Captain Babar Azam steered Pakistan to a tense victory, securing a three-wicket win against Ireland in their final Group A match of the T20 World Cup on Sunday, which was a non-decisive game as both teams had already been eliminated. Pakistan concluded their campaign in third place in the five-team group, accumulating four points after defeats to India and the United States, who advanced to the Super Eight stage. Ireland, on the other hand, finished last with just one point, failing to win a single match. Pakistan, after winning the toss and opting to field, saw Shaheen Afridi (3-22) dismissing Andrew Balbirnie and Lorcan Tucker in the opening over, while Mohammad Amir (2-11) removed Paul Stirling and George Dockrell, leaving Ireland struggling at 28-5 by the sixth over. Gareth Delany (31 off 19 balls) attempted to steady Ireland's innings but was dismissed by Imad Wasim (3-8). A resilient last-wicket stand of 26 runs between Joshua Little (22 not out) and Benjamin White (5 not out) helped Ireland reach 106-9. Pakistan's innings started with the dismissals of openers Mohammed Rizwan and Saim Ayub (both 17) during the powerplay, and Barry McCarthy (3-15) further destabilized Pakistan by removing Usman Khan and Shadab Khan in the same over, leaving them at 57-5. However, Azam's unbeaten 32 anchored the innings, and Pakistan successfully chased the target with seven balls remaining, marking the first completed match at Central Broward Park stadium in Lauderhill after three previous games were abandoned due to rain.
Text: Lara Palmer
16.06.2024
Pakistan Overcomes Ireland in Final Group A Match, Both Teams Already Eliminated from the Tournament