In a thrilling match at the ICC Men's Twenty20 World Cup 2024, Pakistan kept their hopes alive with a decisive seven-wicket win over Canada. The game took place at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in East Meadow, New York, on June 11, 2024. Pakistan's captain, Babar Azam, and Mohammad Rizwan led the charge, ensuring their team stayed in contention for the tournament's later stages.
Faced with the dire
prospect of a first-round exit, Pakistan needed a victory to remain in the competition.
Rizwan and Babar rose to the occasion with a crucial second-wicket partnership
of 63 runs. This partnership proved to be the backbone of Pakistan's chase as
they comfortably reached the target of 107 runs with 15 balls to spare.
Mohammad Rizwan, opening
the innings, played a steady and composed knock, remaining undefeated on 53 off
53 balls. His innings included two boundaries and a six, marking his 29th T20
international half-century. Babar Azam, on the other hand, contributed a vital
33 off 33 balls, featuring one four and a six, further consolidating Pakistan's
position in the match.
Earlier in the day,
Pakistan's bowlers restricted Canada to a modest total of 106-7. Canadian
opener Aaron Johnson was the standout performer for his team, hitting his sixth
international fifty. Johnson demonstrated aggressive intent right from the
start, hitting successive boundaries off the first two balls from Shaheen Shah
Afridi. The Jamaican-born 33-year-old scored 52 off 44 balls, with four
boundaries and four sixes. However, his dismissal in the 14th over by Naseem
Shah left Canada struggling at 73-6.
Canada's batting lineup
failed to build significant partnerships as Pakistan's seamers consistently
took wickets. Mohammad Amir, returning to form, bowled Navneet Dhaliwal with a
fierce 141 km/h delivery. Shaheen Shah Afridi, despite a shaky start, dismissed
Pargat Singh, while Nicholas Kirton was run out by a brilliant throw from Imad
Wasim. Haris Rauf added to Canada's woes by claiming the wickets of Shreyas
Movva and Ravinderpal Singh in quick succession, marking his 100th T20 wicket.
Following Johnson's
departure, Canada's innings lost momentum, managing only 14 runs in the next 20
balls. Captain Saad Bin Zafar, who scored 10 runs, was caught behind by Mohammad
Rizwan off Amir's bowling. Amir concluded with impressive figures of 2-13,
while Rauf ended with 2-26.
This victory was crucial
for Pakistan, who had lost their first two Group A fixtures. They suffered a
stunning super-over defeat to the United States and a six-run loss to
arch-rivals India, failing to chase a modest target of 120 runs. Despite the
win against Canada, Pakistan's fate in the tournament remained uncertain, as
advancing to the Super Eights still depended on the outcomes of other group matches.
Canada, with two points
from a loss to the USA and a 12-run win over Ireland, found themselves
struggling in the group. India and the USA led the Group A standings with four
points each, making the competition even tougher for Pakistan as they aimed for
a spot in the next round.
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