Expectations are high as people hope for a repeat of the 1992 victory
HYDERABAD: Nobody had thought that an unpredictable and inconsistent Pakistan would recover from defeat against its arch-rival India. After beating South Africa, the Green Shirts also outclassed an unbeaten New Zealand by 6 wickets, in a must-win game in Birmingham. Our bowlers, especially Mohammad Amir and Shaheen Shah Afridi, gave a tough time to the Kiwis and restricted them at a score of just 237 runs.
Despite the low score, Pakistan’s opening pair struggled once again. Both Fakhar Zaman and Imam Ul Haq left the crease early. After that, star batsmen Babar Azam and Mohammad Hafeez stuck around and gave some relief to the team. However, Mohammad Hafeez lost his wicket when he tried to hit a six. There was a point when Pakistan grew nervous as it chased the target, and the credit for the win goes to the men in form — Babar Azam and Harris Sohail. Azam made his 10th ODI century and also completed 3,000 runs in ODIs.
Following the victory, Pakistan’s team now ranks at number six, just behind Bangladesh. The Green Shirts need to win the remaining two games in order to qualify for the quarter-finals. Expectations are high as people hope for a repeat of the 1992 victory.
Imtiaz Junejo
Published in The Express Tribune, June 29th, 2019.
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