Pakistan opened their tri-nation T20I series campaign with a five-wicket victory over Zimbabwe on Tuesday at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, successfully chasing a target of 148 runs with four balls to spare.
The chase began shakily as Pakistan lost quick wickets early on. Babar Azam fell for a three-ball duck, and captain Salman Ali Agha was dismissed for just one run. Opener Saim Ayub also struggled to find rhythm, contributing 22 runs.
However, Fakhar Zaman stabilized the innings with a crucial 32-ball 44, playing aggressively to bring Pakistan back into the contest. After Fakhar’s dismissal, Usman Khan and Mohammad Nawaz finished the job with maturity and composure.
Usman remained unbeaten on 37, while Nawaz contributed a steady 20 not out, guiding Pakistan to victory with controlled stroke play.
For Zimbabwe, pacer Brad Evans picked up two wickets, while Richard Ngarava, Tinotenda Maposa, and Graeme Cremer took one wicket each.
Zimbabwe’s Innings: Strong Start, Sudden Collapse
Batting first, Zimbabwe reached 147/8 after a promising start. Openers Tadiwanashe Marumani and Brian Bennett dominated the powerplay, putting Pakistan under pressure during the first seven overs with fluent strokeplay.
The breakthrough came when Mohammad Nawaz dismissed Marumani for 30 off 22 balls, breaking the dangerous opening stand. Soon after, Brendan Taylor was run out by a sharp piece of fielding from Babar Azam.
Zimbabwe’s innings took a hit when the in-form Brian Bennett, who top-scored with an impressive 49 off 36 balls (8 fours), was dismissed by Saim Ayub, triggering a middle-order collapse.
Despite the falling wickets, skipper Sikandar Raza held firm, scoring a valuable 34 off 24 balls to push Zimbabwe to a competitive total.
Pakistan’s Bowling: Disciplined and Effective
Pakistan’s bowlers delivered a collective and disciplined performance.
- Mohammad Nawaz was the standout bowler, finishing with 2/22 in his four overs.
- Abrar Ahmed, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, and Shaheen Shah Afridi each picked up one wicket, restricting Zimbabwe effectively after their strong start.
- Playing XIs:
- Pakistan XI:
- Sahibzada Farhan (wk), Saim Ayub, Babar Azam, Salman Ali Agha (capt), Usman Khan (wk), Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Abrar Ahmed
- Zimbabwe XI:
- Brian Bennett, Ryan Burl, Sikandar Raza (capt), Bradley Evans, Brendan Taylor (wk), Tadiwanashe Marumani, Tashinga Musekiwa, Tony Munyonga, Graeme Cremer, Tinotenda Maposa, Richard Ngarava
