Karachi Kings pulled off a 10-run victory over former champion Peshawar Zalmi in their opening match of the Pakistan Super League on Friday but their win was marred by controversy. An official was seen using a mobile phone in the dugout and that didn't go down too well with people.
Twitterati was quick to catch on to that and mock the PSL as using a cellphone is not allowed on the field or dugout area.
According to ICC's rule, mobiles are banned from dressing rooms and players as well as the members of the team management are only allowed to use walkie-talkies to communicate from dugout to dressing room. But, what added to the drama was, the Kings' Media Manager's confession that it was Tariq Wasi, who was the manager of the team, was the one using the phone. However, according to the team sheet issued at the toss, Navaid Rasheed was named as the side's manager.
The whole incident was broadcasted live on TV and fans were quick to take not and mock them on Twitter.
But, Dean Jones and Ireland's Kevin O'Brien did clarify that some members are indeed allowed to use cell phones in the dugout and no rules were broken.
However, on the field, Karachi had a good day as Liam Livingstone’s unbeaten 54-run knock off 29 balls went in vain as Peshawar finished 191-7 in pursuit of a daunting target of 202 runs.
Livingstone hit three sixes and two fours and kept the 2017 champions in the hunt when he added 62 runs off 31 balls with captain Darren Sammy, who finally fell for 30 off 20 balls in the last over.
With Peshawar needing 16 runs off the final six deliveries, fast bowler Umaid Asif (2-23) took a splendid catch off his own bowling as Sammy miscued a pull shot and the tall fast bowler ran backwards to pluck a brilliant diving catch at short midwicket.
Earlier, after being put in to bat, Karachi’s emphatic total of 201-4 revolved around half-centuries by No. 1-ranked Twenty20 batsman Babar Azam and captain Imad Wasim.
Babar hammered seven boundaries and two sixes in scoring 78 off 56 balls while Imad made 50 off 30 deliveries as they shared a 97-run third-wicket stand off only 55 balls.
(With inputs from AP)
