PSL 11: Sultans captain Turner vows to take 'learnings' out of defeat against Zalmi

KARACHI: Multan Sultans captain Ashton Turner on Monday emphasised that the 2021 champions would "pause and reflect" after their 24-run defeat at the hands of leaders Peshawar Zalmi in the 22nd match of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 here at the National Bank Stadium.

Put into bat first, Zalmi piled up a massive total of 196/6 in their 20 overs, courtesy of in-form Kusal Mendis's blistering half-century and Mohammad Haris' quickfire cameo up the order.

Mendis top-scored for Zalmi with 68 off just 40 deliveries, studded with six fours and three sixes, while Haris made a 17-ball 38, comprising four fours and three sixes.

Besides them, youngster Farhan Yousaf made a handy contribution to Zalmi's total with a 22-ball 30, laced with three fours.

For Sultans, Muhammad Ismail and Peter Siddle bagged two wickets each, while Mohammad Nawaz and Mohammad Wasim Jr made one scalp apiece.

Set to chase a daunting 197-run target, the Sultans could accumulate 172/8 in their 20 overs and thus succumbed to their second defeat in the ongoing PSL 11.

Vice captain Shan Masood remained the top-scorer for the Sultans with a gritty 35 off 19 deliveries, while Josh Philippe and Steve Smith could muster 32 and 31, respectively.

Sufiyan Muqeem spearheaded Zalmi's bowling charge with three wickets for just 30 runs in his four overs, followed by Iftikhar Ahmed and Nahid Rana with two each, while Aami Jamal chipped in with one scalp.

Reflecting on the outcome of the recently concluded fixture, Sultans captain Turner stressed that Zalmi's total of 196/6 was not far off the par before insisting that the defeat came at a "great point" as it would allow them to pause and reflect, while taking the learnings out of it.

"It wasn't far off par, maybe a couple of runs more than we'd hoped for, but we're always going to be able to nitpick. I think the outcome is such that it's a great point in the tournament for us to pause and reflect," said Turner at the post-match presentation.

"We've been challenged tonight, and we'll take the learnings out of it. They're clearly one of the better teams in the competition, but I won't let this mask the really good cricket we've been playing so far in this campaign," he added.

When asked whether the Sultans require some tweaks to their bowling attack, Turner argued that the 2021 champions have sufficient flexibility and that too many options often result in a headache for the captain before asserting that they were getting closer to identifying the perfect lineup.

"We're still trying to work out the roles for each of our bowlers. We have some flexibility because three guys in the top seven can bowl, which allows us to play an extra specialist," Turner stated.

"Sometimes, though, having too many options gives the captain a bit of a headache. We are clearly trying to find the recipe for success with the ball, but we feel we're getting closer every game. Fair play to them; they played some really nice cricket shots tonight and performed well in both halves," he added.

The Sultans' skipper then went on to back his side, capable of challenging the best teams, as he stressed that they have "plenty of games" to prove their mettle.

"I don't think we're far away from competing with the best teams, and we're anticipating that our best cricket is still ahead of us with plenty of games to go," he concluded.