HARARE, Zimbabwe: Luke Jongwe took four wickets as Zimbabwe pulled off a surprise 19-run victory over Pakistan Friday in the second Twenty20 international of a three-match series at Harare Sports Club.
Pakistan skipper Babar Azam won the toss, opted to bowl, and the tourists restricted their hosts to 118-9 with 34-run Tinashe Kamunhukamwe the only batsman to impress.
Set a run-a-ball target for victory, Pakistan lost star opener Mohammad Rizwan for only 13 and 41-run Azam was the lone batsman to star as they slumped to 99 all out off 19.5 overs.
Right-arm medium pacer Jongwe (4-18) captured the wickets of Rizwan and Azam, and those of Haris Rauf and Arshad Iqbal as the Pakistan tail collapsed.
Ryan Burl (two), Blessing Muzarabani and Richard Ngarava (one each) were the other Zimbabwean wicket-takers.
The result levelled the series at 1-1 and it will be decided at the same venue Sunday as Pakistan seek a second successive T20 series win having beaten South Africa 3-1 before traveling to Zimbabwe.
Rizwan made 82 when Pakistan beat Zimbabwe by 11 runs Wednesday, but faced only 18 balls and hit one four before being caught by Tarisai Musakanda.
Fellow opener Azam lasted one hour, faced 45 balls and struck five fours before becoming the fourth Pakistan batsmen to fall, leaving the tourists on 78-4 after 15.5 overs.
With wickets falling cheaply, the tourists began the final over on 99-7 and needing 20 runs to snatch a dramatic victory.
But instead of a run fest, the wickets of Usman Qadir, Rauf and Iqbal fell without any addition to the scoreboard.
Earlier, Kamunhukamwe cracked four fours as he faced 40 deliveries in a 60-minute stand.
His innings ended when caught by Azam off the bowling of Danish Aziz, who was making his second appearance for the tourists.
Fellow opener Brendan Taylor, who missed the first match due to illness, lasted only seven balls before being caught by Mohammad Hafeez off a Faheem Ashraf delivery for five.
Apart from Kamunhukamwe, Regis Chakabva (18), Wesley Madhevere (16) and Tadiwanashe Marumani and Musakanda (13 each) reached double figures for the hosts.
Six Pakistan bowlers shared the wickets with Mohammad Hasnain (2-19) and Aziz (2-29) the most successful, while Ashraf, Iqbal, Rauf and Qadir took one each.
After the T20 series, Zimbabwe and Pakistan will play two Tests in Harare, beginning on April 29 and May 7.
Jongwe snatches four wickets as Zimbabwe surprise Pakistan in T20
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Jongwe snatches four wickets as Zimbabwe surprise Pakistan in T20
- Zimbabwe pulled off a surprise 19-run victory over Pakistan Friday in second Twenty20 international of three-match series
- Pakistan skipper Babar Azam won the toss, opted to bowl, and the tourists restricted their hosts to 118-9
Pakistan, UK discuss regional security, cross-border attacks as senior official visits Islamabad
- British envoy for Afghanistan Richard Lindsay’s visit comes at a time of a surge in militancy in Pakistan’s border regions
- Pakistani diplomat says both sides reviewed broader security challenges, emphasized coordination to address ‘shared concerns’
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani and British officials have discussed regional security challenges and cross-border attacks during talks in Islamabad, a Pakistani diplomat said on Tuesday, during a visit of the United Kingdom’s Afghanistan envoy, Richard Lindsay, to the Pakistani capital.
Pakistan and the UK regularly cooperate on counterterrorism and security, with a focus on intelligence-sharing to combat militant activity. Lindsay’s visit comes at a time of a rise in militancy in Pakistan’s western provinces, which border Afghanistan.
Mohammad Sadiq, Pakistan’s special representative for Afghanistan, said the discussions in Islamabad focused on the regional security situation, particularly the urgent challenge posed by cross-border attacks.
“We also exchanged views on the latest regional security developments and broader security challenges,” he said on X. “We emphasized the importance of continued cooperation and coordination to address shared concerns and promote regional stability.”
Islamabad frequently accuses Afghanistan of allowing its soil and India of backing militant groups, such as the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), for attacks against Pakistan. Kabul and New Delhi deny this.
In recent years, Pakistan and the UK have engaged with each other on counterterrorism and cross-border crimes as part of bilateral cooperation.
Both sides held the second round of the Pakistan-UK Counter Terrorism Dialogue in London in February last year, reviewing global and regional threats and exchanging best practices. Over the years, armed forces of both countries have also maintained close cooperation, particularly in counterterrorism efforts and professional military training.
