Peshawar Zalmi Beat Islamabad United

Seamer, who turns 34 in April, says four-wicket haul against Islamabad ‘reward for my hard work’. But he nearly did not play in PSL this season.

Well done team @PeshawarZalmi What a performance on debut by @Oomad_A and young leggy @IBTESAM1631998 also well batted @KamiAkmal23 ???????????? let's do it again tmw pic.twitter.com/xepX07mUU5

— Daren Sammy (@darensammy88) February 24, 2018

Umaid Asif fell just short of the perfect debut when a dropped catch off the final ball of his first four overs as a Peshawar Zalmi player deprived him a five-wicket haul.

Other than that, his first day on official duty in the HBL Pakistan Super League was pretty much a dream.

The fast bowler, who turns 34 in April, might have thought days like this had passed him by. As it was, he ended up with 4-23 as the defending champions thrashed Islamabad United, who were the first winners of PSL in 2016.

Tamim Iqbal dropped Faheem Ashraf off the last ball Umaid sent down, but the lanky pace bowler was not complaining, as he set his new team on their way to a 34-run win at the Dubai International Stadium.

“I am happy with my performance, and feel it is a reward for my hard work,” said Umaid, who was only selected as a replacement player after being overlooked in the initial draft. “Yes, I was frustrated [at missing out at first]. It was a sad moment for me but I got it over within a few days.

Akmal’s half-century was the centre-piece of Peshawar’s commanding total of 176-6.

The reply by Islamabad, who were without the influence of Misbah-ul-Haq, their captain who was absent with a hamstring injury, was over before it was started.

After Umaid picked up the first four wickets within the first four overs of the chase, 19-year-old leg-spinner Ibtisam Shaikh reinforced the advantage by taking three wickets, as Islamabad reached 142-9.