Peshawar Zalmi captain Babar Azam faced a tough start to the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 10 campaign, as he joined an unwelcome list of players with the most ducks in the tournament’s history.
In the opening match against Quetta Gladiators at Pindi Cricket Stadium, Babar’s early dismissal for a duck saw him equal Kamran Akmal’s tally for the most ducks by a Zalmi batter.
Babar’s dismissal placed him third in the overall PSL list, behind Islamabad United’s Imad Wasim, who holds the record with 12 ducks, and his own teammate, Wahab Riaz, who has 10.
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In a high-pressure chase of 217 set by the Gladiators, Zalmi faced early setbacks. Babar was dismissed by Mohammad Amir off a mistimed shot, with Rilee Rossouw taking a simple catch.
This wicket gave Quetta an early advantage, and Zalmi’s chase struggled from the outset.
Speaking after the match, Babar acknowledged that his team failed to execute their plans during the powerplay, which proved to be the turning point in the game.
Although he noted that the pitch behaved differently in the second innings, he refrained from using it as an excuse.
“Our plans weren’t executed in the first six overs, and that’s where the game changed. We tried to recover but couldn’t finish well,” Babar said.
“The pitch did slow down a bit, and the ball started staying low, but we still couldn’t build partnerships and lost wickets too quickly.”
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Despite the setback, Babar praised Saim Ayub for his brave knock, expressing confidence that the returning top-order batter would prove to be an asset for Zalmi this season.
Most Ducks in PSL History
| Player | Team | Ducks |
|---|---|---|
| Imad Wasim | Islamabad United | 12 |
| Wahab Riaz | Peshawar Zalmi | 10 |
| Babar Azam | Peshawar Zalmi | 8 |
| Kamran Akmal | Peshawar Zalmi | 8 |
| Shaheen Afridi | Lahore Qalandars | 7 |