Shadab Khan says lapses in bowling and fielding cost Islamabad United

LAHORE: Islamabad United captain Shadab Khan termed the lapses in fielding and bowling as the key factors behind their 30-run defeat against Quetta Gladiators in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 10 Qualifier 1 here at the Gaddafi Stadium on Wednesday.

Opting to bat first, the Gladiators registered a commendable total of 209/6 in 20 overs, courtesy of a collective effort.

Leading the way for the 2019 champions were middle-order batter Dinesh Chandimal and all-rounder Faheem Ashraf, who put together a match-defining 95-run partnership for the sixth wicket and bolstered their total past the 200-run mark.

Ashraf scored a brisk 45 off 23 deliveries, studded with four fours and three sixes, while Chandimal top-scored with an unbeaten 48 off 28 balls, hitting as many boundaries.

Besides them, opening batter Finn Allen made a notable contribution with a 27-ball 41 up the order.

Chasing a daunting 210-run target, the defending champions’ batting unit unfolded on 179 in 19.4 overs despite Sahibzada Farhan’s half-century.

Farhan remained the top-scorer for the United with a 35-ball 52, followed by Salman Ali Agha, who played a fighting 44-run knock.

Despite his batting unit’s failure to chase down the target in the high-stakes clash, Shadab argued that it did well, and instead it was their shortcomings in the bowling and fielding departments that dented the momentum.

Shadab Khan thus called for the execution of their bowling in the right areas before vowing to regain the momentum ahead of the must-win clash against either Lahore Qalandars or Karachi Kings, scheduled to be played on Friday.

"The plans were good. If you take a team close to a total like 210, you know your batting unit has done well,” Shadab said.

“But we had a few lapses in bowling and fielding. You can't afford to lose momentum in this game. Catches win matches, and that’s where the momentum shifted.

“We have to work on executing our bowling in the right areas. We'll try to get the momentum back and fix the mistakes we made today. With the long and strong batting line-up we have, I don’t think 210 was impossible to chase."