and I am really happy for him. If you see the last couple of meetings we said to give yourself a chance, We never gave ourselves chance in the previous games but today the boys responded very well, We had a meeting and the boys have responded brilliantly. Like all these guys I have worked with them before, James is pushing them and it’s very difficult in this sort of ground to keep the runs under check. In the end, chasing 200 was due to the belief of the players and I am really proud of the team.
Imad Wasim (Karachi Kings captain): Yes I think, 200 is a very good score. Azam played really well, took the game away from us. It's just the way our bowling has been in the last few games, it hasn’t quite worked. Look, sometimes you have to give credit to other batters. Azam just played brilliantly, we have to be better with death over. They needed 76 in 6 overs and we ended up conceding the match in 5 overs. We cannot afford that. We just gonna sit and talk about the plans, we haven’t executed our plans. I am very sad but this is how it goes on in cricket. I think the team combination is the key. We have players but he will get his chances.
Islamabad United won by 6 wickets (with 4 deliveries to spare)
Azam Khan 72*(41) | Faheem Ashraf 41(32) Tabraiz Shamsi 1/40(4) | Mohammad Amir 1/40(4)
Islamabad United needed a brisk start to harbor any hopes of chasing down the stiff target of 202. Colin Munro came out with all guns blazing and smashed Mohammad Amir for a four and a six before the wily customer foxed him with a beautiful slower delivery, bringing his downfall. Alex Hales batted with real intent in the powerplay and got them off to a flying start.
His innings of 34 were decorated with brute power and precision. Just when he looked like taking the game away in a flash, Aamer Yamin dislodged his timbers with a length. It was a wild hack across the line from Hales and his glum face following the dismissal summed up the fact that how well he was hitting the ball.
Faheem Ashraf was sent up the order and he shared a good stand with Rassie van der Dussen. He didn’t quite manage to get the boundaries going and was castled by a flatter trajectory delivery from Tabraiz Shamsi. However the introduction of Azam Khan turned things drastically and all of a sudden, Islamabad United was back with a bang.
Tabraiz Shamsi was at the receiving end of Azam’s lusty blows as Islamabad slowly started clawing its way back into the game. It was a masterclass as boundaries kept flowing from his blade. Leg side, off side, straight every side of the field was accessed by Azam as the Karachi Kings failed to contain the onslaught.
It was Asif Ali who eventually finished the match off with a six and a four in the two deliveries he faced, as Islamabad romped home in the final over with 6 wickets in hand. Azam remained unbeaten on 72 off 41 deliveries and proved to be a thorn in the flesh for the Karachi Kings.
Earlier in the day, it was a magnificent display of attack mixed with a bit of caution early on and then he launched into the Islamabad attack in the final few overs. He remained unbeaten on 92 while Irfan Niazi also chipped in with a crucial 30 to take their side to a commanding score of 201 in their allotted 20 overs. However, it didn’t prove to be enough in the end, as an Azam Khan masterclass blew it away for United.
That is a thoroughly professional run chase from the Islamabad United power by a scintillating knock from Azam Khan. He made it look easy right from the outset and had everything in control during his unbeaten knock of 72 off 41 deliveries. Karachi Kings needed a win desperately but it wasn't to be, despite posting a huge score of 201 on the board.
19.2 Aamer Yamin to Asif Ali, TWO BALLS AND IT'S DONE!! Back of a length delivery, Asif pulls it over mid-on and the ball rolls to the boundary. FOUR! So, Islamabad United wrap up a six-wicket victory with four balls to spare!
19.1 Aamer Yamin to Asif Ali, AS YOU PLEASE FROM ASIF ALI! Full on the stumps, Asif is deep in the crease as he tonks it over deep mid-wicket for a maximum. SIX! Azam gives a bow to Asif!
Asif Ali, RHB is the new man in.
Aamer Yamin [3-0-32-1] is back into the attack.
Faheem Ashraf sacrificed his wicket there for his team's cause. Howeveri he gas got them within brink of the victory target. Just 8 needed of the final over with Asif Al slated to come in. Faheem accepted Tye's glft gleefuly, smashing the fully toss well over the deep midwicket fence.
19
overs
194/4score
0
2
6
2
0
1W
runs
Faheem Ashraf*
41(32)
Azam Khan
72(41)
Andrew Tye
1/42
18.6 Andrew Tye to Faheem Ashraf, RUN-OUT OUT OF NOWHERE! Full-toss, Faheem looks to loft it over extra-cover but he ends up slicing it in front of deep backward point. Single taken comfortably but there is a mix-up for the second run with Faheem running across to the striker's end. Adam Rossington collects the throw from the deep and lobs it up to Tye who whips off the bails before Faheem could get back in. He had to sacrifice the wicket there!
18.5 Andrew Tye to Faheem Ashraf, wide yorker from Tye, Faheem can't get bat on ball
18.4 Andrew Tye to Faheem Ashraf, full and wide of off, Faheem drives it to deep covers where Irfan Khan Niazi runs across to his right and puts in a full-stretch dive to save the boundary. Two runs taken!
18.3 Andrew Tye to Faheem Ashraf, GIFT TAKEN WITH EASE! Full-toss from Tye, Faheem swings it over deep mid-wicket for a maximum. SIX!! Extremely poor ball from Tye!
18.2 Andrew Tye to Faheem Ashraf, full-toss outside-off, Faheem swings it to long-off where Matthew Wade runs back but he can't hold onto the ball. Ah! Nasty as Wade and Shoaib Malik clashed with each other. The latter is down on the ground!