Watch cricket video highlights between Ireland vs Pakistan. Pakistan tour of Ireland 2024 first twenty/20 International match, played at Dublin.
For their first Twenty20 international match in fifteen years, Ireland and Pakistan faced off, and Andy Balbirnie’s seventy-seven-run innings helped the home team win. It was Ireland’s first victory against Pakistan in the format; the sides’ only previous encounter occurred in the 2009 World T20. Before cameos from George Dockrell and Curtis Campher got Ireland over the finish line, Harry Tector laid the groundwork for the 183-run chase with a 77-run partnership with Balbirnie for the third wicket.
The chase came down to a tight finish, with Pakistan having two wickets from Abbas Afridi and an over each from Naseem Shah and Shaheen Afridi, while Ireland needed forty in the final four overs. Dockrell was removed by Abbas to begin the 17th over, and he only gave up three runs in the first four deliveries. then then the pattern started, a bowler getting off to a good start in an over then giving up a late boundary to reduce the asking rate. In the subsequent over, Balbirnie was given a life when Shadab Khan failed to hang onto a difficult opportunity with Ireland needing further 28 runs from 17 balls. After Naseem hit a few yorkers, the game was once again in the balance. To make it 11 off the over, Delany, however, made room and crunched a low full toss through cover.
In the last over, which began with Ireland needing another 19, Shaheen was closer to his best. He bowled yorkers around the wicket and used a swerving, low full toss to topple Balbirnie. But Abbas had 11 balls to protect off the last over after Campher’s bold reverse ramp first ball over the keeper. Abbas rose off a shortish length with the opening ball, which surprised Campher. However, he was able to direct it off the under-edge between the wicketkeeper and short third for four. He took advantage of a yorker that was missed to tie the game and then snuck a leg bye to win.
Due to Ireland’s vigorous start to the pursuit, Paul Stirling was easily dismissed by Naseem. Abbas, Shaheen’s substitute, hit first ball after being given the opportunity to bowl during the powerplay, but Shaheen was off-colour during his two opening overs. Despite landing at 27 for 2, Tector continued to search for early boundaries. As the two moved Ireland from 43 for 2 on the powerplay to 84 for 2 after ten overs, it gave Balbirnie the opportunity to solidify at the other end.
After Imad Wasim tightened his length to remain afloat, they went after Shadab Khan. Tector was hit by Imad, but in the game-changing 14th over, Dockrell and Balbirnie combined to knock Shadab out for 23. Iftikhar Ahmed was placed at long-on to receive the final delivery, but he stepped on the boundary cushion, costing Dockrell a wicket and six runs. To ensure a good conclusion, Balbirnie and Dockrell maintained a run pace of around nine runs per over.
Ireland had sent Pakistan in to bat earlier in the day. After Tector, positioned at mid-off, ran Mohammed Rizwan out and Ayub asked for a single before sending him back, Babar Azam joined Saim Ayub in the second over. While trying to muscle the ball on the powerplay, Babar and Ayub had varying degrees of success. They struck six fours and a six, but they were also frequently outmatched by the tight lengths of Mark Adair and Barry McCarthy.
Following the powerplay, Ben White and Curtis Campher were faced by the two batsmen, who quickly gained momentum and scored 53 runs in the following five overs. Delany broke the 85-run stand off 57 balls when Ayub holed out to a wide drag down. They punished at everything that was either full or too short. In the thirteenth over, Babar scored a fifty off 39 balls, but the runs kept coming in as he kept hitting and missing, while Fakhar Zaman could not get off the blocks.
After Young returned in the 13th over, Pakistan was pinned back by Babar, who finished with a 43-ball 57 after mishandling a short ball to long-on, and Azam Khan, who attempted to go over deep square leg, was dismissed for a two-ball duck. From the fifteenth over onwards, Pakistan lost 3 for 7 in six legal balls. In the 18th over, Fakhar was dismissed for 20 runs off 18 balls, but Iftikhar remained unmoved. He became fond of Adair, hitting him for eight valid balls, including three sixes and two fours. Shaheen’s two sixes off McCarthy in the 19th over helped Iftikhar, who finished on 38* from 15 balls, as Pakistan hammered 44 off the last three to reach 182, which Ireland chased down with one ball remaining.
