While the Pakistan Super League (PSL) is heading towards the season finale, the excitement is an all-time high for cricket fanatics. Nail-biting finishes and on-field heated conversations have already created quite a buzz but a recent controversy has been making different sort of headlines. In the 24th match of PSL between Karachi Kings and Lahore Qalandars, the last over drama over a no-ball left everyone confused. However, it benefitted the Qalandars as they beat the Kings in a super-over clash.
While chasing a total of 164 runs, Qalandars needed 16 runs off the last six balls. Batsman Sohail Akhtar managed to score 12 runs on the first and almost made Qalandars victorious. The next two deliveries brought Kings back in the game as they clinched a wicket and only conceded a single.
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OUT! 19.4 Usman Khan to Sohail Akhtar, McClenaghan (Run Out)
Watch ball by ball highlights at https://t.co/s71JGtYlyg#KKvLQ #HBLPSL #PSL2018 @_cricingif pic.twitter.com/iNoXOVCbCa— PakistanSuperLeague (@thePSLt20) March 11, 2018
Qalandars needed 3 runs off the last ball. Bowler Usman Khan bowled a full-length delivery which was lofted by Akhtar, playing a straight drive, but Ravi Bopara took a stunning catch at the boundary. However, the umpire signalled an overstepped no-ball while the batsmen ran to swap their ends.
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The Qalandars got a run off the no-ball and a free hit but the umpire decided not to give the run which the batsmen ran for after hitting the shot. As a result, now they needed 2 runs off the last ball (free hit) but they could only get one as Gulraiz Sadaf got run-out in the attempt to take the last run to win the game.
OUT! 19.6 Usman Khan to Sohail Akhtar, Gulraiz Sadaf (Run Out)
Watch ball by ball highlights at https://t.co/s71JGtYlyg#KKvLQ #HBLPSL #PSL2018 @_cricingif pic.twitter.com/aGGLi9legB— PakistanSuperLeague (@thePSLt20) March 11, 2018
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The scores levelled and the game headed to a super-over. Qalandars scored 11 runs in 6 balls but Kings failed to chase it and lost the game.
Lahore Qalandars won the match in the super over!
Watch ball by ball highlights at https://t.co/s71JGtYlyg#KKvLQ #HBLPSL #PSL2018 @_cricingif pic.twitter.com/7I6KzVk4fr— PakistanSuperLeague (@thePSLt20) March 11, 2018
Despite this victory, the players and team owners were in a fix about what just happened. According to several media reports, Qalandar team CEO, Sameen Rana, stated that there was a huge a lack of clarity with whatever happened. He said,
“What we thought was since the batsmen crossed. And then there was a no-ball as well, we needed just one run on the final ball. The umpires told us that when they don’t signal the no-ball on the field, and it’s given after a review, the run(s) on the ball aren’t counted.”
“Then again, the question was why was Sohail Akhtar asked to go to the other end. And why was Gulraiz Sadaf allowed to take the strike? So there’s this confusion. We’ll also check with the technical committee about it”, Rana added.
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Lahore Qalandars win the super over of this sensational #HBLPSL thriller#DilSeJaanLagaDe #LQvKK pic.twitter.com/xk6ASjqvKw
— PakistanSuperLeague (@thePSLt20) March 11, 2018
It has also been understood from the reports that both the skippers — McCullum and Kumara Sangakkara — could not comment about this big confusion as they are not sure about the laws.
There are six more league matches scheduled to be played in this tournament. The playoff rounds start from March 18 while the finale will be played on March 25 in Karachi.
