Tag: T20I Series

  • Did Hassan Ali make the fastest ball record, leaving Shoaib Akhtar behind?

    Did Hassan Ali make the fastest ball record, leaving Shoaib Akhtar behind?

    Hassan Ali bagged Player of the Match award during Pakistan’s first T20 international of their three-match series against Bangladesh in Dhaka on Friday, which the Men In Green won by four wickets.

    It seems that even the technical team at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium were impressed. So much so that they ended up making an error while recording his bowling speed, reporting it as 219kph.

    Pakistan’s legendary speedster Shoaib Akhtar holds the record for bowling the fastest ball at 161.3 kph and it is next to impossible to bowl at a speed of 219kph.

    Meanwhile, Ali did become the player to take the most number of international wickets in 2021, including Tests, T20Is, and ODIs as he reached the mark of 64 after he picked up 3-22, helping Pakistan restrict Bangladesh to 127-7.

    Shaheen Shah Afridi is right behind him with 62 wickets, while Sri Lanka’s Dushmantha Chameera and South Africa’s Tabriz Shamsi have taken 50 wickets each.

    Meanwhile, netizens were sure that the world record has been made. Here are a few tweets:

    https://twitter.com/pakhtoon_lad/status/1461640955824640008?s=20

    https://twitter.com/FahadKhilji02/status/1461679953108512782?s=20
  • Shoaib Malik blasts ‘unacquainted decision makers’ after humiliating defeat by Zimbabwe

    Shoaib Malik blasts ‘unacquainted decision makers’ after humiliating defeat by Zimbabwe

    Shoaib Malik has lambasted “unacquainted decision-makers” after a humiliating defeat by Zimbabwe in the second T20I at Harare Sports Club on Friday.

    Read more – PTI’s Faisal Javed rubbishes Mohammad Asif’s claims of meddling in players’ selection process

    Pakistan’s struggles with the middle-order were laid bare in Harare as the team slumped to a 19-run defeat, with Zimbabwe bowling them out for 99. Wobbles in the middle order have been a worry for much of Pakistan’s tours of South Africa and Zimbabwe, but the side had, by and large, escaped paying for it until now.

    Pakistan captain Babar Azam was sufficiently alarmed by Pakistan’s showing with the bat to warn solutions had to be found swiftly, with time running out before this year’s T20 World Cup.

    Taking to Twitter, Malik thrashed the management, saying: “Unacquainted decision makers need to take a step back; Babar and Chief Selector [Mohammad Wasim] need to call the shots. In my opinion, we need an international white-ball coach who understands cricket inside out and grooms our captain whilst giving clarity to our players for coming time.”

    The cricketer further said: “When your management relies on likes and dislikes especially when your cricket is just in surviving mode, then what else do expect as a nation?”

    “On top of that when you don’t let your captain take decisions this is bound to happen,” he added.

    In the post-match presentation ceremony, Azam said: “It’s a very painful performance. In South Africa, we had chased down 200; similarly here, we should have won this game comfortably. But unfortunately, we played poor cricket and continued to struggle in the middle order. Today, it was not just the middle order, but our batsmen right through couldn’t perform the way we expect them to. It was a collective collapse and we lost as a group. But credit to Zimbabwe who came back so strongly today.”

    Azam refused to make excuses for the defeat. “The wicket was similar to the other day but it was suitable [for batters] and that is not an excuse anyway. As a professional, you adapt to every condition but I think we as openers didn’t give a good start from the top and then our middle order was struggling to step up. The World T20 is closing in and we have to sort this out as soon as possible. The next game we will come back and make a good combination.”

    Meanwhile, there has been no official reaction from the PCB to Malik’s tweets yet, but as the fallout from Pakistan’s defeat grows, there are signs a man who made his debut in 1999 may yet be relevant to them in 2021.

    Zimbabwe beat Pakistan for the first time in T20I cricket in their 16th attempt, registering their first T20I win at home since 2016. The three-match series is currently level at 1-1, with the final game being played on Sunday.

    While Pakistan former speedster Shoaib Akhtar said: “Vulnerability of middle order badly exposed. Batsmen couldn’t tackle slow wicket. Embarrasing defeat. Have to come back stronger in the 3rd match.”

    Earlier, former captain of the Pakistan cricket team Shahid Afridi had also raised the middle-order crisis in Pakistan Cricket Team.

    While congratulating the Pakistani team on winning the T20I against South Africa, he emphasised the need to work on middle-order performances.

    “Despite the victory, we need to review the middle-order performances where we seem to be struggling for a long time,” wrote the former all-rounder on Twitter.

    He also suggested that since it is the T20 World Cup year, the team should consider bringing Malik back.

  • Rizwan, Usman, Hasnain help Pakistan beat Zimbabwe with 11 runs

    Rizwan, Usman, Hasnain help Pakistan beat Zimbabwe with 11 runs

    Pakistan beat Zimbabwe in the first T20I with 11 runs, courtesy of a fine display of bowling from Mohammad Hasnain, Usman Qadir and Mohammad Rizwan’s brilliant knock.

    When no one stood for Pakistan in the batting, Rizwan stood there and helped Pakistan get a decent total of 149 runs. On the other hand, the rest of the team managed to score only 67 runs.

    Read more – Why is the Pakistan cricket team so dramatic?

    Zimbabwe failed to put the struggling teams away, and Pakistan were there for putting away several times in that first innings. In the end, the 12 wides bowled, and the sloppiness in the field came back to cost them, and the frenetic nature of the chase when it should have been a cakewalk didn’t quite work in the end. They could only reach up to 138 runs with the fall of 7 wickets.

    Rizwan’s unbeaten 82 of 61 balls also helped him win the Player of the Match award.

    “They won the toss and used the pitch well. The wickets here are different, the pitch keeps low. But Babar and I have this plan where if one fails the other tries to go deep. It’s working for now. In Zimbabwe, the ball doesn’t quite come on to the bat, but once Hafeez fell, my aim was to get us to 150,” said Rizwan in the presentation ceremony.

    Meanwhile, Qadir’s three-fer for only 29 runs and Hasnain’s brilliant bowling spells led Pakistan to victory.

    Pakistan has defended total of under 150 thrice against ZIM and ZIM made 137, 137 and 138 this time too close.

  • Fakhar, Faheem, Nawaz hand Pakistan T20I series

    Fakhar, Faheem, Nawaz hand Pakistan T20I series

    While both teams suffered collapses in the fourth and final T20I of the Pakistan-South Africa series, South Africa’s 145 target proved insufficient in the fourth T20I with Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman and Mohammad Nawaz dragging a stumbling Pakistan to clinch a 3-1 series win.

    Pakistan pulled off back-to-back T20I series wins over South Africa, even though the team did not have their first-choice personnel at their disposal, and capped off their tour with a 3-1 win. Thanks to a strong bowling performance and despite a batting wobble, Pakistan made heavy work of chasing 145, and after coasting on 92 for 1 lost 6 for 37 to put South Africa on the brink of a series-levelling coup. Thanks to Fakhar’s much needed 60 off 34 balls and Nawaz’s sensible conclusion, scoring 25 and hitting a six to end the match.

    Not the highest quality of cricket from either of the team, but all the nerves and all the errors added up and gave us a thriller to end this series. Pakistan has been the better team, as the 3-1 scoreline shows, but still needs to do plenty of work in different departments of the team.

    Nonetheless, the tour has been hugely entertaining, and Pakistan has come out on top in both the ODI and T20I series. A big achievement from them, and some encouraging signs for South Africa as well.

    For his brilliant spell, giving only 17 runs off 4 overs and 3 wickets, Ashraf was named the Player of the Match.

    Babar Azam received Player of the series for his 210 runs, including his maiden T20I century.

    Speaking at the post-match presentation ceremony, Babar said: “We’ve really enjoyed this tour, despite the quarantine and everything. It would be even better if our fans were here, but unfortunately, that was not possible because of COVID-19, but we got a lot of support on social media.”

    “Once the set batsmen got out, a bit of pressure came onto the middle order today. We’ll sit down and talk about it, and give the players confidence so they can make up for the mistakes they’ve made.”

    Read more – Babar Azam dethrones Virat Kohli to become number one ODI batsman

    The captain added: “When we left, we left with the idea that we had to win this series and give 110%, and that’s what we did. Fakhar performed brilliantly in the ODIs, the bowlers were outstanding overall. When players perform like that, results will follow.”

    Talking about his performance, Azam said: “As for my performance, it was all about giving 100%, enjoying my cricket, and doing what the team needs.”

    Meanwhile, notable people also congratulated team Pakistan on securing the feat.