Pakistan beat Zimbabwe by five wickets

T20I tri-series opener
Fakhar Zaman remains top scorer with 44 runs followed by Usman Khan’s unbeaten 37
Rawalpindi: Pakistan secured a hard-earned five-wicket win over Zimbabwe in the T20I tri-series opener at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Tuesday, thanks to disciplined bowling and a resilient Fakhar-Usman partnership.
Set to chase a modest 148-run target, the home side were made to do hard yards by the Zimbabwean bowling attack as they amassed it with just four balls to spare and lost five wickets in the process.
Pakistan got off to a decent start to the pursuit, with their opening pair of Sahibzada Farhan (16) and Saim Ayub, batting cautiously to add 27 runs in four overs, before Brad Evans opened the floodgates by cleaning up the former.
Evans struck in the fifth over, bagging the prized scalp of Babar Azam, who fell for a three-ball duck, resulting in Pakistan slipping to 27/2 in 4.4 overs.
Tinotenda Maposa inflicted another major blow on the home side’s run chase as he trapped their captain, Salman Ali Agha (one) lbw in the next over, bringing the total further down to 30/3.
Following the slump, Saim was then joined by experienced Fakhar in the middle, and the duo cautiously added 24 runs for the fourth wicket until Graeme Cremer dented their recovery by dismissing the opener, who made a 26-ball 22, featuring one six and a four.
Fakhar then joined forces with Usman Khan to pull Pakistan back into the hunt, with the pair putting together crucial 61 runs during their partnership until the former was sent back by Richard Ngarava in the 16th over.
The left-handed batter remained the top-scorer for Pakistan with 44 off 32 deliveries, studded with two sixes and as many fours.
Usman then knitted an unbeaten sixth-wicket partnership with in-form all-rounder Mohammad Nawaz, which eventually steered Pakistan over the line on the second delivery of the final over.
The wicketkeeper batter scored an unbeaten 37 off 28 deliveries, while Nawaz made 20 not out from 12 balls, smashing two fours and a six.