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After a 110-runs victory over Quetta Gladiators on Wednesday, Multan Sultans eliminated Quetta Gladiators’ ambition to qualify for the Pakistan Super League playoffs.
Multan’s robust total of 183-5 was orchestrated by opener Shan Masood, who scored 73 off 42 balls, before leg-spinner Imran Tahir’s outstanding bowling figure 3-7 helped Quetta be dismissed for 73 in 12.1 overs.
Quetta captain Sarfaraz Ahmed said, “We couldn’t get the team combination right this season, especially with the foreign players.”
Andre Russell and Faf du Plessis, two of Quetta’s top foreign cricketers, suffered concussions early in the Super League’s Abu Dhabi leg, taking the sting out of Sarfaraz’s team.
Quetta’s two other overseas batters, Jake Weatherald (19) and Cameroon Delport (0), both fell cheaply on Wednesday in the absence of Russell and Faf du Plessis.
Masood controlled an opening stand of 72 with captain Mohammad Rizwan (21) after being put in to bat.
Before being caught on the long-on boundary, Masood struck seven fours and four sixes. After that, Johnson Charles hammered 47 off 24 balls.
“We play 10 matches so you need momentum somewhere,” Mohammad Rizwan said. “We didn’t get that in Karachi but have gelled well here in Abu Dhabi. Someone or the other keeps performing and that’s giving us the results.”
Fourth-placed Multan has a total of eight points after eight games. With 12 points, Islamabad United is the only team that has qualified for the playoffs. Peshawar Zalmi and Lahore Qalandars both have ten points, while Karachi Kings, the defending champion, is in fifth place with six points.