T20 World Cup: Zimbabwe stun Pakistan

PERTH: Zimbabwe defeated Pakistan by one run during the T20 World Cup clash on Thursday. 

Chasing 131-run target, Pakistan were restricted to 129-8 in 20 overs. 

At one stage it seemed as if Pakistan would easily get over the line as they needed only 43 runs in 39 balls with seven wickets in hand. However, that was not the case as the Zimbabwe bowlers kept picking up wickets during the latter stages of the innings. 

Spinner Sikandar Raza was the star of the show with figures of 3-25 in four overs, which included scalps of Shan Masood, Shadab Khan and Haider Ali. 

Pakistan needed three runs on the final ball with Shaheen Afridi on strike but the tailender was unable to play the winning shot. He was run out while trying to go back for the second. 

Masood top-scored for Pakistan with 44 runs in 38 balls. 

Earlier, Mohammad Wasim and Shadab Khan shared seven wickets between them as Pakistan restricted Zimbabwe to 130-8 at the Twenty20 World Cup on Thursday in Perth.

Pakistan will fancy their chances of getting the 131 they need to bounce back from their heartbreaking opening loss to India on Sunday.

Zimbabwe elected to bat first and Wesley Madhevere and skipper Craig Ervine used the pace of Pakistan´s seamers to good effect with a string of boundaries in a 42-run stand.

But Shadab´s 3-23 with his wrist spin and pace bowler Wasim´s 4-24 held Zimbabwe — whose opening match in the Super 12 in Hobart was a washout — to a below-par total.

Ervine smashed Naseem Shah for two delightful fours but mistimed an attempted pull off Haris Rauf to be caught out for 19 off 19 balls.

Wasim justified his selection in place of batsman Asif Ali as he sent back Madhevere trapped lbw for 17, a decision the umpires denied but Pakistan successfully reviewed.

Sean Williams survived a reprieve on nine after Iftikhar Ahmed spilled a catch at mid-wicket off pace spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi.

The left-handed Williams hit a few boundaries in his attempt to take the attack to Pakistan, before he was bowled by Shadab for 31.

Shadab struck again to get Regis Chakabva out next ball with skipper Babar Azam taking a one-handed stunner at slip.

Zimbabwe slipped further when Sikandar Raza fell for nine off Wasim, who took one more to be on a hat-trick, before giving away two wides and a single to Brad Evans.

Zimbabwe lost four wickets on 95 — Williams, Chakabva, Raza and Luke Jongwe — before Evans took his team past the 120-run mark.

Evans became Wasim´s fourth wicket in the final over, gone for 19.

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