New York, June 11, 2024, The Europe Today: Pakistan triumphed over Canada in a one-sided clash on Tuesday, successfully chasing down a modest target of 107 runs to secure a seven-wicket victory in the T20 World Cup. This crucial win keeps Pakistan’s hopes alive in the tournament after consecutive losses in their opening matches against the United States and India.
Facing a must-win scenario to avoid an early exit, Pakistan’s top-order batsmen Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam led the charge with a pivotal 63-run partnership for the second wicket. Despite a slow start with no boundaries in the first four overs and losing Saim Ayub for just six runs, Pakistan steadied their innings.
Babar Azam contributed a solid 33 runs before his dismissal, while Mohammad Rizwan anchored the innings with an unbeaten 53 off 53 balls, guiding Pakistan to victory with 15 balls remaining.
Earlier in the match, Pakistan’s bowlers dominated the Canadian batting lineup, restricting them to 106-7. Mohammad Amir set the tone by dismissing Canadian opener Navneet Dhaliwal for four runs in the third over. The bowlers continued to apply pressure, with Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, and Haris Rauf all chipping in with key wickets.
Shaheen Afridi made significant inroads by taking a crucial catch-and-bowl dismissal of Pragat Singh for two runs in the fifth over. Haris Rauf, despite conceding 13 runs in his first over, recovered to claim the wicket of Ravinderpal Singh, sparking hopes of a hat-trick.
Naseem Shah also made his mark by taking his first wicket in the 14th over, leaving Canada struggling at 73/6. Canadian batsman Aaron Johnson provided some resistance, hitting three sixes and scoring a fighting fifty, but the Pakistani bowlers continued to dominate.
Canadian skipper Saad Bin Zafar was dismissed for just 10 runs, sealing Canada’s fate as they could only manage a total of 106-7. Pakistan’s bowlers, including Amir, Afridi, Naseem, and Rauf, played a crucial role in limiting the Canadian score.
The victory gives Pakistan a much-needed boost as they prepare for their remaining high-stakes group matches. With this win, the Men in Green remain in contention to advance further in the tournament, needing to secure victories in their upcoming games to stay in the competition.
