Watch cricket video highlights of Pakistan tour of Zimbabwe 2024. First Twenty/20 between Pakistan and Zimbabwe. Venue of the match will be Bulawayo.
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In the three-match T20I series in Bulawayo, Pakistan defeated Zimbabwe by 57 runs to take a 1-0 lead after a brief scare. After a bit-part batting performance, Tayyab Tahir and Irfan Khan surged to 165 with 34 runs in the final two overs thanks to a late, uninterrupted stand of 65 in 34 balls. With the hosts sitting comfortably at 75 for 2 in eight overs after Sikandar Raza and Tadiwanashe Marumani got them off to a fast start, even that seemed like it might not be enough.
However, the dissolution of that alliance led to an instant collapse as Haris Rauf and Sufiyan Muqeem tore through the Zimbabwean lineup. As Pakistan concluded a victory that appeared more straightforward on the scorecard than it did during the first three quarters of the match, they lost their final eight wickets for 31 runs. Just before the series began, the visitors added Saim Ayub to their T20I team, and the prolific left-hander helped them get going.
After being dropped in the first over, Omair Yousaf was lucky to be out there when he faced Blessing Muzarabani in the second over. For a large portion of the innings, Zimbabwe’s catching was problematic; Usman Khan was dismissed on the first ball he faced in the next over. Usman boosted himself to 11 in the following over, while Ayub took the next ball over point for a spectacular six. Pakistan breezed to 49 by the end of the fifth over, and 200 didn’t seem out of the question on a belter of a batting surface.
By now, Sikandar Raza’s consistency is nearly monotonous, but on Sunday, he was at his peak overall. He fired down four nearly flawless overs, with hardly a ball in the wrong spot, and Pakistan was soaring at the end of the powerplay. During his tenure, he gave up just 14 runs and 13 of his 24 deliveries were dot balls. During this period, Pakistan went 63 deliveries without a boundary and slowed nearly to a complete stop.
Ryan Burl and Wellington Masakadza, on the other hand, held the fort down as wickets fell at regular intervals; Pakistan could only muster 79 runs in 13 overs between the conclusion of the sixth over and the beginning of the nineteenth. Pakistan’s middle order, led by captain Salman Ali Agha, will inevitably be called into question as they appear unable to handle the pressure or maintain the scoring pace. Pakistan reached 165 after an assault in the last two overs, but Zimbabwe emerged from the traps full of confidence that they could overcome this.
Despite losing Dion Myers and Brian Bennett early on, Marumani and Raza challenged and defeated Pakistan in the powerplay. While Raza hit three consecutive fours off Abrar Ahmed to propel Zimbabwe to 50 in the fifth over—faster than Pakistan had done throughout their rapid start—Marumani hammered 20 off Jehandad Khan’s second over. However, the lower middle order has shown to be Zimbabwe’s weakness once again. The rot began again as soon as Marumani’s innings was ended by a reckless run-out.
Pakistan helped themselves to wickets while Raza was isolated at the non-striker’s end. It quickly became clear that any attempt at triumph would have to be a one-man show after Rauf had Ryan Burl slapped one to mid-off and Muqeem had ejected Clive Madande. However, Raza’s bold knock was cut short by a beautiful change of pace from Jehandad Khan and a deft catch at point by Ayub, ending the match as a contest. Zimbabwe had lost their last eight wickets in forty-three deliveries, and Abrar completed the victory with the final wicket after Muqeem struck twice in the next over.
