PSL 11: Rizwan rues fielding lapses after RawalPindiz's defeat against Kings

LAHORE: RawalPindiz's captain Mohammad Rizwan blamed their below-par fielding for the gut-wrenching five-wicket defeat at the hands of Karachi Kings in the 10th match of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 here at the Gaddafi Stadium on Thursday.

Put into bat first, the tournament debutants piled up a formidable total of 197/6, with Daryl Mitchell and Sam Billings smashing blistering half-centuries.

Mitchell top-scored with a brisk 65 off 41 deliveries, studded with five fours and three sixes, while Billings smashed eight fours and a six on his way to a 35-ball 58.

Hasan Ali was the standout bowler for the Kings, taking three wickets for just 24 runs in his four overs, followed by Khushdil with two, while Hamza bagged one.

In turn, the 2020 champions comfortably chased down the 198-run target for the loss of five wickets and four balls to spare, courtesy of half-centuries by captain David Warner and wicketkeeper batter Azam Khan, who was aided by the Pindiz's fielders, Rishad Hossain and Mohammad Amir, dropping him twice.

Although the Pindiz failed to defend a 190-plus total for the second consecutive time, their captain Rizwan argued that the bowling attack improved significantly in execution and instead termed the fielding lapses costly.

"I think our bowling needs to remain at a high level. If you look at the last match, our execution wasn't great, but it was much better today," Rizwan said at the post-match presentation.

"However, if you keep dropping catches, getting results will always be difficult," he added.

Rizwan then acknowledged his team's batting lineup as "very strong", insisting that it has done exceptionally well in each of the two matches Pindiz had played thus far.

"Alhamdulillah, our batting lineup is very strong. We have skilled overseas players, and at the top of the order, Yasir Khan has been batting well; if he gets going, he can really dominate a game," Rizwan stated.

"In the two matches we've played so far, the batting unit has performed exceptionally and is looking in great shape," he added.

Notably, besides the fielding lapses, Pindiz's defence was also jolted by an untimely injury to their pacer Naseem Shah, who had to walk off the field midway during the 17th over, which was his third.

Consequently, Cole McConchie bowled Naseem's remaining 1.4 overs and conceded 20 runs.

When asked about an update regarding Naseem's injury, Rizwan said nothing confirmed yet, while expressing his hope for the pacer's recovery.

"Regarding Naseem Shah, there is no confirmed update on his injury yet. Hopefully, he will be fine, and we'll see how things progress once we have more information," Rizwan stated.