Pakistan lost to Zimbabwe by one run in their second group match at the Optus Stadium Perth which meant that they are yet to win a single match in the tournament so far. Defending a modest 131, Zimbabwe stifiled the Pakistani batters and picked up wickets at regular intervals to stop their fancied rivals at 129 for eight.
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Pakistan-born all-rounder Sikandar Raza turned the match on its head in the middle overs with figures of 3 for 25 from his four overs, which included the wickets of Shan Masood (44), Shadab Khan (17) and Haider Ali. Right-arm pacer Brad Evans returned with figures of 2/25, while Blessing Muzarabani (1/18) and Luke Jongwe (1/10) also picked up wickets, to help their side to an incredible win.
Meanwhile, after the match former Pakistan cricketer Shoaib Akhtar lashed out at the team, saying he had feared such a thing would happen. It must be noted that he had earlier predicted that Pakistan maybe knocked out in the first round itself.
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“That’s embarrassing, to be most polite!,” he had tweeted first. He then followed it with his match analysis, before tweeting another comment: “Agar Zimbabwe hai toh khud he ho jaaye ga sab kuch? Nahi, khud nahi hota, kerna parta hai.”
Thats embarrassing, to be most polite!
— Shoaib Akhtar (@shoaib100mph) October 27, 2022
Average mindset, Average results. Thats the reality, face it. pic.twitter.com/plLZ11Qx0Y
— Shoaib Akhtar (@shoaib100mph) October 27, 2022
Agar Zimbabwe hai toh khud he ho jaaye ga sab kuch?
Nahi, khud nahi hota, kerna parta hai.— Shoaib Akhtar (@shoaib100mph) October 27, 2022
Back in September, the former Pakistan cricketer had lashed out at his own team after they had lost the Asia Cup final and said that skipper Babar Azam wants to look good and that’s why he is so obsessed with playing cover drives. He also compared Iftikhar to Misbah-ul-Haq.
Coming back to the match, It was Pakistan’s second defeat in as many matches after the four-wicket loss to arch-rivals India in another thrilling contest. For Zimbabwe, it was their first win from two matches. The African side had earlier split points with South Africa following a washout.
For the second time in the tournament, star Pakistani openers — skipper Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan — failed to provide a good start. Babar looked tentative before he was squared up by a seaming fuller length delivery from Evans.
An over later, Rizwan played on to the stumps a Muzarabani delivery while trying to cut a ball, which was too close to his body. Iftikhar Ahmed, who scored a brisk fifty against India, didn’t last long either, leaving Pakistan reeling at 36 for three in 7.4 overs.
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