Kamal Ghorui
A chaotic moment on a free-hit delivery in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) became the talking point even as Peshawar Zalmi registered an eight-wicket win over Quetta Gladiators on Wednesday.Abrar Ahmed was on strike for the free hit after Ali Raza bowled the waist-high no-ball. What followed was a mix-up in the middle. Abrar guided the ball towards backward point and initially looked for a single. Usman Tariq had already come well down the pitch before being sent back. The fielder collected the ball and moved in for a run-out attempt at the striker’s end, but then changed direction and threw towards the bowler’s end. The throw missed, and Usman would have been out had it hit the stumps.Despite the confusion in that moment, Zalmi controlled the match. Quetta were restricted to 154, with Sufiyan Muqeem and Iftikhar Ahmed leading the bowling effort.In the chase, Babar Azam scored an unbeaten 71 off 51 balls, adding partnerships with Mohammad Haris and Kusal Mendis as Zalmi chased down the target with ease to record their fifth consecutive win.The victory took Peshawar Zalmi closer to playoff qualification and kept them at the top of the table. The victory marked Zalmi’s sixth in seven matches and fifth consecutive after their washout against three-time champions Islamabad United in Lahore.
