BULAWAYO: Sufiyan Muqeem’s five-wicket haul, followed by an opening onslaught, led Pakistan to a crushing 10-wicket victory over Zimbabwe in the second T20I of the three-match series here at Queens Sports Club on Tuesday.
Chasing a modest 58-run total, Pakistan knocked the winning runs inside the batting powerplay without losing a single wicket.
Left-handed opener Saim Ayub was the core aggressor of the match-winning stand, courtesy of his quickfire 36-run knock from 18 deliveries, studded with six fours and a six.
His opening partner Omair Bin Yousuf was not all but equally impressive as he scored an unbeaten 22 off just 15 deliveries, hitting two fours and a six in the process.
The hosts’ captain Sikandar Raza won the toss and elected to bat first. His decision, however, backfired as Zimbabwe’s batting unit unfolded on a meagre 57 in the 13th over.
The home side got off to a decent start to their innings as openers Tadiwanashe Marumani and Biran Bennett batted sensibly up top.
The opening duo registered a brisk 37-run partnership, which lasted with Marumani’s dismissal off Abbas Afridi in the fifth over. He scored 16 off 14 deliveries with the help of three boundaries.
Fellow opener Bennett followed the suit, just three balls later, as he fell victim to Haris Rauf. Bennett remained the top-scorer for Zimbabwe with a 14-ball 21.
The back-to-back dismissals sparked a match-defining collapse, majorly inflicted by the spinners, resulting in Zimbabwe slipping from 37/2 to 57 all out.
Besides openers, none of the Zimbabwe batters could amass double figures as Pakistan bowlers dominated the proceedings.
Left-arm spinner Sufiyan Muqeem was the standout bowler for the green shirts, returning bowling figures of 5/3 in 2.4 overs – the best by a Pakistan bowler in men’s T20Is, after Umar Gul’s 5/6.
Right-arm pacer Abbas Afridi bagged two wickets, while Haris Rauf, Salman Ali Agha and Abrar Ahmed chipped in with a wicket apiece.
The 10-wicket victory led Pakistan to an unassailable 2-0 lead over Zimbabwe in the ongoing three-match series, with T20I scheduled on December 5 at the same venue.
