Mohammad Nawaz delivered a standout all-round performance as Pakistan opened their Tri-nation T20I campaign with a five-wicket victory over Zimbabwe at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Tuesday. Chasing 148, Pakistan crossed the line with four balls to spare.
Nawaz, later named Player of the Match, claimed 2 for 22 before striking a brisk 20 off 12* to close out the chase.
“Feeling Good… Pitch Played Different Today”: Nawaz
Nawaz said he was pleased with both his own execution and the team’s composure: “Feeling good and starting the series well gives you good confidence as a team. It can be a little difficult sometimes, still, as a bowler, I was just trying to stick to my plan. And the pitch was helping a little as well.
It’s a little different. Rawalpindi is my home ground, and it is usually high scoring. But today it played different. I feel I'm at the top of my game, but T20 cricket momentum can change in one or two overs… you have to be on top all the time. That’s what we did well today, I think. I also want to dedicate this award to my family and kids.
Zimbabwe Fly Out of the Blocks, Then Falter
Asked to bat first, Zimbabwe began superbly. Brian Bennett (49 off 36) and Tadiwanashe Marumani (30 off 22) motored to a 72-run opening stand in eight overs. But once Nawaz broke through, Pakistan’s attack applied the brakes, taking 8 wickets for 75 in the final 12 overs.
Skipper Sikandar Raza added an unbeaten 34 off 24, lifting Zimbabwe to 147/8.
Raza: “We Needed Batsmanship… Pakistan’s Spinners Are Quality”
Raza admitted his side missed a chance to push for a par score.
I didn't think that was a good total on that wicket. There was a need for batsmanship… some of us needed to grind for the team and try to find a partnership. Pakistan have some mystery, and the spinners are quality with Saim, Nawaz, and Abrar. It’s not easy to put them away. Had we found 160–165… we could have pulled the plug a bit earlier. We didn't know how much dew there was gonna be; the last 10 overs were slightly easier to bat on.
Pakistan Wobble Early Before Fakhar–Usman Rescue
Pakistan’s chase stuttered to 54/4, despite a steady opening stand between Saim Ayub (22) and Sahibzada Farhan (16). The turning point came when Fakhar Zaman (45 off 32) and Usman Khan (37 off 28)* built a crucial 61-run fifth-wicket stand. Fakhar’s clean striking and Usman’s steady accumulation reduced the required runs to 42 off 30 before Fakhar fell in the 16th over.
Nawaz Finishes the Job
Nawaz joined Usman with 36 needed off 27 and immediately shifted momentum, launching a six off Brad Evans. A chaotic penultimate over, an overstep, a dropped catch, and a boundary rought the equation down to five needed. Tinotenda Maposa was tasked with defending those five, but Nawaz cracked back-to-back fours to seal the win.
Agha Salman: “We Need to Start Well”
Pakistan captain Agha Salman praised his spinners but urged his side to tighten their early-innings execution.
It was a close game… when you don't start well, it tends to get close.The spinners have been doing well for the last 4–5 months; whoever comes, they put us back in the game. I knew the pitch wasn’t going to be very high scoring. We bowled really well. I was very happy to chase 147. We need to start well, bowling or batting. In the Powerplay we need to be ruthless. That’s what I’m going to talk about.
Brief Scores: Zimbabwe 147/8 in 20 overs (Brian Bennett 49, Sikandar Raza 34*, Tadiwanashe Marumani 30; Mohammad Nawaz 2-22) Pakistan 151/5 in 19.2 overs (Fakhar Zaman 45, Usman Khan 37*; Brad Evans 2-26) Pakistan won by five wickets.
