BULAWAYO: Pakistan wrist spinner Sufiyan Muqeem starred in a series-clinching 10-wicket Twenty20 international rout of Zimbabwe in Bulawayo on Tuesday.
The 25-year-old took five consecutive wickets for the loss of only three runs as Zimbabwe crumbled to 57 all out in 12.4 overs after making a promising start.
Pakistan then sped to 61-0 off 33 balls through Saim Ayub (36) and Omair Yousuf (22) to follow up a 57-run victory last Sunday in the first of three matches.
Victory completed a white-ball double for the tourists, who won a one-day international series 2-1 last week.
Pakistan captain Salman Agha said: “Losing the toss did not concern us because we had plans and executed them really well. The bowling of Sufiyan was outstanding.
“We have a young side full of quality players and the way they are performing is very heartening for me.”
Zimbabwe skipper Sikandar Raza admitted his team were “all hurting and in a pretty bad place at the moment.
“My biggest concern is whether we are learning our lessons when we suffer defeats because we seem to be making the same mistakes match after match.”
Zimbabwe openers Brian Bennett (21) and Tadiwanashe Marumani (16) — the only batters to reach double figures — built a 37-run partnership in four overs.
Then, both fell within five balls, and the home team lost their 10 wickets for just 20 runs as Muqeem wreaked havoc.
Marumani was caught by Tayyab Tahir at cover point and Bennett by Irfan Khan at deep square leg at the Queens Sports Club.
All-rounder Raza, often the batting savior for Zimbabwe, made just three before his off stump was uprooted by Abbas Afridi.
Raza was among four bowlers who had no success trying to contain Ayub and Yousuf. The openers struck 10 boundaries, including a six each, between them.
A four from Ayub past backward point sealed victory.
Pakistan complete the T20 series against Zimbabwe on Thursday. They then travel to South Africa for an eight-match all-formats tour, including two Tests.
Muqeem stars as Pakistan crush Zimbabwe to win T20 series
https://arab.news/2zqf3
Muqeem stars as Pakistan crush Zimbabwe to win T20 series
- The 25-year-old took five consecutive wickets for the loss of only three runs
- Zimbabwe crumbled to 57 all out in 12.4 overs after making a promising start
Pakistan cricketers fined after failing to reach Twenty20 World Cup semifinals — report
- PCB links financial benefits to performance after fourth straight ICC semifinal exit
- Fine reportedly imposed despite record-breaking tournament from Sahibzada Farhan
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Cricket Board has reportedly fined players around $18,000 each after the team failed to qualify for Twenty20 World Cup semifinals.
PCB “officials have clearly told the players that enough pampering has been done — from now on, financial benefits will only come with performance,” the Express Tribune reported Tuesday.
According to the report, the PCB decided to fine the players after Pakistan lost a group-stage match to archrival India on Feb. 15. However, after the team qualified for the Super Eight stage the players were told the fine could be waived if Pakistan reached the semifinals.
Pakistan needed to beat co-host Sri Lanka by 65 runs in the last group match to qualify for final four ahead of New Zealand, but instead it narrowly scraped to a five-run win.
The report said PCB officials told the playing group that if they accepted rewards for good performances, “they must also pay penalties for poor ones.”
The fines reportedly included at least one outstanding performer — Sahibzada Farhan — who broke India great Virat Kohli’s record for most runs in a T20 World Cup and finished the tournament with 383 runs, featuring two centuries and two half centuries.
The sport’s national governing body did not respond to a request for comment.
It was the fourth successive major ICC tournament where Pakistan has missed the semifinals. Pakistan also hasn’t beaten India in a major event since 2022.
Soon after losing the last year’s Asia Cup final to India, the PCB briefly suspended permission for players participating in T20 leagues around the world but later allowed the players to compete in tournaments like Australia’s Big Bash.
Last year, the PCB abolished category A in its list of 30 centrally contracted players, and demoted both Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam in category B.
