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Former New Zealand pacer Simon Doull has questioned Babar Azam’s slowing down tactics en route to his hundred in the PSL 2023 match between Peshawar Zalmi and Quetta Gladiators on Wednesday, March 8.
Peshawar Zalmi won the toss and opted to bat first in match number 25 of PSL 2023 at the Pindi Club Ground in Rawalpindi. Skipper Babar led from the front, smacking 115 off only 65 balls. The opening batter hit 15 fours and three sixes, scoring at a strike rate of 176.92 before being run out.
While Babar played a fantastic knock without a doubt, Doull, who was on commentary as the batter approached his hundred, was not pleased with the cricketer’s deceleration as he got close to three figures. Expressing his firm views on air, Doull said:
“The last little while, that’s all that has been happening rather than looking for boundaries still, when you’ve got so much firepower to come. Hundreds are great, stats are brilliant, but it still must be team first.”
Babar was batting on 86 off 49 balls after 14 overs but reached his 100 off 60 deliveries. When on 99, he defended a delivery from Naseem Shah, after which Doull questioned the batter’s tactics, hinting that he was being selfish.
Babar’s hundred was his eighth in T20 cricket and his first in the PSL. With his knock, he joined the Aussie trio of David Warner, Aaron Finch, and Michael Klinger as batters with eight T20 centuries to their name.
Only West Indies legend Chris Gayle, with 22 tons in the format, is above Babar, Warner, Finch, and Klinger on the illustrious list.
Babar’s heroics go in vain as Jason Roy steals the show
Despite their skipper’s sensational hundred, Peshawar Zalmi ended up on the losing side in the PSL 2023 clash on Wednesday.
Babar’s ton lifted Peshawar Zalmi to 240/2 in their 20 overs. However, opener Jason Roy struck a scintillating 145* off only 63 balls as Quetta Gladiators chased down the target in 18.2 overs, with eight wickets in hand.
Roy struck 20 fours and five sixes in his blazing knock, which came at a strike rate of 230.16 to stun Peshawar Zalmi. Veteran batter Mohammad Hafeez also chipped in with 41* off only 18 balls, smashing six fours and two sixes.
The Roy-Hafeez duo added an unbroken 93 for the third wicket as the Gladiators romped home to a memorable triumph.
