Peshawar Zalmi spinner Sufiyan Muqeem has dedicated his Pakistan Super League (PSL) Player of the Tournament award to the late Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan, the father of Pakistan’s atomic weapons programme, who passed away in October 2021.
Muqeem finished the season as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker with 22 wickets in 11 innings at an average of 14.40, earning him both the Player of the Tournament award and the symbolic Fazal Mahmood cap.
“My individual performance was good, and so was the team’s,” Muqeem said at the post-match presentation. “I have worked very hard on my bowling. It was written in the stars for me to be named the best bowler, and I’m very happy with it. Individual awards are very important for a player.”
“I dedicate this award to Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan,” he added.
His efforts powered Peshawar Zalmi to their second PSL title, beating Hyderabad Kingsmen in the final at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.
Captain Babar Azam had a tournament to remember with the bat, scoring 588 runs in 11 innings at an average of 73.50, with three centuries and three half-centuries.
He took the Hanif Mohammad cap as the leading run-scorer and the Batter of the Tournament award. His tally equalled Fakhar Zaman’s record for the most runs in a single PSL edition. It was also his first PSL title as captain.
Zalmi swept several other individual awards too. Farhan Yousaf won Fielder of the Tournament, while Kusal Mendis took Best Wicketkeeper.
Islamabad United captain Shadab Khan claimed the All-Rounder of the Tournament award after taking 17 wickets in 10 innings at an average of 14.47 alongside 173 runs at 34.60. Hyderabad Kingsmen’s Hunain Shah, also with 17 wickets to his name, took the Emerging Player of the Tournament award.
