Dubai: It was abject surrender by Karachi Kings before the might of table-toppers Islamabad United when the former were thrashed by eight wickets with 45 balls remaining in the last match of UAE leg of the Pakistan Super League (PSL).
A crestfallen Karachi skipper Eoin Morgan admitted that his team was blown away by Luke Ronchi’s whirlwind knock. “When you play an innings, like that it surely is match-winning innings,” he said.
Morgan even admitted that his bowlers were off target: “We didn’t start well with the ball that allowed Ronchi to get himself in and play aggressively, a couple of loose deliveries and from there he really did take the game away from us.”
None expected the qualifier to be such a one-sided match after Karachi had beaten Islamabad in the last round match at Sharjah on March 16 (Friday) by seven wickets. “I totally agree (being one-sided match), we didn’t bat to our best. Couple of loose deliveries and then we didn’t take our chances. We dropped a few chances since I came here, in Sharjah may be the dew was one of the factors, but not here. It’s probably something we have to look at.”
Morgan also admitted that his team should have posted a winning total. “We didn’t bat at our best, still it was a competitive total,”
When Gulf News asked whether Ronchi could bat well as the wicket turned easy while chasing, Morgan said: “I think it was a good wicket, the dew had set in when we went there, I don’t think there was much change in the wicket in the second innings,” said Morgan, who will not accompany the Karachi team to Pakistan.
“I wish them the best of luck. I thoroughly enjoyed my one week here. I enjoyed it last year and hope to join whenever the opportunity comes,” he said. West Indies batsman Lendl Simmons also decided not to fly to Pakistan due to personal reasons, reducing the number of foreign players in the Karachi to Joe Denly, Colin Ingram, Ravin Bopara, Tymal Mills and David Wiese.
