Zimbabwe defeated Pakistan by one run in Perth.
Pakistan couldn’t chase down a paltry 131-run target despite some good scores by Shan Masood and Mohammad Nawaz as Zimbabwe bowlers and fielders kept a tight leash over the batting after fighting their way to 130/8 in 20 overs after choosing to bat first.
In the end, Pakistan crumbled under immense pressure as their batting couldn’t come to the fore and they lost a match that they should have won within 15 overs. With this loss, Pakistan is on the verge of being eliminated from the race to the semi-finals.
Meanwhile, while there were euphoric scenes as the Zimbabwe fans celebrated the win in Perth ground, back at home, supporters of the Craig Ervine-led team were ecstatic at the Harare Sports Club ground.
Zimbabwe Cricket’s media manager Yvonne Mangunda shared some glimpses from Harare on her Twitter handle. The fans burst into animated celebrations as soon as wicketkeeper Regis Chakabva trapped Pakistan’s Shaheen Shah Afridi short of the white line on the final delivery of the match, registering their first win of the super 12s stage.
The video showed fans and ground staff celebrating the win on Harare ground with dance and joy.
The caption of the clip read, “The way people sang throughout the innings at Harare Sports Club was out of this world. I had to capture the final moments of the innings. A pitch invasion over a match on TV. A first and a lovely first.”
Not only fans, but the Zimbabwe team players also celebrated with drinks and songs inside the dressing room after registering one of their biggest wins in the T20 World Cups. Sikandar Raza, who was named the Player of the Match for his three wickets led the celebration.
The ICC shared a clip of their joyous dance and song on social media.