All-rounder Sikandar Raza sensationally picked up 3/25 against Pakistan on Thursday as Zimbabwe prevailed by one run in a final-ball thriller to register their first Super 12 win at the T20 World Cup.
Floored by an extraordinary last-ball defeat to arch-rivals India in their opening match on Sunday, Pakistan, the 2009 World T20 champions, find their tournament in tatters after, having restricted Zimbabwe to a modest 130/8 at Perth Stadium, reaching just 129/8 in reply.
For Zimbabwe, it was their first win from two matches. The African side had earlier split points with South Africa following a washout.
Pakistan’s hopes are now hanging by a thread. Even if they win all of their remaining games, Babar Azam’s men will need some help from other teams — they will also have to root for India against South Africa — to make the semis.
Fresh off a horror last over against India that cost his side the match, Mohammed Nawaz’s nightmare tournament continued when he was caught for 22 off the penultimate ball of the match off the bowling of Brad Evans (2/25), who had an 11-run cushion in the last over.
Pakistan’s chase got off to a rocky start, squeezed at 36/3 in the eighth over with the world’s top-ranked T20 batsman, Mohammad Rizwan, back in the dugout for 14 having chopped a delivery from two-metre tall Blessing Muzarabani (1/18) on to his stumps.
For the second time in the tournament, star Pakistani openers — Babar and Rizwan — failed to provide a good start. Babar looked tentative before he was squared up by a seaming fuller length delivery from Evans.
It was left to Shan Masood to steady the ship with a composed 44, regularly exploiting the large outfield to run twos. But Raza further pegged back the Asian side with his off-spin, having Masood stumped off a wide.
After losing the toss earlier, Pakistan’s much-vaunted pace attack bowled too full in the Powerplay overs, conceding 47 runs, although quick wickets to dismiss the Zimbabwe openers kept the rate in check.
Signalling a return to form after scoring one in his side’s washout against South Africa on Monday, all-rounder Sean Williams (31) found the boundary three times and looked set to accelerate with the score at 95/3 and six overs remaining.
Spinner Shadab Khan (3/23) clean bowled the left-hander before he had the chance though, triggering a collapse in which four wickets fell in six deliveries with no runs added.
Late runs from Evans (19 off 15 balls) gave the African side the lift they ultimately needed to move to third position in Group II.
Sikandar, the king of good ‘time’
Sikandar Raza is having a great ‘time’ on the field.
Before they came to the T20 World Cup, the Zimbabwean all-rounder had a deal with his captain Craig Ervine that every time one among them won a Man of the Match award, the other would have to gift a watch. Sikandar has already been adjudged best of the match thrice, the latest being on Thursday as his 3/25 helped his team shock Pakistan by a run in Perth.
Sikander was seen tapping his wrist in a signal to Ervine on Thursday. “When we were coming to Australia, I said to my captain, ‘If you become Man of the Match, pick any watch from the catalogue and I’ll buy you. But if I win Man of the Match, then you’re gonna buy me one.’
“So I’m just reminding him that you (Ervine) now owe me three watches actually,” he said at the post-match presentation ceremony.
The Pakistan-born 36-year-old was too overcome by emotions to express himself.
“I think I’m lost for words. My throat’s dry, probably because of all the emotions. I can’t tell you how proud I am of this bunch of boys.
Ponting pep talk
Sikandar thanked former Australia captain Ricky Ponting for inspiring him to give his best. The ICC tweeted a video of Ponting praising the Zimbabwean, saying, “He just seems to know exactly what to do, when to do it.”
“The motivation was always there but if I needed a little push, I thought that clip did a wonder, so thanks very much to Ricky as well.”
