The first Pakistan Super League was a successful affair. Here are the best moments from the tournament won by Islamabad United.
1. Best ball: Nawaz beats Hodge
In a tournament proliferated by left-arm spinners, it was inevitable that one of the breed would bowl the best ball. It came from Quetta Gladiators young allrounder Mohammad Nawaz and what a peach it was. It dipped inwards, gripped and then spun out, beating a defensive prod to hit off-stump. The victim was no less a batsman than Brad Hodge and it would have beaten him in any format.
2. Best mentor: Viv Richards instrumental
T he idea of a full-time mentor reeks of gimmickry. But in the PSL, t he two mentors who faced off in the final were more than just plus-ones to their teams. The careers of Viv Richards and Wasim Akram coincided briefly but here they faced off in a different battle. Akram was hands-on and involved in the building of his team. Richards was a cricket-whisperer, able to unleash from young players their talent and a sense of fearlessness. Akram won the league, but Richards edged this contest, if for nothing other than his victory celebrations.
3. Best batting: Umar Akmal's four fifties
Batting was not easy — or at least not given the free rein it is elsewhere in the format — for parts of the tournament. But there were plenty of batsmen who had opportunity to show off their skills. Ravi Bopara, Tamim Iqbal early on and of course, Sharjeel Khan’s one innings. But in combining consistency with the bravura of modern batting, Umar Akmal was head and shoulders above anyone else. Shame he had such a poor team, but four fifties in just seven games and leading run-getter bodes well for Pakistan.
4. Best crowds: Sharjah shows up
Attendances at the grounds were always going to be an issue for the league, especially because it would invariably be compared to the packed stadiums of the Indian Premier League when it decamped here two seasons ago. Most weeknight crowds were low, which was expected given the lack of marketing in the run-in. But the first Friday at Sharjah was an adrenaline shot to the league, creating a stunning, nostalgic atmosphere. It was topped by the next Friday in Dubai, which, to boot, witnessed a terrific contest.
5. Best match: Quetta v Peshawar
Quetta and Peshawar Zalmi were the two best, most exciting sides in the league stage and in the first play-off, they combined the produce the final that the league never had. With a full Friday crowd, Quetta somehow scrapped the narrowest defense of a paltry total, proving that T20s need not be all about muscled fours and bludgeoned sixes. It did not knock Peshawar out on paper, thanks to the format, but it did mentally.
Follow us on Twitter @NatSportUAE
Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/TheNationalSport