Babar Azam Cites Powerplay Struggles in Zalmi’s Defeat Against Quetta Gladiators

RAWALPINDI: Peshawar Zalmi captain Babar Azam attributed his team’s loss to Quetta Gladiators in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) Season 10 match to conceding too many runs during the powerplay at the Pindi Cricket Stadium on Saturday.

Speaking after the match, Babar acknowledged that the early overs proved costly and impacted their ability to chase the 217-run target. “We gave away too many runs in the powerplay, which made the chase difficult,” he said.

He also noted that pitch conditions changed significantly in the second innings, becoming slower and challenging for the batters. “The behaviour of the pitch changed and it went slow in the second innings,” Babar explained.

Read more: PSL 10: Quetta Gladiators defeat Peshawar Zalmi by 80 runs

Despite the loss, Babar praised young batter Saim Ayub for his performance on return to competitive cricket. “Saim Ayub has batted brilliantly. It’s heartening to see him in form,” he said.

Apart from the partnership between Saim Ayub and Hussain Talat, the skipper admitted the team failed to build any other meaningful stands, which hindered their pursuit of the large target.