Sultans win PSL 3 opener; Malik, Sangakkara emerge as stars

Kieron Pollard too remained unbeaten on 21 from 13 balls with four fours.

Recently Bangladesh urged their former skipper Mashrafe Mortaza to make a comeback into the national T20 squad saying they would welcome the 34-year-old if he decided to come out of retirement.
On Thursday night the way former Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara constructed his innings for debutants Multan Sultans against Peshawar Zalmi in the third edition of the Pakistan Super League, one begs to differ whether this 40-year-old hung up his gloves a little too early from international cricket.
Of course at that age a comeback to the national team would be highly improbable but the graceful left-hander showed sublime form during his innings of 57 from 51 balls (3x4, 2x6) in taking the Sultans past the defending champions by seven wickets in the opening match of the series.
Giving him solid support at the other end was another veteran player Shoaib Malik who remained unconquered on 42 from 30 balls with two sixes and two fours. Needing six runs from six balls, the former Pakistan skipper hoisted Hammad Azam for a six to finish the match in style.
Kieron Pollard too remain unbeaten on 21 from 13 balls with four fours.
Earlier, Mohammad Hafeez struck the first half century of the third edition and captain Darren Sammy brought the spectators on its feet with some brutal hitting to take Peshawar Zalmi to 151 for 6 after Multan Sultans' captain Shoaib Malik had won the toss and invited the Zalmi batsmen to take first strike. It proved a good move as Kamran Akmal lasted barely four balls and without opening his account skied one to Hardus Viljoen of Mohammad Irfan's bowling.
Tamim Iqbal tried to cut loose by hitting the lanky Irfan for back-to-back fours but the left-arm fast bowler had the last laugh when he forced Iqbal to pull one to Junaid Khan at fine leg.
Then Irfan and Junaid kept a tight leash on Dwayne Smith and Mohammad Hafeez as Peshawar Zalmi found runs hard to come by. But once spinner Imran Tahir was introduced Smith and Hafeez decided to break the shackles. Both hoisted Tahir for a six each but Smith finally fell for the trap while going for another big one and handed Kieron Pollard an easy catch at deep mid-on.
Meanwhile, Hafeez lived a charmed life with two dropped catches on his way to 59 which came from 52 balls and had a six and six fours.
He and Haris Sohail raised 44 runs for the fourth wicket as Zalmi reached 100 runs by the 15th over.
Sohail departed immediately which brought in captain Darren Sammy and the Zalmi captain lived up to his status of a big-hitter with some lusty blows over the ropes.
He and Mohammd Hafeez plastered Sohail Tanvir for 21 runs in the 18th over and hit Junaid for 15 in the 19th over. Hafeez whacked Junaid's first ball for four but the bowler got his revenge with his next ball when Hafeez holed out to Maqsood.
With few balls remaining, Sammy went for the kill, striking Junaid for a six and a four before Sohail Tanvir ended Sammy's innings by getting the outside edge in the last over.
 clareto@khaleetimes.com