Zimbabwe defeated Pakistan by 1 run in a nerve-wracking contest during the T20 World Cup on Thursday in Perth.
Earlier, Mohammad Wasim and Shadab Khan shared seven wickets between them as Pakistan restricted Zimbabwe to 130-8.
Pakistan will fancy their chances of getting the 131 they need to bounce back from their heartbreak-ing opening loss to India on Sunday.
Zimbabwe elected to bat first and Wesley Mad-hevere and skipper Craig Ervine used the pace of Pakistan’s seamers to good effect with a string of boundaries in a 42-run stand.
But Shadab’s 3-23 with his wrist spin and pace bowler Wasim’s 4-24 held Zimbabwe – whose open-ing match in the Super 12 in Hobart was a washout – to a below-par total.
Ervine smashed Naseem Shah for two delightful fours but mistimed an attempted pull off Haris Rauf to be caught out for 19 off 19 balls.
Wasim justified his selection in place of batsman Asif Ali as he sent back Madhevere trapped lbw for 17, a decision the umpires denied but Pakistan suc-cessfully reviewed.
Sean Williams survived a reprieve on nine after Iftikhar Ahmed spilled a catch at mid-wicket off pace spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi.
The left-handed Williams hit a few boundaries in his attempt to take the attack to Pakistan, before he was bowled by Shadab for 31. Shadab struck again to get Regis Chakabva out next ball with skipper Babar Azam taking a one-handed stunner at slip.—AFP
