03/12Result
2nd T20I, Pakistan tour of Zimbabwe at Bulawayo, Dec 3 2024
Pakistan won by 10 wkts (87b rem)
Player of the Match
Sufiyan MuqeemPakistan
03/12Result
2nd T20I, Pakistan tour of Zimbabwe at Bulawayo, Dec 3 2024
Pakistan won by 10 wkts (87b rem)
Player of the Match
Sufiyan MuqeemPakistan

3:33pm That will be all from us for this game. Lots of cricket coming up in the next few hours and if you want to follow any (or all) of it, ESPNcricinfo is your place to be. Until next time, this is goodbye from Ranjith and myself. Take care, folks!

Sufiyan Muqeem is the Player of the Match, which is not a massive surprise.

Salman Agha, Pakistan captain: That is how we want to play. We do not want to play according to the toss. We are a good enough team to win batting first or bowling first. We are a quality side and the way the youngsters are doing, it is very heartening to see. (On their fast bowlers) We have plans and we are executing really well. We want to hit the deck hard and the way they are doing so, it is going very well. The way they (Abrar and Sufiyan) bowled, it is outstanding. I am very happy and the team is very happy. We did not win the T20I series in Australia and we want to continue.

Sikandar Raza, Zimbabwe captain: (His view on the game and the team) We all are hurting and are in a pretty bad place. We have 36 hours to bounce back. We can stay in the moment and that will give us no chance (to come back). We still have the desire to come back and beat Pakistan before they go back home. You have to upskill yourself (against the spinners). It is tough in a way. I keep asking my squad to have two gears - there has to be a time where you have to grind and soak up the pressure. One thing I can ask is for patience, we have a very young squad. First time they are playing against such an opposition. My biggest concern is if we are learning our lessons when we lose because we seem to be making the same mistakes.

3:15pm That was an annihilation, and there are no two ways about it. Pakistan ran through Zimbabwe with the ball and their openers then did the needful. Like it was in the second ODI when these sides met, Pakistan did not lose a single wicket, with their openers seeing them through and past the finish line.

The questions continue to pop up for Zimbabwe, meanwhile. They simply did not turn up and that was not a great look, given the series was still on the line when this game started. Not much blame can be attached to the bowlers, defending such a low score and the match, well and truly, was lost with the bat and in that half an hour where they crumbled like a pack of cards.

5.3
4
Muzarabani to Saim Ayub, FOUR, there it is - a boundary to finish things off, and Pakistan win this T20I series at an absolute canter! Width outside off and that is always asking for trouble against Ayub. He gets his hands through the ball and knifes it past backward point. The openers shake hands with the umpire and the opposition, and the disappointment is etched on the hosts' faces!
5.2
0
Muzarabani to Saim Ayub, no run, on the shorter side again, outside off. Ayub hops up onto his toes and jabs it towards cover point

Scores level

5.1
4
Muzarabani to Saim Ayub, FOUR, oh dear - that sums up Zimbabwe's day! Dug into the track just outside off. Ayub arches his back again to create room and crashes it over backward point. Madande moves to his left from third man, puts in the dive and ends up parrying it inadvertently into the fence. To add to his woes, he seems to have done his left wrist some damage too, and looks in a lot of discomfort. Let's hope he is fine!

Just five more needed for Pakistan to seal this game and the series. Can they do it inside the powerplay?

END OF OVER:
5 | 8 Runs | PAK: 53/0 (5 runs required from 15 overs, RR: 10.60, RRR: 0.33)

  • Omair Yousuf22 (15b)
  • Saim Ayub28 (15b)
  • Richard Ngarava2-0-15-0
  • Trevor Gwandu1-0-13-0
4.6
2
Ngarava to Omair Yousuf, 2 runs, full outside off. Yousuf tries to force it through the off side and ends up tugging at it too much with his bottom hand. Muscles it past mid on and picks up two
4.5
0
Ngarava to Omair Yousuf, no run, right up in the blockhole outside off. Yousuf cannot get under it and digs it out towards the bowler
4.4
0
Ngarava to Omair Yousuf, no run, length outside off. Yousuf, sitting deep in his crease, drills it towards cover point
4.3
1lb
Ngarava to Saim Ayub, 1 leg bye, angled in on a length on leg stump. Ayub plays all over it and the ball rolls off the pads into the on side. There was a brief lbw appeal but that was heading well down leg

"Still worried for PCT. They are unpredictable " -- They'd do well to lose this from here, Adeel...

4.2
4
Ngarava to Saim Ayub, FOUR, dispatched! Slower ball that sits up to be hit and to be fair, is probably begging to be punished too. Ayub stands up tall and hammers it over mid wicket!
4.1
1
Ngarava to Omair Yousuf, 1 run, off-pace on a length outside off. Yousuf opens his bat face and runs it down to third man

Around the wicket

Ahmed: "Well, this is the point where Zimbabwe started losing wickets during their innings. " Pakistan only need 13 more, though...