Babar hopes to carry winning momentum in Rawalpindi

LAHORE: Peshawar Zalmi’s skipper Babar Azam has said that they would try to carry their momentum in Rawalpindi.

“Yes, the wins have instilled a lot of confidence in the team. Our initial two games were not good but later we did well and won three games on the trot and we will carry this momentum in Rawalpindi too,” Babar said after Zalmi defeated Islamabad United by eight runs in a sensational finish HBL PSL 9 game here at the Gaddafi Stadium on Monday.

Zalmi will play four games in Rawalpindi and one in Karachi. They have secured six points from five games so far. Babar on Monday night took a bold decision to bring in little known leg-spinner Arif Yaqoob in the penultimate over against Islamabad United. And Arif pulled off a stunning performance as he took four wickets in the over to tilt the game completely in favour of Zalmi.

Arif finished with 5-27 in the game. “When Azam Khan (75) got out I thought let’s take a chance. He (Arif) took four wickets in an over and we were now in the match,” Babar said.

“The credit goes to Arif who did not panic and believed in himself. The credit also goes to the management who gave him confidence, and on the field, too, we give confidence to the youngsters,” Babar said. Set to score 202, United managed 193-9.

Babar was happy with his century in front of Lahore crowd. “This is my best one. When I and Saim were playing the wicket looked good and we had planned to go for 200 but suddenly three wickets fell and I changed my plan,” Babar said. “Later when I and Asif were playing, we planned that we would choose a bowler to punish as we needed a big over to get momentum,” he said.

“I was looking for one big over. Naseem had finished his four overs and I had targeted the rest of the bowlers. In the 15th over I hit a couple of boundaries and then I went for rapid runs. I think it was one of the best innings which I have played in front of this crowd,” said Babar who scored 111 not out off just 63 balls, hitting six sixes and 14 fours.

TODAY'S FIXTURE

Karachi vs Islamabad

7:00 pm PST