Hyderabad Kingsmen head coach Jason Gillespie has called for greater accountability from his players after their batting unit once again fell short in a tense loss to Peshawar Zalmi in Pakistan Super League (PSL 11) action at National Bank Stadium.
Speaking after the match, Gillespie reflected on recent performances and highlighted key areas that need improvement, including batting consistency, individual responsibility, and execution during crucial phases of the game.
Despite recent setbacks, the former Australia all-rounder remained optimistic about upcoming fixtures.
“First of all, we expect Maxwell to be available in the next couple of games—we’re just waiting for final confirmation,” Gillespie said. “We’ve been close in a few matches, particularly the last two, and we’ve had opportunities to push the game forward.”
Gillespie, 50, who has also served as head coach of Pakistan, did not hold back in addressing the team’s top-order struggles.
“In our first two games, we simply didn’t bat well enough. We’ve got a lot of exciting talent in our squad, but that does not remove players from accountability,” he said. “All our players are expected to do their jobs. If you’re selected to play for Hyderabad, you’re expected to perform.”
He added that while certain aspects of the team’s performance are encouraging, consistency remains an issue. In addition, analyzing the latest defeat, Gillespie pointed to two key phases where the team lost control.
“Ultimately, tonight’s game came down to two small periods with the bat in hand. We lost wickets in the first six overs and again at the back end, despite a good partnership between Marnus and Kusal. We know we need to be better, and we will be.”
Batting first, Hyderabad Kingsmen were bowled out for 145 in 18.2 overs, with Peshawar Zalmi’s spin duo, Iftikhar Ahmed and Sufiyan Muqeem, dominating the middle overs.
The Kingsmen’s top order struggled, with Maaz Sadaqat scoring 17 and Saim Ayub making 14. Sharjeel Khan was dismissed for two, while Usman Khan fell for a golden duck.
Kusal Perera stood out with a strong innings of 58 off 35 balls, including five fours and two sixes. Marnus Labuschagne added 27 off 27 balls with three boundaries. Irfan Khan and Hassan Khan scored nine runs each, while Maheesh Theekshana and Hunain Shah were dismissed without scoring.
In response, Peshawar Zalmi faced some difficulty during the chase but reached the target on the final ball of the 20th over. Iftikhar Ahmed (15 not out) and Aamer Jamal (6 not out) held their nerve to secure the win.
Captain Babar Azam led the scoring with 43 off 37 balls, hitting six fours. Kusal Mendis and Michael Bracewell contributed 27 and 25 runs, respectively, to keep the chase on track.
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