In the Pakistan Super League (PSL) game on Wednesday, Wahab Riaz of Peshawar Zalmi kissed the helmet of Quetta Gladiators’ opening batsman Martin Guptill after successfully taking a caught and bowled chance.
Despite starting strongly and scoring 21 runs off just eight balls, Guptill’s innings was cut short in the fourth over when he attempted to pull the fifth ball from Riaz, resulting in the ball being caught in the air by a Zalmi paceman who then proceeded to kiss Guptill’s helmet, commemorating his brief but impressive knock.
Although Zalmi managed to take an early wicket, their massive total of 241 runs on the board was still not enough to secure the win. Jason Roy, opening for the Gladiators, played an exceptional innings, smashing 145 runs off just 63 balls, including 20 boundaries and five massive sixes, ultimately leading his team to victory.
Although Zalmi’s skipper Babar Azam scored an impressive century in the first innings, his efforts were in vain as his team lost by eight wickets. After the game, he acknowledged that Jason Roy’s performance was a game-changer and expressed disappointment in his team’s bowling, admitting that they did not execute their game plan as discussed.
While Azam acknowledged the positive impact of young player Saim Ayub’s performance, he also acknowledged the need for his team to identify areas for improvement before their upcoming back-to-back games.
