Shaheen Shah Afridi completed a five-wicket haul as Pakistan overcame an almighty scare before seeing off a spirited Zimbabwe by 26 runs in the first of three ODIs in Rawalpindi.<\/p>\n
Brendan Taylor’s 11th ODI century had steered Zimbabwe to 234-4 in pursuit of 282 for victory, meaning the tourists required 48 from 30 balls for a shock victory.<\/p>\n
However, after Wahab Riaz (4- 41) bowled Wesley Madhevere (55) two balls later, ending a fifth-wicket partnership of 119, Shaheen (5-49) then had Taylor caught by Wahab at mid-off for 112 in the following over.<\/p>\n
Zimbabwe went on to lose their last six wickets for 21 runs to be bowled out for 255 in 49.4 overs, with Shaheen – who had struck twice inside his first three overs to reduce the tourists to 28-2 – taking two wickets in the penultimate over to seal his five-for.<\/p>\n
Wahab helped Shaheen steamroll the tail and also took two catches as Babar Azam won his first one-day international as Pakistan captain.<\/p>\n
Babar would have experienced some jitters along the way, though, starting when Pakistan – for whom Haris Sohail (71) and Imam-ul-Haq (58) hit half-centuries – were restricted to 175-4 after 39 overs, with Babar out to the impressive Blessing Muzurabani (2-39) for 19.<\/p>\n
The hosts plundered 106 from their final 11 overs, with Haris passing fifty amid a run of three boundaries in a row off Carl Mumba.<\/p>\n
Haris was caught behind in the 42nd over as Pakistan slipped to 205-6 but the man who replaced him at the wicket, Imad Wasim, hit an unbeaten 34 from 26 balls as Babar’s men posted 281-8.<\/p>\n
Faheem Ashraf also made 23 from 16 and tailenders Wahab and Shaheen struck a boundary apiece in late cameos of eight each.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Shaheen Shah Afridi completed a five-wicket haul as Pakistan overcame an almighty scare before seeing off a spirited Zimbabwe by 26 runs in the first of three ODIs in Rawalpindi. Brendan Taylor’s 11th ODI century had steered Zimbabwe to 234-4 in pursuit of 282 for victory, meaning the tourists required 48 from 30 balls for […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":29541,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,16],"tags":[790,810],"class_list":["post-29539","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-sport","tag-football-in-zimbabwe","tag-sports-in-zimbabwe"],"yoast_head":"\n