Russell's sixes, Shakib's 6 for 6 ESPNcricinfo presents the top five moments from the inaugural Caribbean Premier League Australia's era of decline Fundamental issues remain with how the game is run in Australia, although the country's sporting problems are not restricted to cricket Signs of development but much to do Australia's Ashes performance wasn't far off what was expected: a wholehearted, often impressive, bowling attack but an inconsistent batting order, although there are signs of promise Light fades on Oval party It was a celebration of England. A celebration for Test cricket. It was loud. It was fun. It was nonsensical. Swann's swag, and Smiths' success Also, Bradman's nemesis, most runs in a Test without a century, hundreds in final ODIs, and double-oh partners
Showing posts with label Shehzad. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Shehzad. Show all posts
Saturday, 31 August 2013
Shehzad, spinners sink Zimbabwe
Russell's sixes, Shakib's 6 for 6 ESPNcricinfo presents the top five moments from the inaugural Caribbean Premier League Australia's era of decline Fundamental issues remain with how the game is run in Australia, although the country's sporting problems are not restricted to cricket Signs of development but much to do Australia's Ashes performance wasn't far off what was expected: a wholehearted, often impressive, bowling attack but an inconsistent batting order, although there are signs of promise Light fades on Oval party It was a celebration of England. A celebration for Test cricket. It was loud. It was fun. It was nonsensical. Swann's swag, and Smiths' success Also, Bradman's nemesis, most runs in a Test without a century, hundreds in final ODIs, and double-oh partners
Wednesday, 28 August 2013
'Consistency is the key'- Shehzad
Ahmed Shehzad's 98 against Zimbabwe was the highest score by a Pakistan batsman in T20Is © AFP
Pakistan batsman Ahmed Shehzad said he was pleased with his consistency after helping Pakistan win the T20 series against Zimbabwe with a record knock. Shehzad, who is making his third comeback to the national side in four years, hit two successive half-centuries, including the highest ever international Twenty20 score by a Pakistan batsman, to lead the team to their second win in as many days at the Harare Sports Club. "It is important to be consistent and I tried very hard to remain so," Shehzad said. "In the first few overs, I did not get much strike and could have panicked, but then as my confidence built up, I was able to get on strike more often and hit good shots. Zimbabwe played some good cricket and now we will be looking forward to playing them in the ODIs." Shehzad, who hails from a street near the Anarkali Bazaar in Lahore, was among a crop of the most promising young cricketers in the Pakistan set-up in recent years, and played at the Under-19 level with the likes of Umar Akmal, Mohammad Amir, Umar Amin, Junaid Khan and Raza Hasan. In last 12 List A matches played between 2007 and 2009, before his debut for Pakistan, Ahmed racked up five fifties and his form caught the attention of the then chief selector, Abdul Qadir. His career, however, has been under scrutiny following discipline issues. On Saturday, Shehzad smashed an unbeaten 98, after scoring 70 in the first T20. He hit six sixes during his innings, but missed out on a historic century, scrambling for a single off the last ball of the innings. He had a slow start and hit just one six in his first 20 deliveries, off Prosper Utseya in the first over. However, he began to accelerate after the wicket of Nasir Jamshed in the sixth over, reaching his fifty in just 42 balls and scoring the next 48 off just 22 deliveries, to finish with a strike-rate of 153.12. The performances helped him move up 41 places on the ICC rankings for T20 batsmen and he is now ranked 18th. Even though the runs came against a 12th-ranked Zimbabwe team that has been overshadowed by off-field issues in recent weeks, Mohammad Hafeez, Pakistan's T20 captain, said that the batsman had fulfilled an important role for the side. "I am pleased to see Ahmed batting nicely throughout the series," Hafeez said "We really need someone to hold the innings from the top and he is the one who gave us the result we wanted to achieve." When Pakistan lost Jamshed for 23, they were 36 for 1 in 5.4 overs at a run-rate below seven. But Shehzad and Hafeez powered on, and shared an unbeaten 143-run partnership for the second wicket to give Zimbabwe a target of 180 runs, much to Hafeez's delight. "We knew they (Zimbabwe) were very much capable of causing a set back for us, so every game was important for us," Hafeez said. "We were thinking of getting around 150-160 runs on the board but Ahmed boosted our total and we knew we just had to bowl a disciplined line to clinch the match. The boys are very confident and have started trusting each other, which is something we've been trying to develop." Umar Farooq is ESPNcricinfo's Pakistan correspondent. He tweets here
Feeds: Umar Farooq © ESPN Sports Media Ltd.Shehzad, spinners sink Zimbabwe
Pakistan 161 for 5 ( Shehzad 70, Afridi 23*) beat Zimbabwe 136 for 5 (Taylor 32*, Afridi 3-25) by 25 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details Zimbabwe had their moments where they stretched Pakistan with a confident start in their chase of 162, but tackling the spinners in the middle overs was always going to be the bigger proposition. Pakistan's spin trio - led by Shahid Afridi - put the stranglehold on the scoring with regular wickets and the hosts found the target rapidly slipping away from them. Once the required rate neared an improbable 12, the final passage of play turned tepid. In both innings, Pakistan found the going tough in the first half of the innings but clawed back in the second. Ahmed Shehzad weathered a sluggish start with a solid half-century that set the base for Shahid Afridi to play his natural game and push Pakistan to a competitive score. The Pakistan seamers struggled to contain the openers, but following a few quiet overs of spin, the momentum shifted. Brendan Taylor was looking to play himself into some form, after a poor series against India, and he didn't have the time or an attacking partner at the other end to help his side reclaim the edge. After being put in to bat, Pakistan lost their first three wickets inside nine overs, all off questionable shots. Tendai Chatara accounted for the first two, and his second wicket to get rid of Mohammed Hafeez was made possible thanks to a brilliant reflex catch by Taylor. That catch was a good example of Zimbabwe's fielding in the early part of Pakistan's innings, but they couldn't put enough pressure on Pakistan in the second half. Pakistan progressed to a less-than-satisfactory 57 for 3 after ten overs, but the turning point in the innings came in the 12th over. It was Elton Chigumbura's first and he leaked 17, which included a pulled six by the debutant Sohaib Maqsood and two swept boundaries by Shehzad past short fine leg. Pakistan ensured they maintained that momentum till the end of the innings, picking 75 runs off six beginning from the 12th. Maqsood looked promising in a stand of 55 with Shehzad, pouncing on anything short from the seamers. After pulling Chigumbura over deep square leg, he tried to clear the straight boundary the following ball but was done in by an impressive running catch by Vusi Sibanda. Shehzad's knock was vital in giving Pakistan a base to build on, which was crucial given the under par scores from the rest of the top order. He managed only one boundary in the first ten overs and began to open up in the company of the confident Maqsood. He was caught on the edge of the long-on boundary for 70, attempting a second six. Afridi, sent in at No.6, made a cameo 23 to give the bowlers a solid score to defend. Sibanda and Hamilton Masakadza helped Zimbabwe race to 35 off five overs - at the same stage Pakistan had already lost two wickets. Taylor said at the toss that Zimbabwe were more comfortable chasing, and the openers certainly gave the impression. Sibanda didn't look too troubled by Mohammad Irfan's pace and lift, improvising by arching his back to steer the ball wide of the fielders on the off side. Saeed Ajmal was brought on in the sixth over as damage control. Captain Hafeez reverted to his seamers and Anwar Ali struck in the first over of his second spell when he trapped Hamilton Masakadza lbw attempting to pull a ball that wasn't short enough. A set Sibanda lost his leg stump to Afridi, staying back to a flat, quicker delivery. Sean Williams was trapped lbw on the sweep, but didn't appear satisfied with the decision. What Taylor needed was a form partner and the team management probably erred by not promoting Elton Chigumbura. Chigumbura performed better than some of the specialists in the one-dayers against India and when he walked in today Zimbabwe needed in excess of 17 an over. Timycen Maruma, who came in ahead of him, faced 13 balls for ten runs, at a time when Zimbabwe were desperate for a massive surge. The spinners held sway and the margin of victory was a comfortable 25 runs. Kanishkaa Balachandran is a senior sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo Feeds: Kanishkaa Balachandran © ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details Zimbabwe had their moments where they stretched Pakistan with a confident start in their chase of 162, but tackling the spinners in the middle overs was always going to be the bigger proposition. Pakistan's spin trio - led by Shahid Afridi - put the stranglehold on the scoring with regular wickets and the hosts found the target rapidly slipping away from them. Once the required rate neared an improbable 12, the final passage of play turned tepid. In both innings, Pakistan found the going tough in the first half of the innings but clawed back in the second. Ahmed Shehzad weathered a sluggish start with a solid half-century that set the base for Shahid Afridi to play his natural game and push Pakistan to a competitive score. The Pakistan seamers struggled to contain the openers, but following a few quiet overs of spin, the momentum shifted. Brendan Taylor was looking to play himself into some form, after a poor series against India, and he didn't have the time or an attacking partner at the other end to help his side reclaim the edge. After being put in to bat, Pakistan lost their first three wickets inside nine overs, all off questionable shots. Tendai Chatara accounted for the first two, and his second wicket to get rid of Mohammed Hafeez was made possible thanks to a brilliant reflex catch by Taylor. That catch was a good example of Zimbabwe's fielding in the early part of Pakistan's innings, but they couldn't put enough pressure on Pakistan in the second half. Pakistan progressed to a less-than-satisfactory 57 for 3 after ten overs, but the turning point in the innings came in the 12th over. It was Elton Chigumbura's first and he leaked 17, which included a pulled six by the debutant Sohaib Maqsood and two swept boundaries by Shehzad past short fine leg. Pakistan ensured they maintained that momentum till the end of the innings, picking 75 runs off six beginning from the 12th. Maqsood looked promising in a stand of 55 with Shehzad, pouncing on anything short from the seamers. After pulling Chigumbura over deep square leg, he tried to clear the straight boundary the following ball but was done in by an impressive running catch by Vusi Sibanda. Shehzad's knock was vital in giving Pakistan a base to build on, which was crucial given the under par scores from the rest of the top order. He managed only one boundary in the first ten overs and began to open up in the company of the confident Maqsood. He was caught on the edge of the long-on boundary for 70, attempting a second six. Afridi, sent in at No.6, made a cameo 23 to give the bowlers a solid score to defend. Sibanda and Hamilton Masakadza helped Zimbabwe race to 35 off five overs - at the same stage Pakistan had already lost two wickets. Taylor said at the toss that Zimbabwe were more comfortable chasing, and the openers certainly gave the impression. Sibanda didn't look too troubled by Mohammad Irfan's pace and lift, improvising by arching his back to steer the ball wide of the fielders on the off side. Saeed Ajmal was brought on in the sixth over as damage control. Captain Hafeez reverted to his seamers and Anwar Ali struck in the first over of his second spell when he trapped Hamilton Masakadza lbw attempting to pull a ball that wasn't short enough. A set Sibanda lost his leg stump to Afridi, staying back to a flat, quicker delivery. Sean Williams was trapped lbw on the sweep, but didn't appear satisfied with the decision. What Taylor needed was a form partner and the team management probably erred by not promoting Elton Chigumbura. Chigumbura performed better than some of the specialists in the one-dayers against India and when he walked in today Zimbabwe needed in excess of 17 an over. Timycen Maruma, who came in ahead of him, faced 13 balls for ten runs, at a time when Zimbabwe were desperate for a massive surge. The spinners held sway and the margin of victory was a comfortable 25 runs. Kanishkaa Balachandran is a senior sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo
Feeds: Kanishkaa Balachandran © ESPN Sports Media Ltd.Tuesday, 27 August 2013
'Consistency is the key'- Shehzad
Ahmed Shehzad's 98 against Zimbabwe was the highest score by a Pakistan batsman in T20Is © AFP
Pakistan batsman Ahmed Shehzad said he was pleased with his consistency after helping Pakistan win the T20 series against Zimbabwe with a record knock. Shehzad, who is making his third comeback to the national side in four years, hit two successive half-centuries, including the highest ever international Twenty20 score by a Pakistan batsman, to lead the team to their second win in as many days at the Harare Sports Club. "It is important to be consistent and I tried very hard to remain so," Shehzad said. "In the first few overs, I did not get much strike and could have panicked, but then as my confidence built up, I was able to get on strike more often and hit good shots. Zimbabwe played some good cricket and now we will be looking forward to playing them in the ODIs." Shehzad, who hails from a street near the Anarkali Bazaar in Lahore, was among a crop of the most promising young cricketers in the Pakistan set-up in recent years, and played at the Under-19 level with the likes of Umar Akmal, Mohammad Amir, Umar Amin, Junaid Khan and Raza Hasan. In last 12 List A matches played between 2007 and 2009, before his debut for Pakistan, Ahmed racked up five fifties and his form caught the attention of the then chief selector, Abdul Qadir. His career, however, has been under scrutiny following discipline issues. On Saturday, Shehzad smashed an unbeaten 98, after scoring 70 in the first T20. He hit six sixes during his innings, but missed out on a historic century, scrambling for a single off the last ball of the innings. He had a slow start and hit just one six in his first 20 deliveries, off Prosper Utseya in the first over. However, he began to accelerate after the wicket of Nasir Jamshed in the sixth over, reaching his fifty in just 42 balls and scoring the next 48 off just 22 deliveries, to finish with a strike-rate of 153.12. The performances helped him move up 41 places on the ICC rankings for T20 batsmen and he is now ranked 18th. Even though the runs came against a 12th-ranked Zimbabwe team that has been overshadowed by off-field issues in recent weeks, Mohammad Hafeez, Pakistan's T20 captain, said that the batsman had fulfilled an important role for the side. "I am pleased to see Ahmed batting nicely throughout the series," Hafeez said "We really need someone to hold the innings from the top and he is the one who gave us the result we wanted to achieve." When Pakistan lost Jamshed for 23, they were 36 for 1 in 5.4 overs at a run-rate below seven. But Shehzad and Hafeez powered on, and shared an unbeaten 143-run partnership for the second wicket to give Zimbabwe a target of 180 runs, much to Hafeez's delight. "We knew they (Zimbabwe) were very much capable of causing a set back for us, so every game was important for us," Hafeez said. "We were thinking of getting around 150-160 runs on the board but Ahmed boosted our total and we knew we just had to bowl a disciplined line to clinch the match. The boys are very confident and have started trusting each other, which is something we've been trying to develop." Umar Farooq is ESPNcricinfo's Pakistan correspondent. He tweets here
Feeds: Umar Farooq © ESPN Sports Media Ltd.Shehzad, spinners sink Zimbabwe
Pakistan 161 for 5 ( Shehzad 70, Afridi 23*) beat Zimbabwe 136 for 5 (Taylor 32*, Afridi 3-25) by 25 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details Zimbabwe had their moments where they stretched Pakistan with a confident start in their chase of 162, but tackling the spinners in the middle overs was always going to be the bigger proposition. Pakistan's spin trio - led by Shahid Afridi - put the stranglehold on the scoring with regular wickets and the hosts found the target rapidly slipping away from them. Once the required rate neared an improbable 12, the final passage of play turned tepid. In both innings, Pakistan found the going tough in the first half of the innings but clawed back in the second. Ahmed Shehzad weathered a sluggish start with a solid half-century that set the base for Shahid Afridi to play his natural game and push Pakistan to a competitive score. The Pakistan seamers struggled to contain the openers, but following a few quiet overs of spin, the momentum shifted. Brendan Taylor was looking to play himself into some form, after a poor series against India, and he didn't have the time or an attacking partner at the other end to help his side reclaim the edge. After being put in to bat, Pakistan lost their first three wickets inside nine overs, all off questionable shots. Tendai Chatara accounted for the first two, and his second wicket to get rid of Mohammed Hafeez was made possible thanks to a brilliant reflex catch by Taylor. That catch was a good example of Zimbabwe's fielding in the early part of Pakistan's innings, but they couldn't put enough pressure on Pakistan in the second half. Pakistan progressed to a less-than-satisfactory 57 for 3 after ten overs, but the turning point in the innings came in the 12th over. It was Elton Chigumbura's first and he leaked 17, which included a pulled six by the debutant Sohaib Maqsood and two swept boundaries by Shehzad past short fine leg. Pakistan ensured they maintained that momentum till the end of the innings, picking 75 runs off six beginning from the 12th. Maqsood looked promising in a stand of 55 with Shehzad, pouncing on anything short from the seamers. After pulling Chigumbura over deep square leg, he tried to clear the straight boundary the following ball but was done in by an impressive running catch by Vusi Sibanda. Shehzad's knock was vital in giving Pakistan a base to build on, which was crucial given the under par scores from the rest of the top order. He managed only one boundary in the first ten overs and began to open up in the company of the confident Maqsood. He was caught on the edge of the long-on boundary for 70, attempting a second six. Afridi, sent in at No.6, made a cameo 23 to give the bowlers a solid score to defend. Sibanda and Hamilton Masakadza helped Zimbabwe race to 35 off five overs - at the same stage Pakistan had already lost two wickets. Taylor said at the toss that Zimbabwe were more comfortable chasing, and the openers certainly gave the impression. Sibanda didn't look too troubled by Mohammad Irfan's pace and lift, improvising by arching his back to steer the ball wide of the fielders on the off side. Saeed Ajmal was brought on in the sixth over as damage control. Captain Hafeez reverted to his seamers and Anwar Ali struck in the first over of his second spell when he trapped Hamilton Masakadza lbw attempting to pull a ball that wasn't short enough. A set Sibanda lost his leg stump to Afridi, staying back to a flat, quicker delivery. Sean Williams was trapped lbw on the sweep, but didn't appear satisfied with the decision. What Taylor needed was a form partner and the team management probably erred by not promoting Elton Chigumbura. Chigumbura performed better than some of the specialists in the one-dayers against India and when he walked in today Zimbabwe needed in excess of 17 an over. Timycen Maruma, who came in ahead of him, faced 13 balls for ten runs, at a time when Zimbabwe were desperate for a massive surge. The spinners held sway and the margin of victory was a comfortable 25 runs. Kanishkaa Balachandran is a senior sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo Feeds: Kanishkaa Balachandran © ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details Zimbabwe had their moments where they stretched Pakistan with a confident start in their chase of 162, but tackling the spinners in the middle overs was always going to be the bigger proposition. Pakistan's spin trio - led by Shahid Afridi - put the stranglehold on the scoring with regular wickets and the hosts found the target rapidly slipping away from them. Once the required rate neared an improbable 12, the final passage of play turned tepid. In both innings, Pakistan found the going tough in the first half of the innings but clawed back in the second. Ahmed Shehzad weathered a sluggish start with a solid half-century that set the base for Shahid Afridi to play his natural game and push Pakistan to a competitive score. The Pakistan seamers struggled to contain the openers, but following a few quiet overs of spin, the momentum shifted. Brendan Taylor was looking to play himself into some form, after a poor series against India, and he didn't have the time or an attacking partner at the other end to help his side reclaim the edge. After being put in to bat, Pakistan lost their first three wickets inside nine overs, all off questionable shots. Tendai Chatara accounted for the first two, and his second wicket to get rid of Mohammed Hafeez was made possible thanks to a brilliant reflex catch by Taylor. That catch was a good example of Zimbabwe's fielding in the early part of Pakistan's innings, but they couldn't put enough pressure on Pakistan in the second half. Pakistan progressed to a less-than-satisfactory 57 for 3 after ten overs, but the turning point in the innings came in the 12th over. It was Elton Chigumbura's first and he leaked 17, which included a pulled six by the debutant Sohaib Maqsood and two swept boundaries by Shehzad past short fine leg. Pakistan ensured they maintained that momentum till the end of the innings, picking 75 runs off six beginning from the 12th. Maqsood looked promising in a stand of 55 with Shehzad, pouncing on anything short from the seamers. After pulling Chigumbura over deep square leg, he tried to clear the straight boundary the following ball but was done in by an impressive running catch by Vusi Sibanda. Shehzad's knock was vital in giving Pakistan a base to build on, which was crucial given the under par scores from the rest of the top order. He managed only one boundary in the first ten overs and began to open up in the company of the confident Maqsood. He was caught on the edge of the long-on boundary for 70, attempting a second six. Afridi, sent in at No.6, made a cameo 23 to give the bowlers a solid score to defend. Sibanda and Hamilton Masakadza helped Zimbabwe race to 35 off five overs - at the same stage Pakistan had already lost two wickets. Taylor said at the toss that Zimbabwe were more comfortable chasing, and the openers certainly gave the impression. Sibanda didn't look too troubled by Mohammad Irfan's pace and lift, improvising by arching his back to steer the ball wide of the fielders on the off side. Saeed Ajmal was brought on in the sixth over as damage control. Captain Hafeez reverted to his seamers and Anwar Ali struck in the first over of his second spell when he trapped Hamilton Masakadza lbw attempting to pull a ball that wasn't short enough. A set Sibanda lost his leg stump to Afridi, staying back to a flat, quicker delivery. Sean Williams was trapped lbw on the sweep, but didn't appear satisfied with the decision. What Taylor needed was a form partner and the team management probably erred by not promoting Elton Chigumbura. Chigumbura performed better than some of the specialists in the one-dayers against India and when he walked in today Zimbabwe needed in excess of 17 an over. Timycen Maruma, who came in ahead of him, faced 13 balls for ten runs, at a time when Zimbabwe were desperate for a massive surge. The spinners held sway and the margin of victory was a comfortable 25 runs. Kanishkaa Balachandran is a senior sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo
Feeds: Kanishkaa Balachandran © ESPN Sports Media Ltd.Monday, 26 August 2013
'Consistency is the key'- Shehzad
Ahmed Shehzad's 98 against Zimbabwe was the highest score by a Pakistan batsman in T20Is © AFP
Pakistan batsman Ahmed Shehzad said he was pleased with his consistency after helping Pakistan win the T20 series against Zimbabwe with a record knock. Shehzad, who is making his third comeback to the national side in four years, hit two successive half-centuries, including the highest ever international Twenty20 score by a Pakistan batsman, to lead the team to their second win in as many days at the Harare Sports Club. "It is important to be consistent and I tried very hard to remain so," Shehzad said. "In the first few overs, I did not get much strike and could have panicked, but then as my confidence built up, I was able to get on strike more often and hit good shots. Zimbabwe played some good cricket and now we will be looking forward to playing them in the ODIs." Shehzad, who hails from a street near the Anarkali Bazaar in Lahore, was among a crop of the most promising young cricketers in the Pakistan set-up in recent years, and played at the Under-19 level with the likes of Umar Akmal, Mohammad Amir, Umar Amin, Junaid Khan and Raza Hasan. In last 12 List A matches played between 2007 and 2009, before his debut for Pakistan, Ahmed racked up five fifties and his form caught the attention of the then chief selector, Abdul Qadir. His career, however, has been under scrutiny following discipline issues. On Saturday, Shehzad smashed an unbeaten 98, after scoring 70 in the first T20. He hit six sixes during his innings, but missed out on a historic century, scrambling for a single off the last ball of the innings. He had a slow start and hit just one six in his first 20 deliveries, off Prosper Utseya in the first over. However, he began to accelerate after the wicket of Nasir Jamshed in the sixth over, reaching his fifty in just 42 balls and scoring the next 48 off just 22 deliveries, to finish with a strike-rate of 153.12. The performances helped him move up 41 places on the ICC rankings for T20 batsmen and he is now ranked 18th. Even though the runs came against a 12th-ranked Zimbabwe team that has been overshadowed by off-field issues in recent weeks, Mohammad Hafeez, Pakistan's T20 captain, said that the batsman had fulfilled an important role for the side. "I am pleased to see Ahmed batting nicely throughout the series," Hafeez said "We really need someone to hold the innings from the top and he is the one who gave us the result we wanted to achieve." When Pakistan lost Jamshed for 23, they were 36 for 1 in 5.4 overs at a run-rate below seven. But Shehzad and Hafeez powered on, and shared an unbeaten 143-run partnership for the second wicket to give Zimbabwe a target of 180 runs, much to Hafeez's delight. "We knew they (Zimbabwe) were very much capable of causing a set back for us, so every game was important for us," Hafeez said. "We were thinking of getting around 150-160 runs on the board but Ahmed boosted our total and we knew we just had to bowl a disciplined line to clinch the match. The boys are very confident and have started trusting each other, which is something we've been trying to develop." Umar Farooq is ESPNcricinfo's Pakistan correspondent. He tweets here
Feeds: Umar Farooq © ESPN Sports Media Ltd.Saturday, 24 August 2013
Shehzad, spinners sink Zimbabwe
Pakistan 161 for 5 ( Shehzad 70, Afridi 23*) beat Zimbabwe 136 for 5 (Taylor 32*, Afridi 3-25) by 25 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details Zimbabwe had their moments where they stretched Pakistan with a confident start in their chase of 162, but tackling the spinners in the middle overs was always going to be the bigger proposition. Pakistan's spin trio - led by Shahid Afridi - put the stranglehold on the scoring with regular wickets and the hosts found the target rapidly slipping away from them. Once the required rate neared an improbable 12, the final passage of play turned tepid. In both innings, Pakistan found the going tough in the first half of the innings but clawed back in the second. Ahmed Shehzad weathered a sluggish start with a solid half-century that set the base for Shahid Afridi to play his natural game and push Pakistan to a competitive score. The Pakistan seamers struggled to contain the openers, but following a few quiet overs of spin, the momentum shifted. Brendan Taylor was looking to play himself into some form, after a poor series against India, and he didn't have the time or an attacking partner at the other end to help his side reclaim the edge. After being put in to bat, Pakistan lost their first three wickets inside nine overs, all off questionable shots. Tendai Chatara accounted for the first two, and his second wicket to get rid of Mohammed Hafeez was made possible thanks to a brilliant reflex catch by Taylor. That catch was a good example of Zimbabwe's fielding in the early part of Pakistan's innings, but they couldn't put enough pressure on Pakistan in the second half. Pakistan progressed to a less-than-satisfactory 57 for 3 after ten overs, but the turning point in the innings came in the 12th over. It was Elton Chigumbura's first and he leaked 17, which included a pulled six by the debutant Sohaib Maqsood and two swept boundaries by Shehzad past short fine leg. Pakistan ensured they maintained that momentum till the end of the innings, picking 75 runs off six beginning from the 12th. Maqsood looked promising in a stand of 55 with Shehzad, pouncing on anything short from the seamers. After pulling Chigumbura over deep square leg, he tried to clear the straight boundary the following ball but was done in by an impressive running catch by Vusi Sibanda. Shehzad's knock was vital in giving Pakistan a base to build on, which was crucial given the under par scores from the rest of the top order. He managed only one boundary in the first ten overs and began to open up in the company of the confident Maqsood. He was caught on the edge of the long-on boundary for 70, attempting a second six. Afridi, sent in at No.6, made a cameo 23 to give the bowlers a solid score to defend. Sibanda and Hamilton Masakadza helped Zimbabwe race to 35 off five overs - at the same stage Pakistan had already lost two wickets. Taylor said at the toss that Zimbabwe were more comfortable chasing, and the openers certainly gave the impression. Sibanda didn't look too troubled by Mohammad Irfan's pace and lift, improvising by arching his back to steer the ball wide of the fielders on the off side. Saeed Ajmal was brought on in the sixth over as damage control. Captain Hafeez reverted to his seamers and Anwar Ali struck in the first over of his second spell when he trapped Hamilton Masakadza lbw attempting to pull a ball that wasn't short enough. A set Sibanda lost his leg stump to Afridi, staying back to a flat, quicker delivery. Sean Williams was trapped lbw on the sweep, but didn't appear satisfied with the decision. What Taylor needed was a form partner and the team management probably erred by not promoting Elton Chigumbura. Chigumbura performed better than some of the specialists in the one-dayers against India and when he walked in today Zimbabwe needed in excess of 17 an over. Timycen Maruma, who came in ahead of him, faced 13 balls for ten runs, at a time when Zimbabwe were desperate for a massive surge. The spinners held sway and the margin of victory was a comfortable 25 runs. Kanishkaa Balachandran is a senior sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo Feeds: Kanishkaa Balachandran © ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details Zimbabwe had their moments where they stretched Pakistan with a confident start in their chase of 162, but tackling the spinners in the middle overs was always going to be the bigger proposition. Pakistan's spin trio - led by Shahid Afridi - put the stranglehold on the scoring with regular wickets and the hosts found the target rapidly slipping away from them. Once the required rate neared an improbable 12, the final passage of play turned tepid. In both innings, Pakistan found the going tough in the first half of the innings but clawed back in the second. Ahmed Shehzad weathered a sluggish start with a solid half-century that set the base for Shahid Afridi to play his natural game and push Pakistan to a competitive score. The Pakistan seamers struggled to contain the openers, but following a few quiet overs of spin, the momentum shifted. Brendan Taylor was looking to play himself into some form, after a poor series against India, and he didn't have the time or an attacking partner at the other end to help his side reclaim the edge. After being put in to bat, Pakistan lost their first three wickets inside nine overs, all off questionable shots. Tendai Chatara accounted for the first two, and his second wicket to get rid of Mohammed Hafeez was made possible thanks to a brilliant reflex catch by Taylor. That catch was a good example of Zimbabwe's fielding in the early part of Pakistan's innings, but they couldn't put enough pressure on Pakistan in the second half. Pakistan progressed to a less-than-satisfactory 57 for 3 after ten overs, but the turning point in the innings came in the 12th over. It was Elton Chigumbura's first and he leaked 17, which included a pulled six by the debutant Sohaib Maqsood and two swept boundaries by Shehzad past short fine leg. Pakistan ensured they maintained that momentum till the end of the innings, picking 75 runs off six beginning from the 12th. Maqsood looked promising in a stand of 55 with Shehzad, pouncing on anything short from the seamers. After pulling Chigumbura over deep square leg, he tried to clear the straight boundary the following ball but was done in by an impressive running catch by Vusi Sibanda. Shehzad's knock was vital in giving Pakistan a base to build on, which was crucial given the under par scores from the rest of the top order. He managed only one boundary in the first ten overs and began to open up in the company of the confident Maqsood. He was caught on the edge of the long-on boundary for 70, attempting a second six. Afridi, sent in at No.6, made a cameo 23 to give the bowlers a solid score to defend. Sibanda and Hamilton Masakadza helped Zimbabwe race to 35 off five overs - at the same stage Pakistan had already lost two wickets. Taylor said at the toss that Zimbabwe were more comfortable chasing, and the openers certainly gave the impression. Sibanda didn't look too troubled by Mohammad Irfan's pace and lift, improvising by arching his back to steer the ball wide of the fielders on the off side. Saeed Ajmal was brought on in the sixth over as damage control. Captain Hafeez reverted to his seamers and Anwar Ali struck in the first over of his second spell when he trapped Hamilton Masakadza lbw attempting to pull a ball that wasn't short enough. A set Sibanda lost his leg stump to Afridi, staying back to a flat, quicker delivery. Sean Williams was trapped lbw on the sweep, but didn't appear satisfied with the decision. What Taylor needed was a form partner and the team management probably erred by not promoting Elton Chigumbura. Chigumbura performed better than some of the specialists in the one-dayers against India and when he walked in today Zimbabwe needed in excess of 17 an over. Timycen Maruma, who came in ahead of him, faced 13 balls for ten runs, at a time when Zimbabwe were desperate for a massive surge. The spinners held sway and the margin of victory was a comfortable 25 runs. Kanishkaa Balachandran is a senior sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo
Feeds: Kanishkaa Balachandran © ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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