'I’m still enjoying cricket': Shahid Afridi stars with the ball for Qalandars in Abu Dhabi T10

Pakistan great picks up 2-16 to set up nine-wicket win over Team Abu Dhabi

Qalandars all-rounder Shahid Afridi was the pick of the bowlers during the Abu Dhabi T10 match against Team Abu Dhabi. Courtesy Abu Dhabi T10

The Qalandars made it two from two with a nine-wicket victory over Team Abu Dhabi in the Abu Dhabi T10 at the Zayed Cricket Stadium on Saturday.

Former UAE coach Aaqib Javed’s men had the game under control from the outset. They saw the back of Chris Gayle early and never let their opponents off the hook throughout the 10 overs.

Gayle departed in the third over for a six-ball five. Pakistan star Shahid Afridi then provided a double blow by dismissing Ben Ducket (15) and Paul Sterling (29) to leave Abu Dhabi at 51-3 in the sixth over.

Joe Clarke smashed a 13-ball 34 to take his side to three figures as Abu Dhabi struggled.

Usman Shinwari began Abu Dhabi’s attack with a wide and a no ball that was sent crashing to the mid-wicket boundary by Tom Banton.

The Englishman sent the next three deliveries to the fence and Qalandars were on 18 after the first over.

However, the dangerous looking Banton departed after a 14-ball 30 in the third over but not before setting the platform for his opening partner Sharjeel Khan (40) and Sohail Akhtar (27) to take them home with 10 balls to spare.

Afridi was the pick of Qalandars' bowling with 2-16 from his two overs.

“I’m still enjoying cricket and very passionate about it,” Afridi said. “My parents and my fans want to see me playing cricket and because of them I love to play for another year or two.”

Qalandars also paid tribute to the Pakistan Super League side Quetta Gladiators’ chairman Jamshed Omar who had passed away after a brief illness.

“It’s a shocking news for us,” Sohail Tanveer said. “Our condolences go to the Quetta chairman’s family. I was part of the Gladiators team and I feel their loss.”

In the first of the three matches earlier in the evening, Bangla Tigers bounced back and handed defending champions Maratha Arabians their second defeat in three games.

Mohammed Hafeez stroked a 30-ball 60 but Abdul Shakoor could muster only 34 from 30 deliveries for the defending champions as the made 103 for no loss.

The Tigers top order batters Johnson Charles (23 from 11), Andre Fletcher (31 off 16), Atif Hossain (22 off 10) and UAE international Chirag Suri (19 off 7) chipped in with useful contributions to reach the target in eight overs.

Meanwhile, Wayne Parnell celebrated a hat-trick as Northern Warriors defeated Delhi Bulls.

The South African left-arm pacer hit the stumps twice to see the back of both Sherfane Rutherford and Dwayne Bravo, and had Ali Khan trapped in front to return with 3-15.

Nicholas Pooran produced a captain’s knock of 54 from 21 while Rovman Powell (24 not out in 8 balls) and Fabien Allen (28 not out in 10) chipped in with little cameos for the Warriors to put up 137-3 after being sent in to bat first.

Chasing over 13 per over against a strong Warriors attack was always a big ask for the Bulls and they caved in under pressure to end at 105-7 to go down by 32 runs.