NEW YORK: Pakistan clinched a crucial seven-wicket victory against Canada, propelled by a combined bowling effort and Mohammad Rizwan’s stellar half-century in the 22nd match of the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 at Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York on Tuesday. The victory kept Pakistan’s hopes alive for the Super 8 stage of the mega tournament.
Facing a target of 107 runs, Pakistan chased down the total with ease, losing only three wickets and 15 balls to spare in the match at New York.
Pakistan’s new opening pair of Saim Ayub and Mohammad Rizwan struggled to provide a solid start, with Saim Ayub departing early after scoring a scratchy six off 12 deliveries. However, Rizwan found stability in a partnership with Babar Azam, anchoring the run chase with a resilient performance.
Despite losing Babar Azam after a valuable 63 runs partnership, Rizwan continued to dominate the Canadian bowling attack. Rizwan partnered briefly with Fakhar Zaman, who scored just four runs and perished on the second delivery of the 18th over with just three more required.
Usman Khan then hit the winning runs for Pakistan when he guided one towards the midwicket region for a couple. Rizwan remained unbeaten with 53 runs off 50 deliveries, guiding Pakistan to victory with three boundaries and a six to his name.
Canada, batting first, could only manage to post 106/7 on the scoreboard, despite a commendable half-century from opener Aaron Johnson. Although Johnson provided a flying start to Canada’s innings, the team struggled to maintain momentum, losing wickets at regular intervals.
Despite Johnson’s valiant effort, Pakistan’s bowlers, led by Mohammad Amir and Haris Rauf, kept the Canadian batsmen in check, limiting them to a below-par total.
With this victory, Pakistan stays alive in the T20 World Cup 2024, currently placed third in Group A with two points. On the other hand, Canada sits fourth in the group standings with two points from as many matches.
Pakistan Playing XI
Pakistan: Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Saim Ayub, Babar Azam (capt), Fakhar Zaman, Usman Khan, Shadab Khan, Imad Wasim, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Amir
Canada Playing XI
Aaron Johnson, Navneet Dhaliwal, Pargat Singh, Nicholas Kirton, Shreyas Movva (wk), Ravinderpal Singh, Dilon Heyliger, Saad Bin Zafar (capt), Kaleem Sana, Junaid Siddiqui, Jeremy Gordon
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