Peshawar Zalmi’s veteran player Shoaib Malik has finally found fluency with the bat, striking two half-centuries on the trot. Bringing his pristine slogging abilities to the fore in the rain-shortened affair against Quetta Gladiators, there was no escaping from Malik’s brilliance.
The 38-year-old instantly took charge following the early loss of the openers and drove Zalmi’s explosive batting exhibition. Malik provided the impetus for Zalmi to vault their total to a competitive score of 170/6 in just 15 overs.
He smashed nine fours and one six during his emphatic 27-ball 54. The more remarkable aspect of Malik’s masterclass was the fact that the solitary maximum he hit, travelled a distance of 99 meters – the longest six this season so far.