By Shahid Hashmi
Paceman Umaid Asif grabbed four wickets and emerging category leg-spinner Ibtisam Shaikh took three wickets as title holders Peshawar Zalmi beat Islamabad united by 34 runs on day three of the Pakistan Super League at Dubai stadium on Saturday.
Umaid, best National Twenty20 bowler of last year with 14 wickets, dismissed Luke Ronchi (three), Chadwick Walton (11), Asif Ali (seven) and Hussain Talat (two) for 23 runs in an aggressive and incisive four over spell to stop Islamabad short of a 177-run target.
Umaid could have had his fifth wicket but Tamim iqbal dropped a tough chance of Faheem Ashraf to deprive the 33-year-old from a five-for in his debut PSL match.
Ibtisam, selected as an emerging player from Hyderabad, chipped in with wickets of Shadab Khan (two), Andre Russell (11) and Samit Patel (23) to finish with 3-20 as none of Islamabad batsman could stand to the Zalmi’s onslaught.
Faheem Ashraf top-scored with 30-ball 54 with six four two sixes but his contribution was not enough for Islamabad United — winners of the first PSL — to pull off a win in their first match of the tournament.
Islamabad started the match on the wrong note with skipper Misbah-ul-Haq ruled out from the match with a hamstring and was replaced as skipper by novice Rumman Raees.
Zalmi were lifted to 176-6 by a whirlwind 32-ball 53 by Kamran Akmal who smashed three sixes and seven boundaries. Kamran shred an opening stand of 69 with Tamim Iqbal who made 29-ball 39 with two sixes and as many boundaries.
Tamim also shared a second wicket stand of 52 with dwayne Wright (30). Mohammad Hafeez also chipped in with a swift 22-ball 30. Zalmi batsmen blunted Pakistan leg-spinner Shadab Khan well, not giving him any wicket in his four overs.
Lahore Qalandars will take on Quetta Gladiators — both losing teams on Friday — in the second match.