PSL 11: Saud Shakeel Points to Missed Opportunities in Loss to Islamabad United

Quetta Gladiators captain Saud Shakeel looked totally disappointed after losing the recent match against Islamabad United. He said the team missed some crucial chances that cost them the match in the end. He is now looking forward to making a strong comeback in the upcoming games by rectifying these mistakes quickly.

Speaking at the post-match presentation ceremony, Saud Shakeel said the Gladiators started the match strongly but failed to capitalize in the end, which is why they were at least ten runs short on the scoreboard.

"Based on the way we started with the bat, I feel we could have got an extra ten runs, though we did finish the innings well. In the end, I think the pitch actually played better in the second innings than it did in the first." said Quetta Gladiators captain Saud Shakeel.

Saud then highlighted the key phase of the match, saying Islamabad United played well during the middle overs that helped them to gain an edge in the contest. He credited both Sameer Minhas and Shadab Khan for putting up a strong partnership that tilted the match in United’s favor.

"The turning point of the match was definitely the partnership between Shadab [Khan] and Sameer [Minhas]. They avoided risky shots and kept the scoreboard moving in their favor." said Saud Shakeel at the post-match presentation ceremony.

He also spoke about his team’s approach in the later part of the innings, saying that the plan from the dugout guided them how to pick up the pace.

"As for the shift in momentum later in our innings, Tom Curran and Hasan Nawaz were given specific instructions to go big after the 15th over. We knew we had to reach a competitive total, so that message was passed down from the dugout to ensure we accelerated at the right time." concluded Saud Shakeel.

After winning just one match, Quetta Gladiators are currently at the sixth position on the PSL 2026 points table. They will now look to make a strong comeback in the upcoming match against Multan Sultans that will be played at the same venue on April 5.