Shadab Khan’s all-round excellence helped hold alive Pakistan’s slim T20 World Cup semi-final hopes as they overcame South Africa by 33 runs below the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern technique.
Pakistan had overwhelmed South Africa in all three of their earlier conferences within the competitors however, in a must-win showdown on the Sydney Cricket Floor, they lurched to 43 for 4 halfway by the seventh over.
Their place might have been even worse, as Iftikhar Ahmed was dropped on two, however he went on to contribute 51 off 35 balls earlier than Shadab’s onslaught of 52 from simply 22 deliveries catapulted Pakistan to 185 for 9.
Three of Shadab’s 4 sixes got here off Anrich Nortje, to of them in the identical over. However Nortje then took the wicket of the all-rounder adopted by that of Mohammad Wasim together with his subsequent ball to complete with figures of 4 for 41.
From the beginning of their innings, South Africa have been below stress. Shaheen Shah Afridi snared Quinton de Kock for a duck then Rilee Rossouw for seven, whereas Shadab had Temba Bavuma caught behind for 36 off 19 balls and bowled Aiden Markram by the gate for 20 off 14.
After 9 overs, South Africa had slipped to 69 for 4, at which level a bathe decreased their goal to 142 from 14 overs. From there, they misplaced wickets at common intervals to shut on 108-9, as Afridi completed with three for 14.
This, although, was South Africa’s first defeat of the marketing campaign, and a win over the Netherlands on Sunday will assure them a top-two Tremendous 12s end and a semi-final spot.
Pakistan’s prospects of the final 4 relaxation on them seeing off Bangladesh, in addition to counting on South Africa – or India, who tackle Zimbabwe on the MCG – to lose.