'You are expected to perform': Jason Gillespie calls out Hyderabad's top order

KARACHI: Hyderabad Kingsmen head coach Jason Gillespie has called for greater accountability from his players after their batting unit once again came up short in a tense loss to Peshawar Zalmi in their Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 match here on Wednesday at the National Bank stadium.

Speaking during the post-match press conference, Gillespie reflected on his side’s recent performances and identified key areas in need of improvement, including batting consistency, individual responsibility, and execution during critical match phases.

Despite the setbacks, the former Australia all-rounder struck an optimistic note regarding upcoming fixtures.

“First of all, we expect Maxwell to be available in the next couple of games – we’re just waiting for final confirmation,” Gillespie said. “We’ve been close in a few matches, particularly the last two, and we’ve had opportunities to drive the game forward.”

The 50-year-old, who has also served as head coach of Pakistan, did not shy away from criticising his team’s top-order failures.

“In our first two games, we simply didn’t bat well enough. We’ve got a lot of exciting talent in our squad, but that does not remove players from accountability,” he stated. “All our players are expected to do their jobs. If you’re selected to play for Hyderabad, you’re expected to perform.”

He went on to assess the team’s overall approach, acknowledging that while certain elements of their game are working well, a complete performance remains elusive.

“We’re doing some parts of the game really well, but we just need to put the whole package together. We’re not doing that consistently at the moment, and that’s something we’ll be reflecting on,” he said.

Breaking down the latest defeat, Gillespie pinpointed two costly passages of play with the bat.

“Ultimately, tonight’s game came down to two small periods with the bat in hand. We lost wickets in the first six overs and again at the back end, despite a good partnership between Marnus and Kusal. We know we need to be better, and we will be.”

Batting first, the Kingsmen were skittled for just 145 runs in 18.2 overs, suffocated by a dominant spell from Peshawar’s spin duo, Iftikhar Ahmed and Sufiyan Muqeem, who strangled the middle overs.

Hyderabad’s top order offered little resistance: Maaz Sadaqat made 17, Saim Ayub 14, while Sharjeel Khan and Usman Khan fell cheaply for two and a golden duck respectively.

Kusal Perera was the lone bright spark, striking a fine 58 off 35 balls, including five fours and two sixes. Marnus Labuschagne contributed a run-a-ball 27 with three boundaries, while Irfan Khan and Hassan Khan managed nine runs apiece. Maheesh Theekshana and Hunain Shah were dismissed for ducks.

In reply, Peshawar Zalmi laboured during the chase but eventually scraped to their target off the final ball of the 20th over. Iftikhar Ahmed (15 not out) and Aamer Jamal (6 not out) kept their composure to seal the win.

Skipper Babar Azam top-scored with 43 off 37 deliveries, hitting six fours, while Kusal Mendis and Michael Bracewell added 27 and 25 runs respectively to keep the chase on track.