KARACHI: The National Bank Stadium remained devoid of spectators on Wednesday night, in keeping with the government’s austerity measures that have seen all matches of this HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) season played behind closed doors.

The silence, now a familiar feature of the ongoing tournament, once again framed the contest — and in that stillness, one sound stood out above all: the crisp, assured echo of Babar Azam’s bat striking the ball.

That rhythm accompanied Peshawar Zalmi’s march to a comprehensive eight-wicket victory over Quetta Gladiators, as their captain crafted an unbeaten 71 to steer his side to the 156-run target with nine balls to spare.

Zalmi’s sixth successive win kept them unbeaten and virtually assured of a place in the playoffs, while Gladiators’ campaign continued to falter leaving them fifth on the table with just two wins from six outings.

Earlier, Gladiators were bowled out for 154 on the final ball of their innings, never quite managing to impose themselves despite a handful of promising starts, thanks to another incisive spell by Sufiyan Muqeem.

Ahsan Ali departed early for four, caught by Mohammad Haris off Iftikhar Ahmed, before captain Saud Shakeel’s 16 off 13 balls ended in a run-out, leaving Gladiators at 39-2.

Rilee Rossouw briefly countered with a fluent 26 off 18 deliveries, striking four boundaries and briefly shifting momentum. Having taken on Mohammad Basit for three consecutive fours, the South African looked set for more but was undone by left-arm wrist spinner Sufiyan, dragging a delivery onto his stumps in the eighth over.

At 62-3, Gladiators required consolidation but instead found themselves slipping further. Shamyl Hussain managed 12 before holing out to Aaron Hardie, while Khawaja Nafay’s brisk 20 off 13 balls — including a six — ended when he was trapped lbw by Sufiyan.

Hasan Nawaz top-scored with 37 off 35 deliveries, though his innings lacked the acceleration needed to lift the total. Attempting to take on Basit, he was undone by a sharp bouncer and edged behind to Kusal Mendis.

Tom Curran’s 15 offered some late resistance, but the lower order could not provide the finishing push. Jahandad Khan and Alzarri Joseph fell in quick succession, while Usman Tariq was run out off the final delivery as Gladiators were dismissed for a pretty moderate total.

Sufiyan was the standout performer with the ball, returning figures of 3-25, while Basit matched him with three wickets. Iftikhar chipped in with 1-20 to complete a disciplined bowling effort.

In reply, Zalmi approached the chase with calm assurance, their innings unfolding against the now-familiar backdrop of empty stands.

Haris provided early impetus, scoring 35 off 28 balls with five fours and a six, as he and Babar put together a 75-run opening partnership.

Haris fell in the ninth over, caught by Shamyl Hussain off Saud Shakeel, but by then the platform had been firmly laid.

At the other end, Babar’s innings carried a sense of quiet authority. Each stroke — a cover drive threaded through the infield, a cut played late and precisely, a flick off the pads — resonated across the empty arena, the absence of crowd noise only amplifying the quality of his timing.

He reached his third half-century of the season in 37 balls, continuing to anchor the chase with composure.

Mendis contributed 21 off 19 deliveries before falling to Alzarri Joseph, but with the required rate under control, there was little urgency.

Hardie added an unbeaten 18, supporting his captain as Zalmi edged closer to the target.

Fittingly, it was Babar who completed the job, glancing a boundary to seal the victory — the final echo of a night where his bat provided the dominant soundtrack.

For Gladiators, the defeat once again exposed their inability to sustain momentum, both with the bat and the ball. Despite brief contributions, they failed to exert control at crucial stages.

Zalmi, meanwhile, continue to combine discipline with consistency, their captain leading from the front in a campaign that has, so far, unfolded with near-perfect rhythm.

Scoreboard

QUETTA GLADIATORS:

Ahsan Ali c Haris b Iftikhar4

Saud Shakeel run out16

Rilee Rossouw b Sufiyan26

Hasan Nawaz c Haris b Basit37

Shamyl Hussain c Hardie b Sufiyan12

Khawaja Nafay lbw b Sufiyan20

Tom Curran c Farhan b Basit15

Jahandad Khan run out6

Alzarri Joseph c Mendis b Basit6

Abrar Ahmed not out3

Usman Tariq run out1

EXTRAS (LB-5, NB-1, W-2)8

TOTAL (all out, 20 overs)154

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-4 (Ahsan), 2-39 (Saud), 3-62 (Rossouw), 4-86 (Shamyl), 5-112 (Hasan), 6-120 (Nafay), 7-136 (Jahandad), 8-143 (Curran), 9-150 (Joseph)

BOWLING: Iftikhar 4-0-20-1 (1w), Basit 4-0-36-3, Bracewell 2-0-23-0, Ali 4-0-28-0 (1w, 1nb), Sufiyan 4-0-25-3, Hardie 2-0-17-0

PESHAWAR ZALMI:

Mohammad Haris c Shamyl b Saud35

Babar Azam not out71

Kusal Mendis c Usman b Joseph21

Aaron Hardie not out18

EXTRAS (B-2, LB-3, NB-1, W-5)11

TOTAL (for two wickets, 18.3 overs)156

DID NOT BAT: Farhan Yousaf, Michael Bracewell, Iftikhar Ahmed, Abdul Samad, Sufiyan Muqeem, Mohammad Basit, Ali Raza

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-75 (Haris), 2-124 (Mendis)

BOWLING: Jahandad 2.3-0-27-0, Curran 1-0-13-0, Abrar 4-0-31-0 (2w), Joseph 4-0-32-1 (1w, 1nb), Saud 3-0-23-1, Usman 4-0-25-0 (1w)

RESULT: Peshsawar Zalmi won by eight wickets.

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Sufiyan Muqeem

Published in Dawn, April 16th, 2026

KARACHI: When Sufiyan Muqeem marks his run-up at the bowling crease, the fall of opposition wickets appears almost inevitable. Such has been the pattern the left-arm wrist spinner has established this HBL Pakistan Super League season for Peshawar Zalmi.

Largely introduced into the attack by captain Babar Azam during the crucial middle overs, Sufiyan has made it a habit of striking regularly. In doing so, the 23-year-old has collected 13 wickets in five PSL outings so far — averaging just under 10 and conceding a miserly 6.45 per over — to sit atop the bowling charts.

Sufiyan’s latest masterclass came on Monday night at the National Bank Stadium, where his spell of 3-30 proved decisive in Peshawar Zalmi’s 24-run victory over Multan Sultans. Chasing 197, the Sultans looked comfortable at stages, but Sufiyan’s variations and control turned the tide. He removed key players including Josh Philippe and Ashton Turner, applying the brakes as the asking rate soared.

The southpaw’s resurgence in the PSL has been nothing short of a redemption arc after he was dropped from the Pakistan side despite a promising start to his international career two years ago — four ODIs yielding eight wickets at 22.75 and 19 T20Is producing 27 scalps at 14.74.

However, selectors moved on, leaving the young spinner to reassess and rebuild.

That setback might have dented confidence. Instead, it triggered a professional response. Back with Zalmi, Sufiyan has displayed the composure and hunger that first caught the selectors’ attention.

“Whenever I give him the ball as a captain, I have confidence that he’ll pick up a wicket for me somewhere,” Babar said after the Multan match. “When he goes for the kill, he’s not a bowler who gets hit easily. In my opinion, he’s a big asset for Pakistan, and going forward, he’ll serve Pakistan a lot with the way he’s bowling.”

Babar added that Sufiyan still needed improvement but was progressing steadily.

“He talks to the coaches. After every match, he asks, ‘Where can I do better?’” the Pakistan stalwart noted.

That attitude — humble, inquisitive and relentless — has been evident in Sufiyan’s ability to deliver under pressure, mixing flight, dip and sharp turn on unresponsive surfaces.

Zalmi’s fielding coach Azhar Ali echoed the skipper’s views, highlighting the rarity of left-arm wrist spin and the control Sufiyan has shown.

“Left-arm wrist spin is quite rare and it’s hard to bowl accurately. The way he has bowled with control and temperament is impressive because in T20 cricket the best batters come after you and you have to be brave — and he has been brave,” Azhar said.

Sufiyan’s journey mirrors many Pakistani cricketers — from tape-ball roots in AJK to structured cricket in Rawalpindi, followed by domestic performances that earned him a national call-up.

Early success in T20Is promised much, yet the competitive nature of selection meant even brief lapses could cost a place.

For Zalmi, his role goes beyond numbers. In an attack featuring the pace of Nahid Rana and Shoriful Islam, Sufiyan offers control and variety.

Peshawar remain unbeaten so far in the PSL, carrying momentum into the business end of the tournament.

At 23, Muqeem’s story is still unfolding. The national door that closed may yet reopen if he sustains this form. For now, his focus remains clear: executing plans, learning constantly and answering critics one spell at a time.

As Babar observed, persistence brings rewards. In Sufi­y­an’s case, quiet determination is rapidly translating into match-winning performances on the biggest domestic stage.

Published in Dawn, April 15th, 2026

MANCHESTER: Leeds United’s Noah Okafor scored twice as his side grabbed a morale-boosting 2-1 Premier League away win over bitter rivals Manchester United, who had Lisandro Martinez sent off in the 56th minute for pulling the hair of Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

Manchester United remain third in the table on 55 points, ahead of Aston Villa on goal difference, while 15th-placed Leeds put some more daylight between them and the teams battling relegation by moving up to 36 points, six ahead of Tottenham Hotspur in 18th.

As well as battling for survival, Leeds are through to the FA Cup semi-finals, where they face Chelsea at Wembley on April 26.

The Yorkshire club were able to celebrate their first top-flight win against United since 2002 and their first league victory at Old Trafford in 45 years.

“Proud of the boys. Fantastic performance. We are in the crunch time of the season and it’s important to keep your nerves and stick to your plan,” Leeds boss Daniel Farke said.

“I think the first half was fantastic, we should have been higher up than 2-0, we missed many many chances.

“We were a bit sleepy at one set-piece. United is a side packed with top class players, which can bring quality from the bench later in the game.

“It’s difficult to bring it over the line as a newly-promoted side. Big compliment to the whole group.”

While Manchester City and Liverpool are United’s main rivals, their fans’ enmity with Leeds supporters goes back decades, featuring numerous cla­s­hes between hooligan gangs.

That made the defeat a bitter pill to swallow for United fans, who booed Michael Carrick’s side at full-time.

The home side were returning to action after a long period of inactivity due to the recent international break, but instead of looking fresh and rested, they looked rusty as Leeds pressed them hard, repeatedly winning the ball high up the pitch en route to a well-deserved win.

Leeds striker Calvert-Lewin had an early chance only to see his close-range first-time shot hit the home sides keeper Senne Lammens, and Manchester United failed to heed that warning as the visitors took the lead shortly afterwards, Okafor side-footing home from a cross.

Okafor added a second in the 29th minute as United spurned a number of chances to clear the ball before the midfielder thumped a shot from just outside the box that deflected off Leny Yoro and into the net.

Only a brilliant last-ditch challenge from Martinez prevented the home side from going into the break three goals down as Leeds midfielder Ao Tanaka snapped up yet another loose pass and bore down on goal, but the Argentine defender swooped in to prevent the ball from crossing the line.

Martinez was then shown a straight red card early in the second half after he was adjudged to have pulled Calvert-Lewins hair in a VAR review.

Carrick was evidently unhappy with the decision and blasted referee Paul Tierney for sending off Martinez.

“I thought the boys, the way they went about it, they stayed positive and fought to get something out of it after another shocking decision to send off Lisandro,” Carrick said.

“Two games in a row we’ve had decisions like that go against us but this one was one of the worst I’ve seen.

“I don’t even know what it looks like. It’s not a pull, it’s not a tug, it’s not aggressive. He touches it and he gets sent off. Worst of all, he gets sent to overturn it, a clear and obvious error. Shocking.”

Despite going down to 10 men, Casemiro threw his side a lifeline by pulling a goal back in the 69th minute as Bruno Fernandes sent a deep cross to the back post, and the Brazilian headed it back across the goal to score.

Casemiro went close again in the 85th minute but this time his effort cleared off the line, and a follow-up from Manuel Ugarte was also blocked as the Leeds rearguard held firm to secure the three points.

Published in Dawn, April 15th, 2026