On this day: Umar Gul becomes first player to take fifer in T20Is

32-year-old’s bowling spell against New Zealand allowed him to make history in cricket

KARACHI: Back in 2009, in the second edition of World T20 tournament, Pakistan were able to topple New Zealand's batting in Group F match for the score of 99 runs, courtesy of Umar Gul’s five wickets for six runs at the Kennington Oval in London, UK.

The 32-year-old’s bowling spell allowed him to make history in cricket as he became the first bowler to take a five-wicket haul in an international T20 match, something he repeated against South Africa in 2013.

Since then, the Pakistani bowler’s best figures have been overtaken by Sri Lanka’s Ajantha Mendis, who took six wickets for 16 runs against Australia in 2011 in T20 format of the game.



Batting first, New Zealand were looking good at 72 for 4 in 12 overs, however, what happened next was embarrassing as well as unforeseeable. Gul’s three-over bowling spell allowed the Kiwis to score only six runs, and effectively ended their innings.

Introduced into the attack in 13th over, Gul successfully removed Scott Styris and Peter McGlashan off his third and fourth deliveries.

He then sent Nathan McCullum's leg-stump cartwheeling in his next over, and closed with his third over with dismissals of James Franklin and Kyle Mills.



New Zealand innings ended on 99 in 18.3 overs, which enabled Pakistan to an easy six-wicket victory in the match. The Men in Green eventually won the tournament as well, defeating Sri Lanka in the final.

Watch his bowling spell here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5N-ychgHE0