Multan Sultans complete turnaround title win on back of Sohaib Maqsood, Rilee Rossouw fifties
Peshawar suffer more final heartache as they fell well short in tall chase
Peshawar suffer more final heartache as they fell well short in tall chase
Scorer: Binoy George | Commentator: Varun Shetty
1.21am Fireworks, confetti and music - MULTAN SULTANS HAVE LIFTED THE TROPHY. A first for them, and they'll be hoping the first of many. This team has been delightful to cover. As has the tournament - thanks for sticking around with us through these quite strange timings. We hope it's been fun. On behalf of Binoy and Sreshth, and the rest of the team, this is Varun signing off. Have a good one!
Md. RIzwan: (winning captain and keeper of the Tourament) Credit to god, who took us from bottom to the top tonight. Credit to our managers as well, who've made it so comfortable for us during this second leg. Finals are pressure games - you can't avoid that in the final. We discussed that and brought it down to two things - it would either be pressure of batting first or batting second. So it began like that, the pressure of playing out the new ball, and then we took it from there. When you go for the win, you need to ignore the noise. With Maqsood we felt he wasn't getting enough of a hit and then we decided to push him up and it's paid off. And our bowlers have been fantastic throughout.
Wahab Riaz: Playing a final is a big deal. The way we've played throughout this tournament, have to credit my team. But we didn't play well today, they played much better than us. I think the decision to bowl first was fine - we've been saying from the start that we leak runs in the back end, and that's why we bowled. But our collective efforts of our team have been great, particularly rushing back here for the second leg. Whether we've won or lost, we've done it as a team. No blame games. We've seen some good young bowlers in this tournament - guys like Dahani, Imran - should be given a lot of domestic experience so they get much better under pressure in the next few years.
Sohaib Maqsood: I got a lot of confidence over the domestic season. In the PSL I hadn't established myself. But here the management showed faith and sent me up the order, particularly when I started batting No. 3, that helped turn things around. I'd taken a break from red-ball cricket for a year and worked on my skills. I was given responsibility as well, that helped. But it mostly came down to my form. I don't want to do anything different - if I get a chance, I'll play with the same kind of mindset and aggression. Credit to the captain and management here who said it doesn't matter if I fail and that I should play my game.
Shahnawaz Dahani is the Emerging Player of the Tournament. And he wins the best bowler award.
Sohaib Maqsood is the Player of the Match, and he wins the best batter award. And he is also the Player of the Tournament! Quite a day for him, eh? One win after another, right through the day.
Usama Yasin: "Shouldn't be Dahani "Player of the tournament" his bowling was more impactful...No?"
Basim: "I didn't argue about the other awards. But i don't care even if you call him emerging player. DAHANI has been ROBBED of the Player of the Tournament. We all watched the tournament to watch him. He was the star of the whole show. He deserved this. "
1.01am Psst, roll call, anyone still hanging around? The presentation is taking a while coming!
Mir: "I heard a nick on the final ball of Peshawar's innings. Can I take DRS now while we await the presentation?"
Saad: "Yessss.. still here... present misss"
Azhar Mahmood: Dahani is always smiling, whether he's been hit or now. The whole team lights up. It's like we've found a new Shoaib Akhtar. This is just a start for him, we'll work on his outswingers, on his inswinger. There are things I will write down in a report for the Pakistan bowling coach all the things he needs to work on.
Dahani: This was my first year - Multan Sultans showed faith in Dahani and Dahani repaid. Now we're both PSL champions.
Muzarabani: I'm really happy. It was really good, really tough cricket. You have to get it right against the guys who take you on, it was good, a good learning experience. Especially Andy it's been really nice. No pressure, especially when I go for runs. He supports me and says just keep going buddy. [Interview interrupted by Dahani calling Muzarabani his big brother]
My apologies if I miss out transcribing some of these players - it's a man a minute at the moment!
Tahir: I'm just working on my six-pack , that's why I sprint. I'm seeing my wife and child after a month-and-a-half, this is for them. My role is to come in and take wickets. But my first two overs I didn't come in with that approach, with Malik in there, was trying to bowl dot balls. This is great, it's been like a family for a month. I like to thank our owners, when people didn't have an belief in us, they showed faith.
Masood: It starts from the ownership. The model we have, the backroom staff we have.
Rossouw Thankful that it paid off today, and thankful to the team that I played tonight. I like to think that I switch on in big games. Need a bit of luck in this game and it came off today. All of the bowling has been phenomenal [and then his interview is interrupted by screaming team-mates]
Camper: "I hope the PSL teams pick up a few more Zimbabwean players next season..Muzarabani has added pure flavor. I would like to see guys like Luke Jongwe (with his celebrations) here too and ofcourse the super talented Wesley Madhevere."
Muhammad Mubeen: "You know what a break can do? A table topers (LQ) were knocked out in the second leg, on the other side, another team (MS) from the bottom of table has won the PSL title."
Faizan Ahmed: "Multan Sultans turnaround this season is definately one for the record books. From bottom of the table to playing qualifier, defeating favourites Islamabad United and now winning the PSL."
12.36am We have brand new PSL Champions! Multan Sultans have completed their fairy tale turnaround in the best way possible. A maiden final, a maiden title. This must feel so so good. Not so much for Zalmi - they were in the their fourth PSL final, and for the third time they finish runners-up. Don't think there will be many who would begrudge Multan this victory - they have consistently been the best side in this second leg. What a moment for the franchise that had to wait four seasons to make the final. And when they got there, all their big guns showed up. First with bat, then with ball to stop Zalmi in their tracks during a threatening powerplay. The nerves of overs 6-12 and the scoring rates, ultimately meant Zalmi had far too much to do.
They've managed to take it to the last ball
JBez: "The TV commentator's dryly delivered "Oh, good leave" when Irfan pulled his bat out of the way of a ball passing half an inch over the top of off on the last ball of Imran Khan's last over is one of the funniest things I've heard during a cricket match in a very long time." --- Wouldn't get that from a top-order batter!
Multan's players and staff off the field have been huddled and waiting to run into the field. Can Blessing end their wait?
An international recall and tournament-winning innings on the same day continued a remarkable resurgence
Haider Ali has also been withdrawn from the tours of England and West Indies, and replaced by Sohaib Maqsood
Peshawar suffer more final heartache as they fell well short in tall chase
Who between Multan Sultans and Peshawar Zalmi will make the occasion their own?
Peshawar Zalmi have taken the tough route to the final, and their captain now wants the players to just soak in the feeling of playing the big game