Mohammad Amir opens up on throwing ball at Babar Azam during Game 2 of PSL 2023

The Pakistan Super League (PSL) dropped two back-to-back blockbuster games in the season’s first two games. First, the opener featured Lahore Qalandars and Multan Sultans, a match that Qalandars clinched by one run. Next, it was Peshawar Zalmi and Karachi Kings who took it upon themselves to drop yet another nail-biter as Karachi Kings failed at a 200-run chase by three runs handing the Zalmi a very close 2-run win.

An incident from the game has caught the eyes of all Cricket fans around the globe. In the sixth over of the game, Mohammad Amir sent a poor delivery down the leg side, which Babar glanced away for a four. In the next delivery, Babar put in a defensive shot towards Amir, which the pacer threw in the direction of the Peshawar skipper. The throw wasn’t aimed at Babar and was collected by the wicketkeeper.

Amir later revealed that it happened in the ‘heat of the moment, and it wasn’t personal’. “It was a heat of the moment thing, and it was nothing personal [against Babar]. Bowlers should show aggression on the field to get the best out of them”, he said. “I was under pressure in the game, which is the beauty of this league. It helps you get better”, he further added.

Peshawar Zalmi won the game by 2 runs

Talking of the game, the Karachi Kings won the toss, forcing Zalmi to bat first. Riding on skipper Babar Azam’s 68 off 46 and Tom Kohler-Cadmore’s exceptional 92 off 50, the Zalmi set a target of 200 runs for the Kings, losing just five wickets on the way. Mir Hamza was a key performer for the Kings, who picked up a wicket while conceding runs at an economy of just 6.5 and also run out the dangerous Saim Ayub.

In reply, the Kings got off to a shaky start, with opener Sharjeel Khan dismissed for a golden duck. Matthew Wade, with 23, was the top scorer in their top order. Luckily, Shoaib Malik and skipper Imad Wasim were in their element as they tried to rescue the Kings’ innings, getting them closer to the target. Malik was dismissed at the score of 177 in the second delivery of the 19^th over. Wasim did his best to get the Kings over the finish line but fell short by just three runs at the end.