PHOTO: AFP
Pakistan won the toss and opted to bat first and once again the batsmen didn't live up to the expectations of the captain Shahid Afridi who was expecting a target of 160-170 yet again.
Umar Akmal's 38-run blitz helped Pakistan post the same target as the first T20 of 137 runs. Luke Jongwe and Thinashe Panyangara took two wickets apiece for their team.
And like the first T20, Zimbabwe, from the word go, were not ready enough to chase the target.
Sikandar Raza and Sean Williams built a 50+ plus partnership for the fifth wicket but it didn't help Zimbabwe's cause. Muhammad Irfan and Imran Khan Jr were the pick of the bowlers for Pakistan as they bagged two wickets each for Pakistan.
Meanwhile, another good news for Pakistan cricket fans as the team jumps up to the second position in the ICC Twenty20 rankings.
BREAKING: Pakistan leap to No 2 in @ICC T20 rankings #ZimvPak congratulations @SAfridiOfficial & green machine @TheRealPCB @ETribuneSports
— Emmad Hameed (@Emmad81) September 29, 2015
Man of the match: Umar Akmal
Man of the series: Imad Wasim - "Its a good wicket to bowl on. Thanks to the groundmen, they made the wicket for us. The plan was to bowl wicket to wicket. Afridi and Waqar told me you have to bowl well again, don't give them runs."
Shahid Afridi: "Again we missed the opportunity [to score 160-170]. I still believe if my players play smart cricket they can score 160 on this pitch. Imran and Sohail bowled well, all bowlers did well. Body language is very important in the game of cricket."
Elton Chigumbura: "I just need to repeat what I said in the last game. Bowlers did a fantastic job today. We just have to up our game with the bat."
Teams
Pakistan: Ahmed Shehzad, Mohammad Hafeez, Sohaib Maqsood, Shoaib Malik, Umar Akmal, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Imad Wasim, Shahid Afridi (C), Sohail Tanvir, Imran Khan Junior, Mohammad Irfan.
Zimbabwe: H Masakadza, CJ Chibhabha, CR Ervine, Sikandar Raza, SC Williams, E Chigumbura*, R Mutumbami (wk), LM Jongwe,AG Cremer, P Utseya, T Panyangara.
ZIM 120-7 (22 overs)
OUT! Imran Khan balls and catches it himself.
Single off the first ball.
Imran Khan Jr bowls the last over.
ZIM 116-6 (19 overs)
Zimbabwe need 22 off the last over.
FOUR! Lap sweep from Jongwe on one knee. Zimbabwe inch closer to the target.
Sohail Tanvir bowls the penultimate over.
ZIM 106-6 (18 overs)
FOUR! Short and wide outside off-stump and Williams tucks it past the short third-man fielder.
OUT! Slow bouncer and Shoaib Malik is ready at long-on to take Elton Chigumbura's catch. Luke Jongwe joins Sean Williams.
100 up for Zimbabwe on the second ball.
Muhammad Irfan has been given the ball now.
ZIM 99-5 (17 overs)
Another SIX! Chigumbura waiting and delivering off the slow balls. Over long-off.
DROPPED and SIX! Ahmed Shehzad runs in and drops the ball into the boundary. Chigumbura in and rolling!
BOWLED! First wicket for Imran at the international level. Sikandar Raza (36) completely misses the slow ball. Woodwork rattled! Captain Elton Chigumbura walks in now.
Imran Khan Jr on for his third over.
ZIM 84-4 (16 overs)
Six runs off the over. Zimbabwe need 53 off 24 balls.
Sean Williams misses two slower balls; a slow ball bouncer and an outgoing cutter.
Sohail Tanvir is back. Can he find a crack in this partnership?
ZIM 78-4 (15 overs)
Nine runs off the over.
Zimbabwe finding it difficult to hit the slow deliveries for boundaries on a slower track.
Imran Khan Jr now with his slower ones again. Keeper Rizwan is up on the stumps for Sean Williams.
ZIM 69-4 (14 overs)
Zimbabwe need 68 off 36 balls.
FOUR! Reverse sweep earns Sean Williams a much-needed boundary.
Shahid Afridi in for his fourth over.
ZIM 62-4 (13 overs)
Six runs off the over.
DROPPED! Imad Wasim goes with a full-length dive but the ball pops out of his hand. Sikandar survives.
Left-arm slow medium pacer Imran Khan Jr gets the ball now.
ZIM 56-4 (12 overs)
Seven runs off Shahid Afridi's over. Zimbabwe need 81 off 48 balls.
ZIM 49-4 (11 overs)
Just five runs off Imad Wasim's over. He ends another good spell with one wicket and only 14 runs.
ZIM 44-4 (10 overs)
FOUR! Midwicket is the region for Sean Williams. A slow walk down the ground and he is able to find the boundary.
Shahid Afridi on for his second over.
ZIM 37-4 (9 overs)
FOUR! Cut nicely by Sikandar to find the boundary.
Imad Wasim in for his third.
ZIM 31-4 (8 overs)
Just five runs off the over from Lala.
Captain Shahid Afridi is in to bowl for Pakistan now.
ZIM 26-4 (7 overs)
BOWLED! Richmond Mutumbami misses the ball completely. No footwork results in his woodwork being rattled. Williams is joined by Sikandar Raza in the middle.
Imad Wasim in for his second.
ZIM 24-3 (6 overs)
FOUR! Picthed up and Sean Williams' bat makes the cracking sound from the middle part. Beautiful shot to hear and watch through covers.
Irfan continues into his third over.
ZIM 16-3 (5 overs)
RUN OUT! Afridi stops the ball at mid-off, Sohaib Maqsood fumbles and then picks up the ball, throws it at the bowler on the bounce and Imad removes the bails with the ball in his hand. Ervine was not in the picture even.
Time for some spin. Imad Wasim is brought on to attack the new batsmen.
ZIM 15-2 (4 overs)
OUT! Imran Khan Jr takes an easy catch at third man boundary and Irfan is ecstatic. Hamilton Masakadza departs after scoring only nine runs.
SIX! There was only one in Pakistan's innings, and Hammy has scored one already for Zimbabwe.
Irfan on for his second.
ZIM 7-1 (3 overs)
LBW! The ball stayed low and hit the back leg of Chamu Chibhabha (3) but the ball pitched miles outside the line of the leg stump. Zimbabwe won't be happy with that decision.
Sohail Tanvir in for his second.
ZIM 6-0 (2 overs)
Just three runs off Irfan's over. Zimbabwe being precautious not to lose any wickets.
The towering and intimidating Muhammad Irfan bowls for the first time in this series. How effective can he be on these slow tracks? Lets find out.
ZIM 3-0 (1 over)
Just three runs off the first over.
Zimbabwe start the chase of the same total that they could not overcome in the last T20. Hamilton Masakadza and Chamu Chibhabha are out there to make sure they do. Meanwhile, Sohail Tanvir has been given the ball this time to find a wicket on this pitch.
PAK 136-6 (20 overs)
Single off the last over.
FINALLY someone timed it to perfection. SIX by Umar Akmal over long-on.
Two runs followed by a single. Umar faces with two balls left.
Slow ball outside off, missed by Imad.
FOUR! Imad helping Pakistan total.
Panyangara.
PAK 122-6 (19 overs)
FOUR! Imad picked the half-volley outside the off-stump and bang, it rushes past the long-on fielder.
Jongwe in for the penultimate over.
PAK 112-6 (18 overs)
OUT! Shahid Afridi caught at long-off. Its a batsman's grave this pitch at Harare, too slow to time anything. Time for last-match's man of the match to show some hope for Pakistan, Imad Wasim for you ladies and gentlemen.
Perfect yorker by the bowler to Umar Akmal. Umar takes a single and Afridi is on strike now.
Panyangara.
PAK 109-5 (17 overs)
OUT! Another batsman caught trying to hit the ball out of the park. Sean Williams takes the catch at long-on. Rizwan departs for 16 runs. Boom Boom Shahid Afridi is out now instead of Imad Wasim.
Two slow balls missed by Rizwan. Two runs on the third ball.
Jongwe is back with the mind to bowl as slow as possible.
PAK 104-4 (16 overs)
Umar and Rizwan still relying on singles and doubles.
Sean Williams in for his last over now.
PAK 98-4 (15 overs)
Another display of good running between the wicket by both batsmen. Umar and Rizwan dealing twos at the moment.
Greame Cremer into his fourth and final over.
PAK 93-4 (14 overs)
Seven runs off it.
Pakistan dealing in singles and doubles not trying to hit the ball out of the park due to the lack of pace in the pitch.
Sean Williams bowls his third.
PAK 86-4 (13 overs)
Just six runs off the over.
Greame Cremer in for his third over.
PAK 80-4 (12 overs)
FOURx2! Cut shot from Umar as soon as he walks in. Follows with a slash towards mid-wicket on a shorter delivery.
OUT! Sohaib Maqsood (26) tries to play smart. Walks down the ground to smash the ball towards long-on, instead top edges it to the covers. Another incomplete performance from him. Umar Akmal joins Rizwan.
Prosper Utseya bowls.
PAK 71-3 (11 overs)
FOUR! A slip in place and Rizwan edges a bouncing and spinning delivery past him for a boundary.
OUT! Shoaib Malik dances down the pitch (this time fails to impress with his moves) and is caught by Sikandar Raza at the long-on boundary. Muhammad Rizwan joins Maqsood in the middle.
Cremer in for his second over.
PAK 63-2 (10 overs)
FOUR! Short and pulled nicely by Shoaib Malik. Followed by two runs.
Prosper Utseya is in to try his luck now.
PAK 54-2 (9 overs)
FOUR! Misfield by Utseya at short fine leg earns Shoaib Malik a boundary.
Greame Cremer, the leggie, is introduced.
PAK 46-2 (8 overs)
FOUR! Maqsood goes past backward point to find the boundary. Pakistan finding unusual boundaries to keep the scoreboard ticking.
Sean Williams into his second over.
PAK 40-2 (7 overs)
FOUR! Thick edge and the ball runs down to the third man boundary. Maqsood is lucky, no slips.
Shoaib Malik walks in to join Maqsood.
OUT! Lobbed into the hands of short mid-wicket by Hafeez (17).
Jongwe.
PAK 33-1 (6 overs)
FOUR! Short and powerfully hit through covers by Sohaib Maqsood.
Sean Williams, the first spinner brought on.
PAK 26-1 (5 overs)
Single followed by four dot balls and a single. Just two from the over.
Jongwe is introduced into the attack.
PAK 24-1 (4 overs)
OUT! Backward point takes the catch. Shehzad slices it into the hand of the fielder. Easy catch for Greame Cremer. Sohaib Maqsood is out to join Hafeez.
FOUR! Shehzad opens his front foot and goes over the mid-on fielder to find the fence.
Panyangara in for his second now.
PAK 18-0 (3 overs)
FOUR! Short and Hafeez swings in a semi-circle to guide it towards long leg.
Chibhabha in for his second over.
PAK 11-0 (2 overs)
FOUR! Hafeez again. Cuts it past point beating the third man to the boundary.
Panyangara is on for Zimbabwe now. He is bowling a good line on the off-side, moving the ball away from the right-handers.
PAK 6-0 (1 over)
FOUR! Hafeez is back in the groove. Short ball slapped towards deep backward square leg.
A single to start the proceeding towards short fine leg and Prosper Utseya fumbles it and allows an easy single.
Chamu Chibhabha has the new ball for Zimbabwe while Ahmed Shehzad and Muhammad Hafeez open the batting for Pakistan. The first ball is ready to be delivered.
Pakistan win toss and decide to bat first once again in Harare.
Pakistan have made two changes to the winning combination while Zimbabwe are going with the same squad to challenge the Afridi-led men.
Pitch will be faster than Sunday.
Saqlain Mushtaq, while talking to the state sports channel, "Inzamamul Haq, Muhammad Yousuf and Abdur Razzaq were the match-winners for Pakistan.
"Umar Akmal needs to be man-managed by the authorities. He is experienced and courageous.
"Yasir Shah, as a leggie, can never be written off from any squad.
"Pakistan team is a strong contender for the World Twenty20 next year."
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