PSL 2020: Babar Azam keeps a cool head to guide Karachi Kings to victory in final

Given the emotion driving Karachi Kings in their pursuit of their first PSL title on Tuesday night, the poise showed by their star batsman was remarkable.

Babar Azam was the embodiment of the adage: fire in the belly, ice in the mind.

Once victory was sealed, he tweeted a picture of the late Dean Jones, who had started the tournament as Karachi’s coach, with the message: “Deano, job done coach!”

Jones, who died in September, leaves behind a remarkable legacy in this tournament.

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This triumph included, he has been the coach for three of the five PSL title winning sides so far – twice with Islamabad, and now setting up this one for Karachi.

Babar did everything possible to make sure they provided the right tribute for Jones, with man of the match displays in both the first qualifier and the final.

In making 63 not out in the run chase against Lahore Qalandars, he appeared to be playing a different game to everyone else.

As the final was progressing, the analytics company CricViz calculated Lahore had attacked 58 per cent of the deliveries they faced, but were only in control of 69 per cent.

By contrast Karachi, with Babar at the wicket throughout their chase, attacked 47 per cent, but were in control of 84 per cent. It required data to be crunched to get that information.

And yet Babar was already ahead of the game, just using his own onboard computer.

While fielding at point and juggling his bowlers through the final overs of the Lahore innings, he conducted a lucid conversation with Ramiz Raja on commentary, via the Spider Cam.

The gist of it was that the pitch required orthodox cricket shots, rather than attempting to force the issue with muscle.

Which meant Babar was always going to be better qualified than anyone to counter the challenge.

Playing “proper cricket shots” he maintained a strike rate of 128.57, which is a run better than his career strike rate – 127.53 - in the format.

The ease with which he did so cut a stark contrast to everyone else. For Lahore, Tamim Iqbal had struck at 92.1 per 100 balls, Fakhar Zaman 112.5, Ben Dunk 78.57, and David Wiese an even 100.

His colleagues struggled, too. Sharjeel Khan was hitting at 108.53, Alex Hales 100, and Chadwick Walton, 81.48.

“It's been a great year for me, but today, I just needed to remain cool,” Babar said.

“The team was depending on me and I needed not to panic. The wicket was slow and I wasn't feeling the ball on the bat very well. I feel the calmer you are, the better you perform.”

His confidence will have been bolstered by his form. In his past six trips to the crease, he has not failed to pass 50.

“I'm on the quest for improvement all the time, and how to deal with batting in different situations and different countries,” Babar said. “I just try and remain positive.”

RACECARD

4.30pm Jebel Jais – Maiden (PA) Dh60,000 (Turf) 1,000m
5pm: Jabel Faya – Maiden (PA) Dh60,000 (T) 1,000m
5.30pm: Al Wathba Stallions Cup – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 2,200m
6pm: The President’s Cup Prep – Conditions (PA) Dh100,000 (T) 2,200m
6.30pm: Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club – Prestige (PA) Dh125,000 (T) 1,600m
7pm: Al Ruwais – Group 3 (PA) Dh300,000 (T) 1,200m
7.30pm: Jebel Hafeet – Maiden (TB) Dh80,000 (T) 1,400m

Key facilities

Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
Premier League-standard football pitch
400m Olympic running track
NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
600-seat auditorium
Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
Specialist robotics and science laboratories
AR and VR-enabled learning centres
Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills

Director: Laxman Utekar

Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna

Rating: 1/5

How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE

When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.

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Company profile

Name: Infinite8

Based: Dubai

Launch year: 2017

Number of employees: 90

Sector: Online gaming industry

Funding: $1.2m from a UAE angel investor

The Greatest Royal Rumble card as it stands

50-man Royal Rumble

Universal Championship Brock Lesnar (champion) v Roman Reigns in a steel cage match

Intercontinental Championship Seth Rollins (champion) v The Miz v Finn Balor v Samoa Joe

SmackDown Tag Team Championship The Bludgeon Brothers (champions) v The Usos

Casket match The Undertaker v Chris Jericho

John Cena v Triple H

Matches to be announced

WWE World Heavyweight Championship, Raw Tag Team Championship, United States Championship and the Cruiserweight Championship are all due to be defended

The specs

Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder MHEV

Power: 360bhp

Torque: 500Nm

Transmission: eight-speed automatic

Price: from Dh282,870

On sale: now

Our family matters legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

Our commentary on Brexit

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F1 The Movie

Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem

Director: Joseph Kosinski

Rating: 4/5

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Tips for job-seekers

Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.

David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East

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Specs

Engine: 51.5kW electric motor

Range: 400km

Power: 134bhp

Torque: 175Nm

Price: From Dh98,800

Available: Now

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Dust and sand storms compared

Sand storm

Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
Travel distance: Limited
Source: Open desert areas with strong winds

Dust storm

Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
Duration: Can linger for days
Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
Source: Can be carried from distant regions

UAE v Zimbabwe A

Results
Match 1 – UAE won by 4 wickets
Match 2 – UAE won by 5 wickets
Match 3 – UAE won by 25 runs
Match 4 – UAE won by 77 runs

Fixture
Match 5, Saturday, 9.30am start, ICC Academy, Dubai

Cultural fiesta

What: The Al Burda Festival
When: November 14 (from 10am)
Where: Warehouse421, Abu Dhabi
The Al Burda Festival is a celebration of Islamic art and culture, featuring talks, performances and exhibitions. Organised by the Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development, this one-day event opens with a session on the future of Islamic art. With this in mind, it is followed by a number of workshops and “masterclass” sessions in everything from calligraphy and typography to geometry and the origins of Islamic design. There will also be discussions on subjects including ‘Who is the Audience for Islamic Art?’ and ‘New Markets for Islamic Design.’ A live performance from Kuwaiti guitarist Yousif Yaseen should be one of the highlights of the day.

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Schedule:

Friday, January 12: Six fourball matches
Saturday, January 13: Six foursome (alternate shot) matches
Sunday, January 14: 12 singles