ISLAMABAD-Hosts Rawalpindi Rams thrashed Gujar Khan Panthers by 8 wickets in the 1st Rawalpindi Masters Premier League 50-overs-a-side Championship 2018 opener played here at Pindi Stadium on Monday.
Gujar Khan Panthers skipper Talha Qureshi won the toss and opted to bat first on a placid track, but his decision failed to provide desired results, as the entire team was bundled out for a meager 130 in 37.3 overs. Mir Waiz was top scorer with 32 runs while Aamir Sohail gathered 22 and Awais Iqbal 20. Naqi Raza was pick of Rams bowlers, as he grabbed 4-29 while Imran Khan bagged 3-32 and Hafeez Ur Rehman 2-26.
Rawalpindi achieved the target in 25.3 overs losing just two wickets. Thanks mainly to superb 93-run opening stand between Zeeshan Malik and Nasir Nawaz, as Zeeshan slammed 50 and Nasir contributed 46. Farhan took both the wickets to fall conceding 26 runs.
Talking to The Nation, Rawalpindi Region head coach Sabih Azhar, the man behind conducting the tournament, said total five teams namely Rawalpindi Rams, Gujar Khan Panthers, Attock Stallions, Chakwal Peacock and Jhelum Hawks have been taking part in the event. “One match will be played daily while the final will be held on May 15. The entire tournament will be held at the same venue,” he said.
“The basic aim of conducting the tournament is to give players an opportunity to play 50-over tournament, as everybody is aware of the fact that due to cases file by a few individuals, there were no regular tournaments in the region and the players were suffering badly. The league will not only help flourish the local talent, but will also unearth fresh talent for the region,” he added.
Sabih said the opening ceremony of the tournament will be held today (Tuesday) at 12pm, with title sponsors Mubashar Gulzar, owner of New York Estate and Builders, Bahria Town, inaugurating the tournament. “When I discussed the idea with Mubashar, he immediately decided to sponsor the tournament, which is a great gesture by him and clearly shows that how the people of the region love cricket and desperate to contribute in the best possible fashion.
“We have provided kits, trophies, medals, balls and everything to the participating teams free of cost and there is a man of the match award for every match. Besides grand prizes, which will be handed over on the final, we have made an attempt to unearth genuine fresh talent and hopefully, in the coming days, the participating teams will showcase their talent in the best possible manner.
“We have tried to give maximum opportunities to fresh players, rather than depending on established stars. Four senior players are allowed to each team to make the contest interesting, as already established players have ample opportunities to showcase their talent at different platforms but the youngsters have very limited opportunities,” he added.
“As a head coach of the region, I have unearthed a lot of talent, and many of them have been representing the country at international level and played key role in helping the country win laurels. I will try to detect fresh talent and recommend that to the PCB so that they may be invited to NCA for further grooming. Pakistan is blessed with immense amount of talent and there is only need to find and groom them and turn them into gold,” Sabih concluded.