Pakistan spinner Sufiyan Muqeem created history in the second T20I against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo. Pakistan sealed a series victory with a 10-wicket win. After winning the toss and chosing to bat first, Zimbabwe were bowled out for just 57 runs as Sufiyan Muqeem took five-wickets while conceding just three runs in his 2.4 over spell.
Young Pakistan spinner Sufiyan Muqeem ran riot against Zimbabwe in the 2nd T20I at Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo. Sufiyan Muqeem produced a spell for ages and claimed a five-wicket haul for just three runs as Zimbabwe were bundled for their lowest T20I score – 57. The left-arm wrist spinner came late into the bowling attack as the sixth option, and he spun his web to claim five wickets in just 16 balls he bowled.
Sufiyan Muqeem , the left-arm spinner made his T20I debut during the 2023 Asian Games against Hong Kong, but the transitional phase in the Pakistan team helped him make a comeback during the Australia tour. Sufiyan Muqeem didn’t make a massive impact against Australia, but things started working out for him on Zimbabwean soil. Sufiyan Muqeem claimed three wickets in the series opener and then levelled up with a fifer in the second T20I.
Pitch Report and Toss
Pitch report: It’s the same pitch that was used in the first T20I. Might have some slow turn, so it will be crucial to get runs when the ball is new and hard. A bat-first pitch, reckons Morne van Wyk.
Toss : Zimbabwe skipper Sikandar Raza won the toss and chose to bat first with no changes in the playing XI. Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha bowling first also played with the same XI.
Sufiyan Muqeem’s historic spell of 5 wickets for mere 3 runs skittles Zimbabwe for Paltry 57 runs.
Sufiyan Muqeem, playing only his sixth T20I, returned career-best figures of 5 for 3 to help bundle out Zimbabwe for 57 and set the stage for Pakistan’s comfortable series-winning 10-wicket victory in the second T20I at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo, on Tuesday.
Electing to bat, Zimbabwe’s openers – Brian Bennett and Tadiwanshe Marumani – made a brisk start. Bennett, who had put away a tossed up delivery by Abrar Ahmad in the opening over for a boundary straight down the ground, pulled Jahandad Khan for a six over deep mid wicket. In between the two shots, Marumani also thumped his authority by driving an overpitched delivery by the pacer for a boundary.
The alliance that continued to maintain the pace through the powerplay, came to an end in the fifth over when Marumani uppishly cut Abbas Afridi to the fielder at cover point.
After a 37-run opening pair which had ensured a dominating start, Afridi’s wicket-maiden changed the course of the contest. Early in the next over, Bennett mistimed a pull off Haris Rauf and was caught, beginning the collapse of Zimbabwe’s innings. Wickets continued to tumble every over and by the end of the eighth, Zimbabwe were reduced to 45 for 4. However, that was simply the start of the miseries.
Difficult to believe in hindsight, but Zimbabwe got off to a flying start. Brian Bennett and Tadiwanashe Marumani took the attack to Jahandad Khan and Abrar Ahmed, blasting the ball through the infield with superb timing and power on what looked a cracking batting surface – when Sikandar Raza won the toss, he had no hesitation batting first.
Even Haris Rauf’s introduction didn’t stanch the bleeding, Bennett showing his deft skills and picking up two boundaries behind point on the off side. By the end of the fourth over, Zimbabwe sat pretty at 37 for 0. But what happened after that was as dramatic as it was ignominious for Zimbabwe.
Abbas Afridi had Marumani slash one straight to cover-point, and once that wicket-maiden was complete, Rauf removed Bennett off the first ball of the next over. Zimbabwe needed to rebuild, but never came close to achieving a second wind. Seven balls later came the dagger blow as one snaked back in from Afridi and made a mess of Raza’s stumps.
Sufiyan Muqeem, who was introduced into the attack in the next over, started out by striking twice in his first over. Ryan Burl was trapped leg before and Tashinga Musekiwa was cleaned up for a duck. He struck twice again in the next over as Zimbabwe slid to their lowest score in T20Is, getting bowled out in the 13th over.
When Salman Agha brought himself on, he had Dion Myers plumb in front off just his fourth delivery before Sufiyan Muqeem took over. Using the conventional wrist spinner and the wrong’un, he had Zimbabwe’s lower-middle order on a string.
Ryan Burl was fooled by a googly that struck his pad in front of middle, while Tashinga Musekiwa had no answer to another wrong’un that knocked back his stumps for a golden duck. Clive Madande survived the hat-trick ball, but Sufiyan Muqeem returned to remove another two in his following over, and eventually finished off the innings when Madande top-edged him. He finished with figures of 2.4-0-3-5.
The left-arm wrist spinner Sufiyan Muqeem wreaked havoc and took five wickets in his 16-ball spell while taking five wickets with the dismissals of Ryan Burl, Clive Madande, Tashinga Musekiwa, W Masakadza, and Ngarava.
Sufiyan Muqeem’s remarkable figures of 5-3 in 2.4 overs saw him equal the world record for the most economical five-wicket haul in T20I history by a full member nation player. He became only the fourth player from a Test-playing nation and the first from Pakistan to take a five-wicket haul while conceding less than five runs.
Pakistan openers makes merry of the target to romp home with 10 wickets in hand in mere 5.3 overs.
Chasing a low total, Pakistan broke little sweat in the run-chase. Omair Yousuf took the attack to Sikandar Raza hitting him over covers and then past short fine leg for boundaries, throwing the spinner off his lines. Saim Ayub, who had cracked a boundary off Richard Ngarava, joined in a combined attack with Yousuf to go after Blessing Muzarabani in the third over.
After Ayub slashed him for a boundary, Yousuf hit him over deep point for a six. The duo kept the attack going against Trevor Gwandu as well as they managed to overhaul the target in the powerplay itself. There was nothing complicated about Pakistan’s chase, and the openers knew it. Raza bowled the first over but Omair Yousuf took 11 off it to set the tone.
Saim Ayub got into the act with a lovely late adjustment that saw him carve Richard Ngarava over the slips for a boundary. Blessing Muzarabani’s poor series continued with both Ayub and Yousuf sending him to the fence, the latter scything him over deep point for six with a shot that oozed confidence.
Ayub wasn’t to be outdone, and there was time enough for his signature shot: a whip off Trevor Gwandu off the pads behind square leg for six. It was Muzarabani’s errant line once more that allowed Ayub to pick up two more boundaries that finished the game off. It was telling of how little Zimbabwe had tested Pakistan that, on a blazing hot day in Bulawayo, when the openers took their helmets off and shook hands, there was barely a bead of sweat on their foreheads.
Presentations and Road Ahead
Salman Ali Agha the winning Pakistan skipper said : That’s how we want to play, we don’t want to play how the toss goes. We are a quality side. If we bat first we can win the game, if we bowl first we can win the game. The way the youngsters are performing is heartening and good to see. [on his bowlers] We have plans and they are executing really well, the way they are doing is outstanding.
The way Sufiyan and Abrar bowled today is outstanding. I’m very happy and the team is very happy. We have not won a T20I series recently, we did not win the T20I series in Australia, we wanted to win here. We want to continue like this in the upcoming series as well.
Sikandar Raza the losing Zimbabwe skipper said : We are all hurting and we are all in a pretty bad place. But we have got 36 hours to bounce back. We can stay in the moment for now but that won’t win us the next game. We still have a desire to beat Pakistan. It was quite a poor performance today, but we still want to beat Pakistan before they go home.
[on how to tackle spin] Again you have to upskill yourself, it is tough in a way, you have to look at the surface and the opposition, there is time when you have to grind, there is time when you have to soak it up.
You cannot have power hitters all the way. But what we ask from everyone is that this is a young side, the more we play the more we learn, Pakistan are a quality side and it is not easy. But what we have to ask are people learning if we keep making the same mistakes. People need to take a hard look at themselves and come up with answers.
Sufiyan Muqeem is the Player of the Match for his unbelievable spell of 5 wickets for 3 runs . However, Ed Rainsford the presentation host for some reason does not call him to have a chat.
Sufiyan Muqeem spun a web around Zimbabwe in Bulawayo, registering the best figures by a Pakistan bowler in T20Is as his team crushed Zimbabwe by ten wickets to seal the T20I series.
Sufiyan Muqeem was fast-tracked into the Pakistan team without much domestic experience. He played only five matches in PSL, representing Peshawar Zalmi, he has claimed just four wickets. He has yet to make his first-class debut, but the recent performances on the Zimbabwe tour might help him open the doors for that, too.
Zimbabwe were skittled for 57, losing their ten wickets over a 20-run period as they fell to their lowest total in T20I cricket. In response, Pakistan coasted to the total with 14.3 overs to spare, marking the biggest win by balls remaining between two Full Members in men’s T20I cricket.
A day to forget for Zimbabwe cricket. They have succumbed to their lowest ever T20I total. And this on the back of their 82 all-out – which was their lowest total ever – against Sri Lanka earlier this year. What will hurt Zimbabwe the most was the openers put on 37 and to collapse from 37/0 to 57 all-out is truly astounding and shell-shocking for any international outfit.
The Zimbabwean batters once the openers were separated had no clue to the wiles and guiles of Sufiyan Muqeem who weaved his magic to finish with barely believable figures of 5/3 in 2.4 overs. The target of 58 was never going to cause any worries for Pakistan who cantered home to a 10-wicket win completing the job inside the powerplay. It will be interesting to hear what Sikandar Raza feels about today’s performance. He is a passionate man and this will truly hurt not only him but every supporter and follower of Zimbabwean cricket.
Quite a stunning collapse from 37/0 to 57 all-out sees Zimbabwe lose the T20I series with a game to go. Those batting collapses are happening far too frequently for their liking. Sikandar Raza the Zimbabwe captain has repeatedly asked his players to upskill themselves but also asked for patience from everyone for he reckons this is a young side. Will the dead-rubber on 5th December provide a change in fortunes for Zimbabwe would be interesting to see.