Craig Ervine’s men pulled off one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history, defeating the mighty Pakistan by a solitary run in a low-scoring nail-biter in Perth. The Men in Green failed to chase down a 131-run target, which never looked unsurmountable at the halfway mark.
Zimbabwe, who won the toss and opted to bat, got off to a blazing start. Openers Wesley Madhevere & captain Craig Ervine put together a superb 42-run stand before Haris Rauf got the all-important breakthrough. From there Zimbabwe lost the batting plot, and while Sean Williams & Sikandar Raza tried to resurrect the innings, the men in Red & Gold fell apart. 4 wickets in 6 balls without a solitary run derailed their innings, with Shadab Khan & Mohd Wasim Jr sharing the spoils. Brad Evans & Ryan Burl’s 31-run stand though ensured Zimbabwe at least got to 130 from their 20 overs.
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In reply, Pakistan lost their stalwarts Babar Azam & Mohd Rizwan inside the first 5 overs. Iftikhar Ahmed was then strangled down the leg side. While Shan Masood & Shadab Khan put together a 52-run partnership, Zimbabwe were always in the game. Sikandar Raza then proved to be the game changer. He first got rid of Shadab and then the new man Haider Ali off the very next ball. And then he removed the well-set Shan Masood in his very next over. While Mohd Nawaz almost took the Men in Green home, Zimbabwe kept their nerves in the final overs. And in the end, they emerged victorious by a solitary run.