Pakistani batsman Mukhtar Ahmed plays a shot during the second and final International T20 cricket match between Pakistan and Zimbabwe at the Gaddafi Cricket Stadium in Lahore on May 24, 2015. PHOTO: AFP
Bilawal Bhatti hit a six followed by a double and a four on first three balls of the last over to bag a win for Pakistan when it seemed like Zimbabwe were running away with a win.
Earlier, Mukhtar Ahmed scored 62 runs off 40 balls to boost Pakistan's chase of 176-run target. Umar Akmal also contributed 30 valuable runs down the order.
Sean Williams and and Chris Mpofu bagged two wicket each for the visitors.
Zimbabwe were helped by Sean Williams' 58 off just 32 balls, while Vusimuzi Sibanda also chipped in with 49 runs.
Shoaib Malik, Shahid Afridi and Muhammad Sami bagged one wicket apiece for the hosts.
Man-of-the-match and man-of-the-series, Mukhtar Ahmed: It wasn't a simple game. We were under pressure. I have this style that it doesn't feel I am under pressure but I was feeling it. You have to go after every ball with a big target on the board.
Shahid Afridi: I am happy the matches went well. I am also proud of the crowd that came in and supported us. T20s are mostly like this. You cannot guess who will win. We have good talent coming and we just need to polish them a little. We want to take a good team to the World T20. We didnt bowl well in two overs and that cost us. Mukhtar, again played really well. Most importantly, I believed in Bhatti and as a captain you need to believe in your players. The boys delivered as I expected from them.
Pakistan 176-8 (19.4 overs)
FOUR! That is it! Pakistan WIN! The hosts bag the series 2-0. Bilawal Bhatti is the man of the moment for Pakistan. What a moment and what a shot!
Pakistan win their first #T20i series in home ground! #PakvsZim #T20i #CricketComesHome pic.twitter.com/rxlrAnVAEI
— zayn (@__abideen05) May 24, 2015
2 runs! Bhatti swings and get two. Four off three needed.
SIX! Bilawal Bhatti with a majestic shot. Its big, its huge, its over long-off. Six runs needed off five balls.
Brain Vitori to bowl the last over.
Pakistan 164-8 (19 overs)
Dot ball played by Imad. Charges on the last ball but misses it. Pakistan need 12 runs off the last over.
Single by Bhatti.
Wide called!
Single on the third by Imad Wasim. Bhatti faces the fourth ball. Can he produce magic with the bat?
OUT! Muhammad Rizwan caught at mid-wicket on the second ball.
Two off the first ball by Rizwan.
Chris Mpofu bowls.
Pakistan 159-7 (18 overs)
BOWLED! Anwar Ali cleaned up. Pakistan need 17 runs off 12 balls.
Sean Willaims bowls.
Pakistan 153-6 (17 overs)
Pakistan need 23 runs off 18 balls.
LBW! Umar Akmal receives a full-toss onto his pads. Umpire takes his time and says yes to Chris Mpofu. Umar departs on 30. Anwar Ali joins Rizwan in the middle.
SIX! Full and Umar Akmal launches it over long-off.
Pakistan 144-5 (16 overs)
Just five runs off his over. Pakistan need 32 off 24 balls.
Brian Vitori is back in the attack.
Pakistan 139-5 (15 overs)
SIX! Umar Akmal goes big over mid-wicket. The fielder takes the catch at the edge of the boundary but falls on the ropes. Umar survives yet again!
OUT! Afridi airs it for a simple catch at mid-on by Sikandar Raza. There was a small collision but Sikandar made sure it was safely in his hands.
SIX! That is huge by Afridi over extra cover off Sean Williams.
Pakistan 124-4 (14 overs)
FOUR! Umar Akmal ends the over with a boundary.
OUT! Mukhtar Ahmed caught at long-on while trying to clear the boundary.
Sikandar Raza bowls.
Pakistan 113-3 (13 overs)
DROPPED! Umar Akmal swings a short ball trying to clear the square leg boundary. The fielder, Mpofu, dives forward but couldn't bag it.
Prosper Utseya bowls his last over.
Pakistan 105-3 (12 overs)
FOUR and FIFTY up for Mukhtar Ahmed. Cuts is past the point fielder.
Sikandar Raza introduced into the attack.
Pakistan 98-3 (11 overs)
RUN OUT chance! And Shaoaib Malik is out. Bowlers gathers and hits the wickets with a direct hit even before Shoaib could make it back to his crease.
Utseya to Shoaib Malik, OUT, sharp piece of work from Utseya off his own bowling!#PakvsZim pic.twitter.com/MkR2JEpxxS
— PTV Sports (@PTVSp0rts) May 24, 2015
Prosper Utseya again!
Pakistan 92-2 (10 overs)
FOUR! Shoaib Malik opens his boundary account. Hits it past the long-on fielder.
Greame Cremer bowls his second.
Pakistan 84-2 (9 overs)
OUT! Nauman Anwar caught at long on 18. Shoaib Malik walks in for Pakistan. He bowled really well in the both the T20s. Can he deliver with the bat as well today?
Prosper Utseya continues.
Pakistan 80-1 (8 overs)
SIX,FOUR! Nauman Anwar making a statement here. Slog sweeps it over midwicket. Follows with a reverse sweep, scooping it over the short third-man fielder.
SIX! Mukhtar Ahmed powers it over covers.
Greame Cremer is brought into the attack.
Pakistan 61-1 (7 overs)
FOUR! First boundary in international cricket by Nauman Anwar. Bisects the long-on and long-off fielder.
FOUR! Short and Mukhtar Ahmed pulls it for a boundary.
Prosper Utseya is given the ball. He will be bowling his first ball with a re-modeled action.
Pakistan 47-1 (6 overs)
Just three runs off Sean Williams over.
Pakistan 44-1 (5 overs)
OUT! Ahmed Shehzad caught by Chibhabha at mid-off on 18.
Brian Vitori bowls.
Pakistan 40-0 (4 overs)
FOUR! Ahmed Shehzad moves left and cuts it through for the point boundary.
Sean Williams brought in early by Zimbabwe.
Pakistan 32-0 (3 overs)
FOURx2! Ahmed Shehzad joins the party. The ball kisses his thigh pads and runs to the fine leg boundary. He shuffles across the wicket and chips it towards square leg boundary for the second.
Chris Mpofu continues.
Imran khan and @RehamKhan1 watching match live along with @JahangirKTareen. #PakvsZim pic.twitter.com/j0Jg7oO3MX
— Rao Jee (@raoo512) May 24, 2015
Pakistan 18-0 (2 overs)
FOURx3! Mukhtar Ahmed on a roll once again. Cuts past point beating the third man. Edges one to beat third man again and then goes for the square leg boundary.
Brain Vitori bowls the second over.
Pakistan 3-0 (1 over)
Just three runs off the over.
Chris Mpofu given the new ball by Elton Chigumbura. Mukhtar Ahmed and Ahmed Shehzad open for Pakistan. Can they give Pakistan the same start as they did in the first T20?
Pakistan need 176 runs to win the second T20 and bag the series.
Zimbabwe 175-3 (20 overs)
Two runs off the last ball and they have improved the target for Pakistan
Swing and a miss by Charles Coventry. Happens again.
RUN OUT chance! Sean Williams survives it. He has just made it into the crease.
FOUR! Full and onto the pads. Sean Williams gets it past the fine leg fielder.
OUT! Elton Chigumbura caught at long-off by Ahmed Shehzad off Muhammad Sami.
Zimbabwe 168-2 (19 overs)
DOT! A good over by Afridi.
Chigumbura also takes a single on the leg side.
Williams chips it towards long-on. It just bounces before the fielder. Single taken.
Chigumbura manages a single off the long-off fielder.
Chigumbura beaten as he tries to sweep.
Single by Williams.
Shahid Afridi bowls the penultimate over.
Zimbabwe 164-2 (18 overs)
SIX! Chigumbura making a statement against Sami. This time over long-on.
SIX! This time over covers. Sheer power hitting from the Zimbabwe captain.
SIX! Elton Chigumbura goes over the long-on fielder.
Muhammad Sami is back.
Zimbabwe 150-2 (17 overs)
SIX! Sean Williams goes big to end the over.
OUT! Vusimuzi Sibanda (49) caught by Anwar Ali off Shahid Afridi.
Shahid Afridi takes the ball in his hands.
Zimbabwe 132-1 (16 overs)
Seven runs off the over.
Bilawal Bhatti has given the ball again. Can he find a wicket?
Zimbabwe 125-1 (15 overs)
FOUR! Sean Williams sweeps a flighted full-toss to beat Bilawal Bhatti on the boundary.
Shoaib Malik in for his last over.
Zimbabwe 114-1 (14 overs)
FOUR! Slow ball and he beats the same fielder again but this time on his right towards mid-wicket.
FOUR! Improvisation from Sean Williams. Moves towards off-stump and hits it towards square leg for a boundary.
Anwar Ali again for his third over.
Zimbabwe 105-1 (13 overs)
Just five runs off the over.
Shoaib Malik bowls his third.
Zimbabwe 100-1 (12 overs)
FOUR! Sean Williams beats the sweeper after crunching the shot through covers.
Anwar Ali in for his second over.
Zimbabwe 87-1 (11 overs)
Just four runs off it. He has been quite economical. Just eight runs off his two overs.
Shoaib Malik in for his second over.
Zimbabwe 83-1 (10 overs)
FOUR! Another one. This time goes for the leg boundary.
FOUR! Straight over Afridi's head. Sean Williams has just walked in and is on fire.
Nasty collision. Muhammad Sami and Shoaib Malik part of the act. Sami slips at the boundary while knocking his knee into Shoaib Malik's head. Shoaib receives some first aid and stands up smiling. No serious damage done.
Shahid Afridi in for his second over.
Pakistan misses you @BLACKCAPS! #CricketComesHome #PakvZim pic.twitter.com/uDa5zs7PUV
— Imran Ahmad Khan (@imranahmadkh) May 24, 2015
Zimbabwe 70-1 (9 overs)
OUT! Hamilton Masakadza (39) caught at long-on off Shoaib Malik by Anwar Ali. Spin works for Pakistan.
Shoaib Malik introduced into the attack. He was economical in the first T20. Can Pakistan put a break on Zimbabwe's runs?
Zimbabwe 66-0 (8 overs)
No boundaries in his over. Just seven runs off the over.
Shahid Afridi introduces himself into the attack.
Zimbabwe 59-0 (7 overs)
SIX! Length ball. Sibanda stands and delivers. Straight over the head of the fielder at long-on.
Imad Wasim bowls his second over. He is bowling well, into the batsmen's pads to disallow any room.
Zimbabwe 50-0 (6 overs)
Fifty-run partnership up for the opening pair.
FOUR! Sibanda goes flat past the mid-off fielder. Bhatti needs to find his rhythm. He has been hit for too many runs now.
Bilawal Bhatti given the ball.
Zimbabwe 39-0 (5 overs)
FOUR! Masakadza charges forward and goes straight over the bowler's head. He is targeting the straight boundary.
Debutant Imad Wasim is given the ball by stand-in captain Shoaib Malik.
Zimbabwe 32-0 (4 overs)
SIX! Straight over the bowler's head. It was in the air for a long time. That was a meaty blow.
Masakadza smashes it hard towards Afridi at mid-off. He has hurt his left hand and he is out of the ground. Muhammad Hafeez in for the captain. Meanwhile, Shoaib Malik is handling the captaincy.
Muhammad Sami in for his second over.
Zimbabwe 26-0 (3 overs)
FOUR! Third man this time. Masakadza reads the shorter length perfectly and edges it late for a boundary.
FOUR! Masakadza again goes straight. This time over the bowlers head.
FOUR! Full and cracked straight past the bowler by Masakadza.
Bilawal Bhatti is in for the third over.
Zimbabwe 13-0 (2 overs)
Sami starts with two great deliveries. Both leaving the batsmen guessing the line, swinging away.
Muhammad Sami in to bowl the second over.
Zimbabwe 8-0 (1 over)
FOUR! Upward drive over the covers fielders. Sibanda gets a boundary.
Swing and a miss on the first ball.
Who will open the bowling for Pakistan today? You will have the answer in a few minutes. Its Anwar Ali again who has been given the new ball by Shahid Afridi. Vusimuzi Sibanda and Hamilton Masakadza will open the batting for Zimbabwe.
Capping ceremony
Nauman Anwar and Imad Wasim are handed over the debut caps.
Pitch report
Ramiz Raja: The pitch is once again a batsmen's paradise. Flat and dry. The outfield is lush green and the crowd can expect a lot of runs.
Toss
Zimbabwe have won the toss and elected to bat first against Pakistan in the second T20.
#PAKvZIM Another toss won by @ChigumburaElton and he opts to put runs on the board first #cricketthewinner pic.twitter.com/JukQoJBZU3
— Zimbabwe Cricket (@ZimCricketv) May 24, 2015
Imran Khan will be watching the second T20 between Pakistan and Zimbabwe in Gaddafi stadium, Lahore. He will be accompanied by his wife Reham Khan and Jahangir Tareen.
The crowd is elevated in Gaddafi stadium, Lahore. Toss will be done in just a few minutes.
Fans are gathering up in Gaddafi stadium for the second T20. PHOTO: MALIK SHAFIQ/EXPRESSHammad Azam, Nauman Anwar and Rizwan Ahmed are likely to replace Bilawal Bhatti, Muhammad Hafeez and Sarfraz Ahmed, sources say.
The stadium is being filled with spectators and the players are out in the field to warm up before the match.
It's Time to clean sweep Zimbabwe. Good Luck Team Green.#PAKvZIM #PakvsZim #CricketComesHome #cricketreturnshome pic.twitter.com/o0BljBDPbi
— Rana Mohsin Sabir (@RanaMohsinSabir) May 24, 2015
https://twitter.com/iam_Hunbal/status/602450526979002368
1713853507-0/MalalaHilary-(2)1713853507-0-270x192.webp)
COMMENTS (6)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ