Jason Holder made an immediate impact for Islamabad United, taking 4 for 26 as the defending champions got their Pakistan Super League (PSL) 10 campaign off to a flying start with an eight-wicket win over Lahore Qalandars on Friday in Rawalpindi.
The former West Indies skipper's disciplined spell dismantled Lahore’s batting line-up, restricting them to a modest 139 in 19.2 overs despite a valiant 66 off 38 balls from Abdullah Shafique.
It was a great start and a great chase. Nice to have some fun in Pakistan. We stick to a particular process, and today it paid off in the shape of wickets. The yorker to Shaheen was my favourite – it swung in a bit and was right on target.
Electing to bowl first, Islamabad got off to a dream start with Fakhar Zaman dismissed for just one and Muhammad Naeem following soon after. Holder then took charge, removing Naeem, Jahanbad Khan, David Wiese, and skipper Shaheen Shah Afridi in a superb spell that combined pace, bounce, and control.
Having someone like Holder lead the attack gives us so much confidence. He brings calm and clarity, and he read the conditions perfectly. Everyone fed off his energy.
Despite Shafique's lone fight, the rest of the Lahore batting unit collapsed around him, with only three players reaching double digits.
In response, Islamabad United chased down the target with composure. Though they lost Andries Gous early for just four, New Zealand’s Colin Munro anchored the innings with an unbeaten 59, while Salman Agha added a fluent 46* to guide the team home in 17.1 overs.
We didn’t panic after the early wicket. We knew the pitch was good enough to play through. Salman and I just focused on rotating strike and putting away the bad balls.
For Lahore, it was a disappointing start to their season. Captain Shaheen Afridi admitted his side was outplayed.
“We didn’t have enough runs on the board,” Afridi said post-match. “One or two partnerships could’ve made a difference, but credit to Islamabad – they bowled with discipline and batted smartly.”
Brief Scores: Lahore Qalandars 139 all out in 19.2 overs (Abdullah Shafique 66; Jason Holder 4-26, Shadab Khan 2-18) Islamabad United 143/2 in 17.1 overs (Colin Munro 59*, Salman Agha 46*; Zaman Khan 1-28)
Result: Islamabad United won by 8 wickets
Player of the Match: Jason Holder
