Shadab’s outstanding all-round performance gives Pakistan victory

Shadab’s outstanding all-round performance gives Pakistan victory

Web Desk
November 3, 2022

Shadab’s outstanding all-round performance gives Pakistan victory

Pakistan maintained their tenuous chances of making it to the T20 World Cup semifinals
Iftikhar Ahmed and Shadab Khan’s remarkable half-centuries
Another disappointment comes from Babar Azam

With a 33-run victory against South Africa in a rain-shortened Super 12 match on Thursday, Pakistan maintained their tenuous chances of making it to the T20 World Cup semifinals, breaking the only unbeaten streak in the competition.

Iftikhar Ahmed and Shadab Khan’s remarkable half-centuries helped Pakistan, who were on the verge of being dismissed at 43-4 early in their innings, rally and go on to record 185 for nine, much to the pleasure of the raucous crowd of 30,000 cheering them on at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

South Africa would have still believed in their prospects, but Shaheen Afridi (3-14) took two early wickets, and Temba Bavuma and Aiden Markram—who had formed a promising 49-run third-wicket partnership—were quickly dismissed by Shadab.

With South Africa on 69-4 after nine overs when the skies suddenly opened, they resumed play an hour later with a revised Duckworth-Lewis-Stern target of 142 from five more overs but came up far short at 108 for nine.

Despite the defeat, the Proteas are still second in Group 2 behind India and can clinch one of the two semifinal berths if they defeat the Netherlands in their final Super 12 game on Sunday.

Pakistan must defeat Bangladesh in Sunday’s second game at Adelaide Oval in order to have any chance of moving on, and they must also pray that either the Dutch pull off an upset or Zimbabwe manages to surprise India in the last group game in Melbourne.

As if their chances of making it to the final four weren’t already on thin ice, Pakistan’s top order batsmen Mohammad Rizwan, Babar Azam, and Shan Masood all left the game early.

However, Mohammad Haris had already set an example for his teammates with a scorching 28 off 11 balls that began with two sixes and a four after joining the squad as an injury substitute for Fakhar Zaman.

Iftikhar scored 51 runs, and Shadab followed suit with a partnership of 82 runs for the sixth wicket. As a result, the innings was transformed, and it was concluded with a downpour, a few boundaries, and a flurry of wickets.

With six runs, Pakistani captain Azam’s campaign continued to go horribly wrong, bringing his total from four innings to 14. In contrast, South African opponent Bavuma was able to overcome the early loss of opening partner Quinton de Kock for a duck.

Bavuma hit a valiant 36 before getting caught behind off Shadab’s first pitch. In his previous three innings at the event, he had scored 14 runs.

After the rain break, seamers Afridi, Mohammad Wasim, and Naseem Shah successfully restrained the South Africans while chipping away with consistent wickets. Markram was out for 20 two balls later.

Pakistan keep semi-final hopes alive, clinching a win in the Group 2 clash against South Africa 🌟#T20WorldCup | #PAKvSA | 📝: https://t.co/3VVq7VAJLt pic.twitter.com/hfsNzCivam

— ICC (@ICC) November 3, 2022

Pakistan stay alive in the race to the #T20WorldCup semi-finals 👊

Standings 👉 https://t.co/cjmWWRz68E pic.twitter.com/JscjoLWNye

— ICC (@ICC) November 3, 2022