BULAWAYO: Sufiyan Muqeem's five-wicket haul, followed by an opening onslaught, led Pakistan to a crushing 10-wicket victory over Zimbabwe in the second T20I of the three-match series here at Queens Sports Club on Tuesday.
Chasing a modest 58-run total, Pakistan knocked the winning runs inside the batting powerplay without losing a single wicket.
Left-handed opener Saim Ayub was the core aggressor of the match-winning stand, courtesy of his quickfire 36-run knock from 18 deliveries, studded with six fours and a six.
His opening partner Omair Bin Yousuf was not all but equally impressive as he scored an unbeaten 22 off just 15 deliveries, hitting two fours and a six in the process.
The hosts’ captain Sikandar Raza won the toss and elected to bat first. His decision, however, backfired as Zimbabwe’s batting unit unfolded on a meagre 57 in the 13th over.
The home side got off to a decent start to their innings as openers Tadiwanashe Marumani and Biran Bennett batted sensibly up top.
The opening duo registered a brisk 37-run partnership, which lasted with Marumani’s dismissal off Abbas Afridi in the fifth over. He scored 16 off 14 deliveries with the help of three boundaries.</p>
Fellow opener Bennett followed the suit, just three balls later, as he fell victim to Haris Rauf. Bennett remained the top-scorer for Zimbabwe with a 14-ball 21.
The back-to-back dismissals sparked a match-defining collapse, majorly inflicted by the spinners, resulting in Zimbabwe slipping from 37/2 to 57 all out.
Besides openers, none of the Zimbabwe batters could amass double figures as Pakistan bowlers dominated the proceedings.
Left-arm spinner Sufiyan Muqeem was the standout bowler for the green shirts, returning bowling figures of 5/3 in 2.4 overs – the best by a Pakistan bowler in men’s T20Is, after Umar Gul’s 5/6.
Right-arm pacer Abbas Afridi bagged two wickets, while Haris Rauf, Salman Ali Agha and Abrar Ahmed chipped in with a wicket apiece.
The 10-wicket victory led Pakistan to an unassailable 2-0 lead over Zimbabwe in the ongoing three-match series, with T20I scheduled on December 5 at the same venue.