The Stallions re-established their credentials as the undisputed T20 champions by lifting their sixth trophy in eight tournaments and maintaining their remarkable feat of never having lost a final.
The Rams, winners of the Super Eight T20 Cup, put up a gallant fight but just failed to make history as Dr Ishratul Ebad awarded the winners’ trophy to Stallions skipper Shoaib Malik and the prize-money of Rs2 million.
The finishing moments of what otherwise was a pulsating encounter, were marred by dispute over a no-ball adjudication by Asad Rauf, the ICC umpire who was officiating the final along with fellow ICC Elite panel umpire and three-time winner of the best umpire award Aleem Dar.
Asad’s interpretation was spot on because the delivery bowled by left-arm paceman Naved Arif was above waist to the injured Rams tailender Mohammad Rameez which resulted in two runs being added to the total.
Stallions skipper Shoaib Malik and several of his team-mates held up play for almost 15 minutes in that last over — in which the Rams needed 15 runs for victory — as they disputed that only one run should be given for the no-ball since it wasn’t a line call.
Until that unsavoury incident, the Rams who were the clear underdogs had treated a near full National Stadium to some sumptuous stroke-play with no less than eight sixes and 15 fours being hit by their batsmen with the big left-arm seamer Sarfraz Ahmed taking the brunt of the punishment with five sixes struck off his four overs, yielding 54 runs.
The standout batsman was Naved Malik who bludgeoned six fours and sixes in a superb knock of 67 from 47 balls. Fellow opener Awais Zia also played a blinder as he savaged his way to 32 off mere 13 deliveries. The talented left-hander’s knock featured five fours and a brace of sixes.
Raza Hasan, however, saved the blushes for his star-studded side by conceding just 11 runs from his four overs while claiming the vital wickets of Awais and Sohail Tanvir.
The young slow-left-armer was declared the Man-of-the-Match.
The Stallions stuttered at the start when ex-Pakistan opener Imran Nazir fell in the second over after another failure. This time he made 10 before being nicely held at mid-off by Naved Malik off Mohammad Rameez while going for an ambitious stroke.
But Shakeel Ansar, the tall wicket-keeper, and Qaiser Abbas carried the total to 100 as the right/left combination of batsmen put together a partner of 85 from 59 balls until both were dismissed in the space of four deliveries in part-time spinner Awais Zia’s first over, which was the 12th of the Stallions’ innings.
Shakeel clobbered six boundaries in scoring a 30-ball 39, while Qaiser made his first key contribution in this event by spanking five fours in his 34-ball 44.
The Stallions got a further boost from captain Shoaib Malik and Shahid Yousuf, their heroes in the six-wicket win in the semi-final against Lahore Eagles a day earlier, who added 67 in 38 deliveries.
Malik, who is hoping to resume his Test career after being named in the Pakistan squad for Sri Lanka series, looked in supreme touch once again while helping himself to a crafty 44 off 27 balls.
His innings was adorned with four fours and a six — the only such stroke in the entire Stallions innings — when he lifted spinner Samiullah over the long-on boundary on the final delivery of the 18th over.
Yasir Hameed of Abbottabad Falcons was adjudged the tournament’s best batsman for his 218 runs, while other awards went to Mohammad Rameez (best bowler, 11 wickets), Jamal Anwar (best wicket-keeper, five dismissals) and Lahore Eagles’ Azhar Ali (best fielder, six catches).
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