T20 World Cup, PAK vs NZ as it happened: Shoaib Malik, Asif Ali power Pakistan to 5-wicket win
Highlights of the Super 12 Group 2 match between Pakistan and New Zealand in Sharjah.
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Asked to bat first, NZ finished with 134/8.
In reply, PAK finished with 135/5 (18.4).
2016 champions West Indies on the brink of elimination. 2009 champions Pakistan on the brink of qualifying for semifinals. Results, schedule and points tables for Super 12 stage
Pakistan win by 5 wickets
A fantastic, unbeaten partnership (48 off 23) between Shoaib Malik (26 off 20) and Asif Ali (27 off 12) gives Pakistan their second victory on the trot.
Delay in proceedings as the physio is out again to check on Asif.
PAK 126/5 after 18 overs: Four and six! Brilliant batting from Malik! He decides to go after Santner and gets the job done. The left-arm spinner finishes with figures of 1/33. Pakistan need 9 off 12.
PAK 111/5 after 17 overs: Back-to-back sixes! Asif Ali with two brutal strikes straight back. Tim Southee stuck with the slower ball and got punished. But he did well to bowl three dots after that to end the over. Asif gets struck on his helmet off the last ball and seems to be in discomfort. The physio is out.
PAK 98/5 after 16 overs: Malik finally goes on the offensive and finds the boundary. He moves on to 11 off 14. Sodhi finishes with figures of 2/28. Pakistan need 37 off 24.
Asif guides his first delivery for four. Pakistan need 44 off 30.
PAK 87/5 after 14.5 overs: OUT! Imad Wasim attempts a reverse sweep and is out LBW. Trent Boult gets the wicket. This has been a superb fightback with the ball by NZ. The new batter is Asif Ali.
PAK 82/4 after 14 overs: Another good over for NZ, this time Sodhi gives away seven runs in his third over. Pakistan need 53 off 36.
PAK 75/4 after 13 overs: Jimmy Neesham concedes just five runs in his third over. Pakistan have Shoaib Malik and Imad Wasim at the crease and need 60 off 42.
PAK 69/4 after 11.4 overs: OUT! Sodhi gets his second and it’s the big wicket of Rizwan. The right-hander was trapped in front and didn’t take the review. Imad Wasim is the new batter. Pakistan need 66 off 50.
PAK 63/3 after 11 overs: OUT! Devon Conway with an absolutely sensational catch! He ran full tilt to his left from long-off and put in a full length dive to pull off the catch. Wow! Santner gets the wicket. Hafeez is on his way. Malik is the new batter. NZ believe!
PAK 58/2 after 10 overs: SIX! Hafeez gets off the mark in style, whacks his first delivery for six over long-off. Eleven runs come from Neesham’s second over. Pakistan need 77 off 60.
PAK 47/2 after 9 overs: OUT! Brilliant review from NZ and Fakhar Zaman is on his way! Ish Sodhi gets the wicket after trapping the left-hander in front. Hafeez is the new batter.
PAK 45/1 after 8.3 overs: SIX! First maximum of the Pakistan innings and it comes from Zaman’s bat. Sodhi tossed it up and the left-hander got down on one knee and swept it out of the stadium.
PAK 39/1 after 8 overs: Neesham joins the attack and concedes just two runs and a leg-bye in his first over. Zaman is batting on 4 off 12 and struggling for timing. Pakistan need 96 off 72.
PAK 36/1 after 7 overs: Santner joins the attack and drifts down leg, Rizwan plays a fine sweep and picks up four. Zaman is taking his time to settle in. Meanwhile, Guptill has gone off the field due to an injury.
PAK 28/1 after 5.1 overs: OUT! Tim Southee gets his 100th wicket in T20Is and it’s the big one of Babar Azam. The Pakistan skipper tried to pull it away but got clean bowled. Fakhar Zaman is the new batter.
PAK 28/0 after 5 overs: Shot! Boult pitches it slightly wide and Rizwan guides it past backward point for four. Pakistan need 107 off 90.
PAK 22/0 after 4 overs: Eight off the Southee over. Rizwan playing his trademark shots but he still hasn’t found his rhythm.
PAK 14/0 after 3 overs: Boult into the attack. A four off the first ball for Rizwan but precious little after that.
PAK 9/0 after 2 overs: Brilliant over by Southee. Just two runs off it.
PAK 7/0 after 1 over: Babar got the chase off to a fine start with a lovely four. Just went up and over... into the gap. Important for NZ to get a few early wickets. They started off with Santner.
NZ finish with 134/8
Haris Rauf ends the innings with his fourth wicket as Mitch Santner gets clean bowled. He returns with superb figures of 4/22. Pakistan will be confident of chasing down this total.
NZ 125/7 after 19 overs: OUT! Shaheen ends his spell with a wicket. Seifert (8 off 8) attempts a slog but edges it to point. Pakistan’s pacers are doing a mighty impressive job at the death.
NZ 116/6 after 17.3 overs: OUT! Rauf has two wickets in one over! This time Phillips (13 off 15) finds the fielder at deep mid-wicket. Pakistan are pumped! The new batter is Santner.
NZ 116/5 after 17.1 overs: OUT! Conway (27 off 24) tries to go big but gets caught in the deep. Rauf bags his second wicket. The NZ innings simply hasn’t got any momentum. Tim Seifert is the new batter.
NZ 116/4 after 17 overs: Shaheen returns to the attack and Pakistan finally leak a boundary. NZ hadn’t hit a boundary in the last 23 deliveries but Phillips finally thumps one down the ground for four.
NZ 100/4 after 15 overs: Haris Rauf returns to the attack and concedes just five singles in his second over. NZ need to up the ante, massive five overs coming up for them.
NZ 90/4 after 13.1 overs: OUT! Oh dear, Kane Williamson (25 off 26) gets run-out just as NZ were starting to make a move. He tried to scramble back into the crease but Hasan Ali quickly got the direct hit in his follow through. Glenn Phillips is the new batter.
NZ 90/3 after 13 overs: Oh dear, Asif Ali with a misfield at deep backward square and Conway gets four. That should have been a simple stop. Conway then makes it a hat-trick of fours as Shadab ends an expensive over. New Zealand are making a move!
NZ 75/3 after 12 overs: Williamson reviews successfully! He attempted a reverse sweep but didn’t connect and the umpire raised his finger. But DRS showed there was a big inside edge. The NZ skipper follows that up with a pull for four and a one-handed drive over long-on for six. Expensive over from Hafeez.
NZ 63/3 after 11 overs: Another good over from Shadab. Pakistan’s spinners are putting in the choke and New Zealand are struggling to find answers. The Black Caps have Williamson and Conway at the crease now.
NZ 56/3 after 9.1 overs: OUT! The move to promote Neesham (1 off 2) doesn’t work as the left-hander hits it straight to deep mid-wicket. Hafeez strikes with his first ball!
NZ 54/2 after 8.2 overs: SIX & OUT! Daryl Mitchell finds the fielder at long-on and departs for 27 off 20. Imad Wasim gets the wicket. Jimmy Neesham is the new batter.
NZ 48/1 after 8 overs: Leg spinner Shadab Khan comes on to bowl and starts his spell nicely, just three runs come from his first over. Mitchell is batting on 21 off 18, Williamson is on 8 off 11.
NZ 45/1 after 7 overs: Imad returns to the attack and bowls a good over, just three singles from it. The left-arm spinner has figures of 0/16 from three overs.
NZ 42/1 after 6 overs: Williamson gets going with a clip to the fine-leg fence for four. The Kiwi skipper will be keen to start the tournament with a solid performance.
NZ 36/1 after 5.2 overs: OUT! Haris Rauf joins the attack and provides Pakistan the breakthrough. Guptill (17 off 20) gets an inside edge and is clean bowled. Williamson is the new batter.
NZ 36/0 after 5 overs: SIX! Stunning shot from Mitchell! Hasan Ali joins the attack and the right-hander welcomes him with a maximum over long-on. He stood tall and played a gorgeous on-the-rise drive with a straight bat. Guptill then plays a cracking square-cut over point to pick up another boundary.
NZ 21/0 after 4 overs: Imad’s second over ends just like the first one did – a short ball cut away for four by Guptill. NZ have done well to not lose a wicket so far.
NZ 15/0 after 3 overs: Rare loose delivery from Shaheen and Mitchell doesn’t miss out. It was short and wide and the right-hander slapped it through cover and mid-off for four.
NZ 7/0 after 2 overs: Four! Imad bowls five tight deliveries before dropping the last one short, Guptill pounces on it and cuts it through the ring for four.
NZ 0/0 after 1 over: Another terrific start from Shaheen, he swings the ball both ways to Guptill and begins his spell with a maiden. Left-arm spinner Imad Wasim to bowl the second over.
7.30 pm: Strap in folks, it’s Shaheen Afridi time! NZ have Martin Guptill and Daryl Mitchell at the crease. Here we go!
Playing XIs:
New Zealand: Martin Guptill, Daryl Mitchell, Kane Williamson (c), Devon Conway, Glenn Phillips, James Neesham, Tim Seifert (w), Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Trent Boult.
Pakistan: Mohammad Rizwan (w), Babar Azam (c), Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Asif Ali, Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Hasan Ali, Haris Rauf, Shaheen Afridi.
Toss:
Babar Azam has won the toss and Pakistan will bowl first.
Update on Lockie Ferguson: An MRI scan of right calf has revealed a grade two tear which would require three to four weeks recovery. Adam Milne will replace him in the Black Caps squad.
6.56 pm: Bad news for New Zealand – fast bowler Lockie Ferguson has been ruled out of the tournament due to a calf tear.
Head to Head: Pakistan 14 - 10 New Zealand
6.50 pm: Hello and welcome to live coverage of the T20 World Cup Super 12 Group 2 match between Pakistan and New Zealand in Sharjah.