Image Credit- PCB
Even though Shadab
Khan seemed a little hesitant to accept the Player of the Tournament trophy
following Monday night’s PSL final, he didn’t feel unworthy. Actually, just the
reverse.
“Nahin, aisa kuch nahin, mera hi banta hai (Nothing like that, I deserve
it),” he quipped after leading Islamabad United to their third PSL title.
It’s challenging to
dispute. Captain of the squad that won the championship, eighth-highest run
scorer with 305 runs at a strike rate of 142.52 (tied with Babar Azam’s strike
rate), tied for fifth place in wicket-taking with 14, and with eight catches and
two run-outs.
Shadab, who took 3 for 32 and got rid of his Multan opponent Mohammad Rizwan,
was crucial to the exciting last-ball victory over the Sultans of Multan in
Karachi during the PSL final. With their third championship and Shadab’s second
following their 2018 victory, it made Islamabad the most successful PSL team.
It was difficult to determine which victory was more unforgettable.
“This title is the really big one,” Shadab said. “In 2018, it
was only my second season. I had had success very quickly in my career. This
one has been a lot of hard work, and built on the belief of a lot of people,
including our owners, Rehan ul Haq (the team manager) and the other management.
Our belief as a team is such that we never let any doubt in. That is how you
recognise a good team, because it doesn’t let in any doubt. So very satisfied
that we’ve won.”
By all accounts,
Islamabad’s campaign was far from simple. However, their techniques and beliefs
remained unwavering, and certain old hands performed well, most notably Faheem
Ashraf and Imad Wasim, who was the player of the final and the playoffs.
“The way we started, then lost three consecutive games, our belief
remained the same. The matches we lost were close ones, last-over games, or we
controlled games and then lost. Cricket doesn’t let you relax,” Shadab
said.
“From the Karachi [Kings] game, it had become knockout matches for us, and
we took it one game at a time. We’ve always had the belief in our group that we
have players who can win us games from anywhere.”