Pakistan gave their out-going coach, Waqar Younis, a perfect farewell by winning the final match of the Tour as well. Tatenda Taibu sparkled to pull off a close win, but Pakistan again proved too good for the hosts. Hafeez, unsurprisingly, continued his heroics.
Pakistan made one change, replacing Aizaz Cheema with Junaid Khan. The batting again looked thin as they played with five front line bowlers. Zimbabwe too made a solitary change, bringing in an extra spinner in Prosper Utseya for Chris Mpofu.
Zimbabwe’s decision to start with Utseya’s off-spin did not seem to trouble Pakistan, but seamers, helped by frequent bowling changes, jolted Pakistan’s top order. Pakistan were 34 for 3 at the end of powerplay overs, with Shafiq, Ramiz and Shoaib Malik all undone by seam bowling.
At this stage, Hafeez and Umar Akmal put the innings back on track by getting 59 runs for the 4th wicket. They scored at about 7 an over which was adequate at that stage. Hafeez continued his scintillating form by scoring uninhibited. He got boundaries at will, Utseya being his primary target. The departure of Hafeez for 51 (38b 5x4 1x6) brought Zimbabwe back in the game. Ray Price took the prized scalp, as Hafeez was caught at long on.
Umar Akmal, batting at less than run-a-ball, needed to take over the aggression from Hafeez. His run out gave Zimbabwe a clear upper hand. The boundaries dried out as Zimbabwe fielded and bowled brilliantly. The middle overs struggle meant Pakistan needed to finish strong but Misbah, Sohail Tanvir and Yasir Shah could only take Pakistan to 141 for 7 at close.
Kyle Jarvis bowled brilliantly for his 3 for 14. At the innings break, Zimbabwe had good chances to secure their first win of the tour by chasing down this mediocre total on a batting, albeit a tad slow, surface.
In reply, Zimbabwe started well as Vusi Sibanda and Chamu Chibhabha cruised to 28 in four overs. Introduction of spin reaped immediate reward, as Chibhabha was brilliantly caught by Yasir shah at mid-on.
Junaid Khan came on to remove Sibanda, and Hafeez became the third man to get a wicket in his first over in the innings when Zhuwao missed a straighter one. Hafeez continued to be Zimbabwe’s night-mare when he nipped out Masakadza and Brendan Taylor in quick succession to leave Zimbabwe reeling at 61 for 5 in the 12th over.
Charles Coventry clattered two fours off Junaid khan but perished going for the third in a row, playing on a rising off-side delivery. At 71 for 6, the chase seemed over for the hosts, but Tatenda Taibu had other ideas. He did not lose hope and got Elton Chigumbura to go for a final push.
Zimbabwe needed to score at 11 an over in the last 4 overs to upset Pakistan. Sohail Tanvir was hooked for a four by Taibu, followed by a thumping Six by Chigumbura a ball later. Trying to repeat the shot, he was pouched by Shafiq at long-on. Taibu was running out of partners, and overs.
Saeed Ajmal bowled a tight 18th over, leaving Zimbabwe to score 29 from the two left. Taibu reduced the target to 20 from 6 balls, a stiff task but not impossible.
Taibu moved back a little staying on the back foot and hit the first ball from Sohail Khan for a stunning straight six to instill belief in the hosts’ camp for a sensational end. But Sohail pulled back things by not leaking another boundary as Zimbabwe ended agonizingly short. They lost by just 5 runs as Taibu remained unbeaten on 37 off 28 balls.
Junaid got two scalps, but the star of the show once again was Hafeez who had outstanding figures of 3 for 11 in three overs. He was again the Man of the Match.
Mohammad Hafeez may have wished the Tour continued on for some more time, as he is in the form of his life, so far, both with bat and ball.
Pakistan won all the matches on the trip, a perfect practice ahead of a tough season, while Zimbabwe have many holes to fill before they take on New Zealand.
Pakistan 141/7 (Hafeez 51, U Akmal 28; Jarvis 3/15) beat Zimbabwe 136/7 (Taibu 378, Chigumbura 24; Hafeez 3/11) by 5 runs
Series: Pakistan won 2-0
Man of the Match: Mohammad Hafeez
Match Report – 2nd T20I: Zimbabwe v Pakistan, Harare Sports Club, 16 September 2011
Zimbabwe’s decision to start with Utseya’s off-spin did not seem to trouble Pakistan, but seamers, helped by frequent bowling changes, jolted Pakistan’s top order. Pakistan were 34 for 3 at the end of powerplay overs, with Shafiq, Ramiz and Shoaib Malik all undone by seam bowling.
At this stage, Hafeez and Umar Akmal put the innings back on track by getting 59 runs for the 4th wicket. They scored at about 7 an over which was adequate at that stage. Hafeez continued his scintillating form by scoring uninhibited. He got boundaries at will, Utseya being his primary target. The departure of Hafeez for 51 (38b 5x4 1x6) brought Zimbabwe back in the game. Ray Price took the prized scalp, as Hafeez was caught at long on.
Umar Akmal, batting at less than run-a-ball, needed to take over the aggression from Hafeez. His run out gave Zimbabwe a clear upper hand. The boundaries dried out as Zimbabwe fielded and bowled brilliantly. The middle overs struggle meant Pakistan needed to finish strong but Misbah, Sohail Tanvir and Yasir Shah could only take Pakistan to 141 for 7 at close.
Kyle Jarvis bowled brilliantly for his 3 for 14. At the innings break, Zimbabwe had good chances to secure their first win of the tour by chasing down this mediocre total on a batting, albeit a tad slow, surface.
In reply, Zimbabwe started well as Vusi Sibanda and Chamu Chibhabha cruised to 28 in four overs. Introduction of spin reaped immediate reward, as Chibhabha was brilliantly caught by Yasir shah at mid-on.
Junaid Khan came on to remove Sibanda, and Hafeez became the third man to get a wicket in his first over in the innings when Zhuwao missed a straighter one. Hafeez continued to be Zimbabwe’s night-mare when he nipped out Masakadza and Brendan Taylor in quick succession to leave Zimbabwe reeling at 61 for 5 in the 12th over.
Charles Coventry clattered two fours off Junaid khan but perished going for the third in a row, playing on a rising off-side delivery. At 71 for 6, the chase seemed over for the hosts, but Tatenda Taibu had other ideas. He did not lose hope and got Elton Chigumbura to go for a final push.
Zimbabwe needed to score at 11 an over in the last 4 overs to upset Pakistan. Sohail Tanvir was hooked for a four by Taibu, followed by a thumping Six by Chigumbura a ball later. Trying to repeat the shot, he was pouched by Shafiq at long-on. Taibu was running out of partners, and overs.
Saeed Ajmal bowled a tight 18th over, leaving Zimbabwe to score 29 from the two left. Taibu reduced the target to 20 from 6 balls, a stiff task but not impossible.
Taibu moved back a little staying on the back foot and hit the first ball from Sohail Khan for a stunning straight six to instill belief in the hosts’ camp for a sensational end. But Sohail pulled back things by not leaking another boundary as Zimbabwe ended agonizingly short. They lost by just 5 runs as Taibu remained unbeaten on 37 off 28 balls.
Junaid got two scalps, but the star of the show once again was Hafeez who had outstanding figures of 3 for 11 in three overs. He was again the Man of the Match.
Mohammad Hafeez may have wished the Tour continued on for some more time, as he is in the form of his life, so far, both with bat and ball.
Pakistan won all the matches on the trip, a perfect practice ahead of a tough season, while Zimbabwe have many holes to fill before they take on New Zealand.
Pakistan 141/7 (Hafeez 51, U Akmal 28; Jarvis 3/15) beat Zimbabwe 136/7 (Taibu 378, Chigumbura 24; Hafeez 3/11) by 5 runs
Series: Pakistan won 2-0
Man of the Match: Mohammad Hafeez
Published in SportPulse.net on 18 Sep 2011
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