Usman Shinwari draws on Wasim Akram’s advice for dramatic last over

With an improbable five to defend in the last over, Shinwari struck thrice to leave the Gladiators stunned as they finished one run short. It meant the Kings barged into the play-offs.

With Anwar Ali turning the strike over with a single off the first ball, Shinwari was up against a rampaging Ahmed Shehzad, who had pillaged 99 off 56 balls. Shinwari pitched on a good length outside the off-stump of Shehzad, who thumped it straight to mid-off.

Set batsman gone one short of a hundred and with his team four away from a win, the equation was a little tighter all of a sudden, at a run a ball. Ali was tempted to go after a wide one next ball and edged to the wicket-keeper. That meant two new batsmen were now at the crease.

Mohammad Nawaz pulled behind square for a single to bring the more recognised batsman, Gladiators captain Sarfaraz Ahmed, on strike. Another length ball, this one aimed straight at off, took the under-edge of Ahmed’s bat before crashing into the stumps.

With three needed off the last ball, all Sohail Tanvir could manage was a leg-bye, leaving the Gladiators reeling.

"It was in my mind that the ball is reverse swinging, so I stuck to the plan and came out successful," Shinwari told psl-t2o.com. "Wasim (Akram) told me, 'you must not sleep in the ground after being hit for sixes' and 'try to come back.' That's what I did."

Shinwari’s performance on Sunday was proof that he had followed the advice well. Before that last over, he had taken a battering, going for 33 runs in three overs. That had included three sixes in the 17th over, when Shehzad punished his fuller lengths.

Shinwari later said at the presentation ceremony that he tried to remain upbeat even after the shellacking he took. "I was thinking that the ball is old, so I should try to use it well,” he said. “The plan worked today, I'm glad. We know that bowlers can get hit for fours and sixes in a game, so we can't get disheartened when that happens. Need to just lift ourselves for the next delivery, and that's what paid off now."

Shinwari was also helped by the fact that his captain, Imad Wasim, never lost faith in him. "I told Usman not to give up,” Wasim said. “Now that we've qualified, the pressure is taken off. Credit, though, will go to Shinwari. It's not easy to beat a top-class team.

"We had a good total on the board and it is tough to maintain ten an over. Shinwari bowled very well in the last over and Sohail Khan bowled his last two so well. It’s an amazing win against a formidable team."

As for Ahmed, the losing captain, the defeat was a harsh reminder of that old cricketing adage: “It’s never over until the last ball”.

"Both teams were supported by the crowd, an excellent game,” Ahmed said. “I think we've understood that cricket is not an easy game. Ahmed [Shehzad] played an excellent innings, but Shinwari trumped that in the final over. Although we've qualified, we wanted to win because we have the momentum moving on.

"It was highly enjoyable match for both the teams. Cricket is not easy as you can score 12-15 runs in an over and then can’t make five in one. Credit to Shinwari who bowled well, and Shehzad also batted well."