PARIS: Brazilian prodigy Endrick scored one goal and set up another as Lyon won 2-1 away to Paris Saint-Germain on Sunday, denting the reigning European champions’ bid for another Ligue 1 title.

Endrick gave Lyon an early lead at the Parc des Princes and then released Afonso Moreira to double their advantage.

PSG rested several stars from the side that beat Liverpool away in midweek to reach the Cham­pions League semi-finals and were far from their best, with Goncalo Ramos having a penalty saved before Khvicha Kvaratskhelia grabbed a late consolation.

It was a fifth defeat in Ligue 1 this season for Luis Enrique’s side, who are one point ahead of nearest challengers Lens with a game in hand — a win at home to Nantes in a rearranged fixture in midweek will leave them four points clear with five to play.

PSG must still travel next month to Lens, who beat Toulouse 3-2 on Friday, and remain on course for a fifth straight domestic title, but this remains a setback for a side preparing to face Bayern Munich in the Champions League semi-finals.

“You want a more close-fought league and you have it. Lens keep winning and it will be difficult until the end,” said Luis Enrique.

“That’s football and now we just need to prepare for the upcoming games. We are going to be playing every three days now and we need to cope with that.”

Meanwhile, Lyon’s win is a huge boost in their quest to return to the Champions League after an absence of six years from Europe’s elite club competition — since they lost to Bayern in the 2020 semis.

Paulo Fonseca’s side are joint-third on 54 points with Lille, who drew 0-0 with Nice on Saturday.

“Endrick was decisive but I am especially happy with how hard he worked defensively,” said Fonseca.

Rennes are a point behind Lyon and Lille in fifth after a 3-0 victory at Strasbourg, while Marseille are another point back in sixth following a 2-0 loss at Lorient on Saturday.

Monaco are two points further adrift in seventh after having to come from behind to draw 2-2 with Auxerre.

The top three qualify directly for next season’s Champions League, with fourth entering in the third qualifying round. Fifth goes into the Europa League and sixth into the Conference League.

Endrick opened the scoring in the seventh minute, beating home goalkeeper Matvey Safonov at his near post — he has now scored seven goals for Lyon since arriving on loan from Real Madrid in January.

The teenager then turned provider as the visitors doubled their lead on 18 minutes, supplying the outstanding Moreira to run through and make it 2-0.

PSG won a penalty before the break when Lucas Hernandez was brought down in the area by Ainsley Maitland-Niles, but Ramos’s spot-kick was saved.

Viitnha then went off injured, while Ousmane Dembele came on in the second half and hit the bar. Fellow substitute Kvaratskhelia then grabbed a consolation goal in stoppage time with a superb strike.

Published in Dawn, April 21st, 2026

KARACHI: Peshawar Zalmi bowling coach Azhar Mahmood has strongly defended Babar Azam, asserting that the star batsman was not utilised properly during Pakistan’s disappointing campaign in the T20 World Cup, where expectations of a higher strike rate forced him out of his natural game.

Zalmi recorded a commanding 118-run victory over Quetta Gladiators at the National Bank Stadium on Sunday night, that featured Babar’s unbeaten 100 off just 52 balls — an innings laced with elegant stroke play, a hallmark of Babar’s batting.

The knock propelled Zalmi to a formidable total and underscored Babar’s return to form in the ongoing HBL Pakistan Super League, where he has already crossed 400 runs at a strike rate exceeding 143.

“Babar has always been world-class,” Azhar, who recently ended his stint at the Pakistan Test coach, said. “He was going through a slightly difficult phase.

“When he was with me during the Test matches, we spoke to him and worked with him. We told him that the cricket he knows how to play — he is a proper cricketing shots player. He is not someone who goes and plays power-hitting straight away.”

Azhar highlighted how Babar has rediscovered his “artistic kind of batting” in the PSL, with fluid shots flowing through for him.

“The way he played today, he presented his innings so beautifully,” the former Pakistan all-rounder noted. “And if you look at him throughout the PSL, you will see his proper cricketing shots again,”

The coach revealed that his message to Babar was simple: “Go and enjoy yourself, and play your own cricket the way you have always played it.”

Azhar then turned his attention to Babar’s struggles in the T20 World Cup, where the batsman was criticised for a relatively modest strike rate. He argued that the demand for Babar to bat at number four and accelerate unnaturally created unnecessary pressure.

“When you made him bat at number four in the World Cup, people talk about his strike rate,” he said.

“If you look at strike rates in Pakistan’s T20 cricket, we don’t have anyone with 180-190. Babar’s strike rate in international cricket is 128.

“So there isn’t that much difference. But what you get with Babar is consistency. He sets a platform for you… After that, your power-hitters can play freely.”

Azhar contended that excessive hype around Babar’s strike rate and suboptimal utilisation contributed to his difficulties.

“So I think there was a lot of hype on Babar that his strike rate is low, and the way we have used him… I think he wasn’t utilised properly,” he remarked pointedly.

The Zalmi coach broadened his critique to Pakistan’s cricket ecosystem, lamenting an overemphasis on immediate results rather than long-term process.

“International matches obviously have pressure… unfortunately in Pakistan, it has always been that there is too much focus on the outcome — if you get knocked out of the tournament,” he said. “I always believe that you have to work on the process.

“We focus too much on results. If you follow the process for a long time… give them proper opportunities and hold them accountable.”

Azhar also pointed to frequent changes in the coaching staff as a destabilising factor. In the last two years, he noted, six to eight coaches had come and gone, leaving players uncertain.

“Every coach has his own mindset… now the players know that today this coach is there; tomorrow who knows if he will be or not,” he observed.

Published in Dawn, April 21st, 2026

LAHORE: Defending champions Lahore Qalandars return to their fortress at Gaddafi Stadium on Tuesday with renewed hunger, desperate to claw back into the playoff race when they face a stuttering Quetta Gladiators side in a crucial day match of the HBL Pakistan Super League.

The high-stakes contest kicks off a double-header that will also see the winless Rawalpindiz take on in-form Multan Sultans in a night fixture at Karachi’s National Bank Stadium.

With the league entering its decisive phase after shifting back between the two venues following the second-round matches in Karachi, every point now carries massive weight.

Qalandars, led by explosive pace spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi, sit sixth on the points table with six points from seven matches, while Gladiators occupy fourth spot with the same six points from eight games but a marginally better net run-rate. Both sides know defeat could effectively end their playoff ambitions, especially as Peshawar Zalmi have already qualified at the top with 15 points.

Qalandars have shown fighting spirit at home. In the first round at Gaddafi Stadium, they secured two wins — against Hyderabad Kingsmen and Multan Sultans — before suffering a loss to Karachi Kings.

Back on familiar turf after the break, they will look to unleash their potent batting line-up featuring Fakhar Zaman, Abdullah Shafique, Mohammad Naeem and all-rounder Sikandar Raza.

In the bowling department, captain Shaheen has been the standout performer with 13 wickets, the second-highest in the tournament. However, he needs greater support from Haris Rauf, Raza and young pacer Ubaid Shah, who have struggled to find consistent rhythm with the new ball and in the death overs.

Gladiators, the 2019 champions, have been inconsistent, particularly at Gaddafi Stadium, where they have managed only one victory in four attempts. Defeats to Karachi Kings, Islamabad United and Multan Sultans highlight their vulnerabilities, with their sole success coming against Hyderabad Kingsmen.

Hasan Nawaz has emerged as a reliable performer, amassing 288 runs at an average of 41.14, while captain Saud Shakeel has chipped in with 206 runs through composed middle-order innings.

Yet the Gladiators require explosive contributions from overseas stars Rilee Rossouw, Shamyl Hussain, Khawaja Nafay and Bevon Jacobs to improve their middle-overs batting, an area where they have faltered.

Their bowling attack hinges on the spin duo of Abrar Ahmed and Usman Tariq, each with eight wickets so far.

Following their heavy loss to Peshawar Zalmi on Sunday, Gladiators bowling coach Sohail Tanvir urged his players to move forward without dwelling on setbacks.

“In my view, this happens sometimes — there comes a day as a team when nothing clicks for you,” he said. “So, in such situations, as management, as a coach, or as senior players, all we can say is: forget this match and let’s move on.”

“Because the good performance from the previous match didn’t help us today, and if we played badly today and didn’t perform well, it shouldn’t affect the upcoming matches.

“We still have two games. And we are still in fourth position. We have all the chances — if we play the next matches well, we can qualify for the playoffs.”

Sohail pinpointed middle-overs batting struggles and the inability of the pace attack to build pressure in the powerplay as key issues, stressing that spinners Abrar and Usman need a strong platform from the top order to be effective.

On Monday, Qalandars held a practice session at the LCCA Ground alongside Karachi Kings, fine-tuning strategies for the must-win encounter. The Gladiators, arriving in Lahore later in the evening, chose rest to ensure freshness.

The day’s second match in Karachi pits the hapless Rawalpindiz against high-flying Multan Sultans. The newly introduced Rawalpindiz franchise has endured a torrid debut campaign, remaining winless in seven matches with a dismal net run-rate.

Despite boasting talents such as Mohammad Rizwan and a blend of experienced locals and overseas players, the side has failed to click, leaving them anchored at the bottom of the table.

Multan Sultans, in stark contrast, sit second with 10 points from seven matches. With five victories already, they are among the most consistent teams and heavy favourites to extend their dominance against the struggling Pindiz outfit.

A win would further strengthen their playoff position, while Rawalpindiz face yet another daunting challenge in their quest for a maiden PSL victory.

Published in Dawn, April 21st, 2026