Sports

Shadab’s all-round performance brings alive Pakistan’s hopes in T20 World Cup

Sydney. Shadab Khan’s all-round performance helped Pakistan keep their semi-final hopes alive as they beat South Africa by 33 runs by the Duckworth-Lewis method in a rain-hit T20 World Cup match on Thursday. Batting after winning the toss, Pakistan scored 185 runs for nine wickets on the basis of Shadab’s aggressive innings of 52 runs in 22 balls. Then Shaheen Shah Afridi (3 for 14) and Shadab (2 for 16) shook South Africa’s top order as South Africa could only manage 108 for nine in 14 overs. According to the Duckworth-Lewis method, South Africa were given a target of 142 runs to win in 14 overs after rain interruption. The win moved Pakistan (four points) to third in Group 2, while South Africa (five points) remained in second place behind top-ranked India (6 points). Shaheen dismissed dangerous South African batsmen Quinton Decaud (nil) and Riley Rossou (07) while Shadab took the wickets of captain Temba Bavuma (36 runs) and Aidan Markram (20 runs) after rain interrupted.

ALSO READ: India close to semi-finals with thrilling five-run win over Bangladesh

Then the team’s score was 69 runs for four wickets. South Africa needed 73 runs in five overs to win the match which was reduced by six overs due to rain. Tristan Stubbs (18 runs) and Heinrich Klaasen (15 runs) started the scoring. Klaasen hit a four on Shadab and then hit Shaheen for two consecutive fours in the cow corner and mid-off but he could not maintain the same pace. Shaheen’s ball took the inner edge of his bat and went into the fielder’s hand and South Africa lost the fifth wicket. South Africa felt the loss of injured batsman David Miller, who lost wickets at frequent intervals trying for fours and sixes. Earlier, apart from Shadab, Iftikhar Ahmed scored 51 runs in 35 balls. Both of them handled the Pakistani innings when the team was battling 43 for four in the seventh over. Shadab completed 50 runs in 20 balls which included four sixes and three fours. Electing to bat after winning the toss, the Pakistan team again failed to make a good start, losing the wicket of Mohammad Rizwan in the very first over who was bowled by Wayne Parnell. Mohammad Haris, who was included in the team in place of injured Fakhar Zaman, started trying to get the ball across the boundary line as soon as he arrived.

Also read: India set a target of 185 runs for Bangladesh, then Virat’s bat played

He scored 28 runs in 11 balls with the help of three sixes and two fours. But he got out leg before off Enrich Norcia. Haris took a review but did not change the decision, which at one point reduced Pakistan’s score from 38 for one wicket to 43 for four in two overs. In-form Iftikhar joined hands with Mohammad Nawaz (28 runs in 22 balls) to take the innings in which the duo shared a 52-run stand for the fifth wicket. But left-arm wrist spinner Tabrez Shamsi broke the partnership by getting Nawaz leg before. Nawaz got the ball across the boundary line four times during his innings and hit a six. Then Shadab came to the crease who started collecting runs as soon as he came together with Iftikhar. The duo shared a 36-ball 82-run partnership for the sixth wicket and helped the team reach the challenging target. For South Africa, Anrich Norkia took four wickets for 41 runs while Kagiso Rabada, Parnell, Lungi Ngidi and Shamsi took one wicket each.

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