Pakistan defeated South Africa by 33 runs (DLS Method) in the Super 12 match at the Sydney Cricket Ground, keeping their hopes of reaching the T20 World Cup 2022 semi-final alive.
Pakistan were in trouble after Mohammad Rizwan departed in single digits after deciding to bat first in the must-win game. Babar Azam’s bad form continued after Lungi Ngidi took his wicket.
Mohammad Haris, who replaced Fakhar Zaman, came out blazing, scoring 28 runs off 11 balls with two fours and three sixes.
Iftikhar Ahmed and Shadab Khan took over from there. Iftikhar scored 51 runs on 35 balls, but Shadab stole the show. Shadab scored a fifty off 20 balls, the second-fastest fifty by a Pakistani batter in T20 World Cups after Shoaib Malik.
Shadab Khan was named Player of the match for his quick knock of 52 runs of 22 balls which included three fours and four sixes.
Shadab Khan gets to his fifty in just 20 deliveries but falls immediately #T20WorldCup | #PAKvSA | : https://t.co/3VVq7VAJLt pic.twitter.com/GVnOPcLnjz
— ICC (@ICC) November 3, 2022
‘This is for my entire team who have supported me throughout. I try to give it my all for them and for the fans of Pakistan cricket. Will always keep believing and working hard no matter what’, he said.
This is for my entire team who have supported me throughout. I try to give it my all for them and for the fans of Pakistan cricket. Will always keep believing and working hard no matter what. #PakistanZindabad pic.twitter.com/aO6QAe9IKl
— Shadab Khan (@76Shadabkhan) November 3, 2022
Coming to the match, the SA run-chase didn’t get off to a good start when Shaheen Shah Afridi sent back Quinton de Kock and Rilee Rossouw in short succession. However, a 49-run stand between Temba Bavuma and Aiden Markram brought the proceedings back to normal.
Shadab had different plans for Bavuma, who had scored 36 runs from 19 balls. In the ninth over, the leg-spinner first dismissed Bavuma before dismissing Markram. Rain delayed play at the end of the 19th over, leaving the Proteas 16 runs behind the DLS par score.
South Africa were handed a revised target of 142 off 14 overs once play resumed, meaning they needed to score 73 runs in their final five overs to win the match.
South Africa lost wickets at regular intervals in an attempt to go for huge hits, falling far short of the target. In 14 overs, they scored 108 for nine.
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