T20 World Cup: Pakistan beat South Africa in rain-affected game to keep slim semis hopes alive

Agencies | Canberra                   

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Pakistan kept their slim hopes of a semifinal spot alive by beating South Africa by 33 runs by the D/L Method in a Group 2 fixture of the T20 World Cup at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Thursday.

Chasing a revised D/L target of 142 in 14 overs following a heavy drizzle, needing a stiff 73 from five overs, South Africa finished up at 108-9.

The Proteas had been 69-4 at the end of nine overs.

Pakistan notched their second win, while it was South Africa's first loss of the tournament.

Earlier, Iftikhar Ahmed and Shadab Khan rescued Pakistan with a superb 82-run partnership .

Iftikhar, who came to the crease with Pakistan in big trouble at 43-4, scored 51 off 35 balls and Shadab 52 from 22 as Pakistan finished their innings at 185-9.

Earlier, the South African seam attack tore through the Pakistan top order.

But Iftikhar stayed firm, sharing a 52-run partnership with Mohammad Nawaz before he and Shadab took the South African attack apart, taking the score from 95-5 to 177-7.

South Africa started brilliantly, Wayne Parnell striking with the third ball of the match when Mohammad Rizwan chopped the ball into the stumps after trying to glide a ball through the gully.

Mohammad Haris, who came into the side for the injured Fakhar Zaman and was playing only his second T20 international, showed his intention immediately, smashing Kagiso Rabada for two huge sixes and a four.

He raced to 28 from 11 balls before being trapped lbw by Anrich Nortje with Pakistan 38-2.

The out-of-form skipper Babar Azam was next to go, caught in the deep by Rabada off Lungi Ngidi for a measly six to leave Pakistan reeling at 40-3.

The Pakistanis looked low on confidence and they were rocked further when three runs later Shan Masood chipped a Nortje slower ball to Temba Bavuma at mid-off.

But Iftikhar and Nawaz rebuilt the Pakistan innings until wrist spinner Tabraiz Shamsi made the key breakthrough when he trapped Nawaz lbw for 28.

Nawaz appeared to have got a bottom edge, but he didn't review the decision and South Africa were back on top at 95-5 after 13 overs.

But Iftikhar and Shadab then launched a magnificent counterattack — to the delight of the boisterous Pakistan fans — as a light drizzle started to fall over the SCG.