Islamabad United skipper Shadab Khan was disappointed after a big loss against Lahore Qalandars and admitted they didn’t bowl well after conceding 200 runs in the first innings. LHQ skipper Shaheen Shah Afridi won the toss and decided to bat first but Khan feels it was a 170-180 pitch.
In fact, almost all the Lahore Qalandars batters contributed to the score, with Shafique top-scoring with 45 runs from 24 balls. Fakhar Zaman scored 36 runs whereas Sam Billings added 33 to help their team post 200 runs on the board.
On the other hand, Islamabad United could not get going in the run-chase as they were skittled out for only 90 runs, losing by a huge margin of 110 runs. Rahmanullah Gurbaz scored 23 runs for ISU but the rest of the batters failed to make any contribution. The middle order crumbled like a pack of cards as they could not show any resistance.
Shadab Khan said in the post-match presentation, “We didn’t bowl well. It was a 170-180 pitch. We want to play aggressively. Someday we will get bowled out cheaply. Need to forget about this. From the crowd’s point of view, I want to say sorry to them. We couldn’t give them a thriller.”
Meanwhile, Shaheen Shah Afridi was delighted with the team’s effort after a convincing win against ISU.
He said after the game, “Played very good cricket overall. Gave away too many runs yesterday. The plan was to focus on dot balls. Rashid and Sikandar bowled well. Great for a captain if your overseas and local players are both performing.”
David Wiese was awarded the Player of the Match as he returned with impressive figures of 3-17 in his spell of three overs.
Wiese said after the win, “Just helped the bowlers a little bit more today than it did yesterday. For a batting unit that can consistently score 200, as a bowling side we just need to deliver the basics. Lahore is a team that has given me so much opportunity over the last two years.”
LHQ will face Quetta Gladiators on Thursday whereas ISU will take on Karachi Kings on Friday.
