* Low scoring pattern of games continue (Match 22)
By Dwayne Ferreira
Pakistan registered their first win in the T20 World Cup, beating Canada by 7 wickets in Game 22. The feared Pakistani pace attack worked their magic in the first inning, keeping Canada to an average score of just over 100. This target was easily chased down by the pair of Babar Azam and Mohammed Rizwan, almost flawlessly stealing two points away from the Canadians.
Sadly for fans of high scoring T20 internationals, this match turned out to be yet another low scoring occasion at the Nassau County Cricket Stadium in New York. It was evident that both teams faced challenges with finding boundaries whilst batting, although the pitch seemed a lot more relaxed compared to the previous matches held at the venue. It was no surprise that Babar Azam decided to bowl after winning the toss, as the pitch was known to favor the bowlers and favor sides batting second. The Pakistani ability to just turn up and scalp top order batsmen, proved once again to be the downfall of their opposition and a key turning point in the match. Mohammed Amir and Haris Rauf’s two wicket contributions with the ball took down majority of the Canadian batting line up, and had not it been for Aaron Johnson’s stubborn 52, Canada might have even not been able to end with their score of 106 for 7.
Seeing that the wicket looked a lot more tame than the one that India and Pakistan played on a couple nights prior, Mohammad Rizwan looked a lot more comfortable at the crease and got settled in quickly. Rizwan ended his stint unbeaten at 53, winning the match for his side thanks to a nifty partnership alongside his skipper. Although losing opener Saim Ayub after a good start, Rizwan was able to bring Pakistan back to life with a 63 run partnership with Babar Azam. The skipper played a crucial knock of 33 before heading back to the dug out, by this time, the damage had already been done. Rizwan finished off the remaining run with overs to spare, hoping that his efforts might boost their net run rate, given the tight margins in Group A.
Given the circumstances, Pakistan will be happy with their performance, they may have liked a more speedy victory but they did register their first points after two humiliating loses to India and the USA. Pakistan have shown to be resilient and certainly look like tough opponents for sides hoping to see them in the upcoming Super 8’s.
Chief Scores :-
Canada – 106 for 7 in 20 overs (Aaron Johnson 52, Kaleem Sana 13*, Saad Bin Zafar 10, Mohammad Amir 2 for 13, Haris Rauf 2 for 26)
Pakistan – 107 for 3 in 17.3 overs (Mohammad Rizwan 53*, Babar Azam 33, Saim Ayub 6, Dillon Heylinger 2 for 18, Jeremy Gordon 1 for 17)
Player of the Match – Mohammad Amir (2 for 13)
