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Shadab Khan (52 off 22 and 2/16) came up with a superb all-round effort in the T20 World Cup 2022 Super 12 match on Thursday, November 3, as Pakistan maintained their unbeaten record over South Africa in the ICC event. The 33-run triumph (vial DLS method) at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) also meant that Pakistan’s hopes of making the semi-finals remained alive.
Batting first after winning the toss, Pakistan recovered from a horror start to post 185/9 courtesy of half-centuries from Shadab and Iftikhar Ahmed. Shaheen Afridi (3/14) and Shadab then starred with the ball as South Africa were held to 108/9, chasing a revised target of 142 in 14 overs.
Beginning their innings in pursuit of 186, South Africa were in trouble at 69/4 after nine overs when rain halted play. The Proteas were off to a poor start as Quinton de Kock (0) toe-ended an on-side whack from Afridi to the fielder in the ring. Afridi had his second when Rilee Rossouw (seven) top-edged a short ball to deep third man.
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Under-fire South African captain Temba Bavuma looked in good nick for a change. He hit two elegant fours off Haris Rauf in the fourth over. Aiden Markram also helped himself to consecutive boundaries as 20 runs came off the over. As he grew in confidence, Bavuma also brought out a scoop for six off Rauf.
Bavuma, however, failed to convert his start, perishing on the first delivery from Shadab. Having made 36, he looked to run a ball down to third man, but only managed a nick to the keeper. In the same over, the leggie also knocked over Markram (20) with a skidder that beat the batter’s whip.
After a rain delay, when the match resumed, South Africa needed 73 off 30 balls. Heinrich Klaasen struck a couple of classy boundaries off Afridi before perishing to the left-arm pacer. Having made 15, he top-edged a delivery on leg stump straight up in the air.
Wayne Parnell (three) was then trapped plumb in front of the stumps by Mohammad Wasim. Naseem Shah bowled a brilliant penultimate over, outsmarting Tristan Stubbs (18) with a slower bouncer. Only two runs came of the over, leaving South Africa with an improbable target of 41 runs off six balls.
Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan fifties lift Pakistan to 185/9
Iftikhar (51 off 35) and Shadab (52 off 22) played excellent knocks as Pakistan posted an impressive 185/9 after winning the toss and batting first. The duo added 82 runs for the sixth wicket as Pakistan recovered from a precarious 95/5.
Pakistan got off to another disappointing start, losing four wickets for 43 runs inside seven overs. Mohammad Rizwan (four) chopped a delivery from Wayne Parnell back onto his stumps in the first over. Mohammad Haris, coming in for Fakhar Zaman, clobbered Kagiso Rabada for 6,6,4 off consecutive deliveries in the second over.
Haris’ blitz ended on 28 off 11 as he was trapped lbw by Anrich Nortje. After scooping the bowler for a cheeky six, the young batter tried to whip the Proteas pacer on the next ball, but was late on his stroke. Pakistan captain Babar Azam’s misery with the bat continued as he was dismissed for six off 15 balls. The batter miscued a slower ball from Lungi Ngidi, looking for a big hit. Rabada took a brilliant running catch to add to his tally of superb fielding efforts.
Shan Masood (two) was foxed by a slower delivery from Nortje and chipped a simple catch to mid-off. De Kock dropped a touch chance offered by Iftikhar early in his innings and the Pakistan batter utilized the life. He added 52 for the fifth wicket with Mohammad Nawaz to give the innings some direction.
Nawaz (28 off 22) struck a few meaty blows, but the partnership ended in bizarre fashion. Immediately after smashing a six, the left-hander was adjudged lbw to Tabraiz Shamsi. He got himself run-out as well, by moving out of his crease. However, the run-out did not stand as the ball was dead once the lbw decision was given. Replays showed that Nawaz had edged the ball, so had he taken DRS, he would have survived.
Pakistan did exceptionally well to overcome Nawaz’s loss courtesy of Iftikhar and Shadab. Iftikhar began the 14th over by whacking Parnell down the ground for a maximum. In the next over, Shadab slapped Shamsi for a four and a six. The big hits kept flowing and Shadab even took on Nortje, slamming him for boundaries off consecutive deliveries.
Iftikhar reached his half-century with a couple off Nortje at the start of the 19th over. With some rain around, the Proteas speedster missed his mark and was launched for consecutive sixes, the second off a free hit, as Shadab raced to fifty in 20 balls.
The action-packed over saw Markram put down a catch at long-on! Nortje hit back by dismissing Shadab with a short ball and getting Mohammad Wasim (0) to top-edge the next delivery.
It was a team hat-trick for South Africa as Iftikhar skied the first ball of the last over from Rabada to long-on. After another drop, Haris Rauf (three) was run-out off the last ball, going for a third, in what was an entertaining finish to the innings.
South Africa would have backed themselves to chase down the total. But a feisty Pakistan bowling attack was too good for them on the day.
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