Australia Hand Pakistan Knockout Punch at WT20
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SPORTS SATURDAY, MARCH 26, 2016 SCOREBOARD MOHALI: Scoreboard yesterday from the World Twenty20 Group 2 game between Australia and Pakistan at Punjab Cricket Association Stadium: Australia Usman Khawaja b Riaz 21 Aaron Finch b Wasim 15 David Warner b Riaz 9 Steven Smith not out 61 Glenn Maxwell c Shehazad b Wasim 30 Shane Watson not out 44 Extras: (8lb, 5w) 13 TOTAL: (for 4 wickets) 193 Overs: 20 Fall of wickets: 1-28, 2-42, 3-57, 4-119. Did not bat: James Faulkner, Peter Nevill, Adam Zampa, Nathan Coulter- Nile, Josh Hazlewood Bowling: Mohammad Amir 4-0-39-0 (1w), Mohammad Sami 4-0-53-0 (3w), Wahab Riaz 4-0-35-2, Shahid Afridi 4-0-27-0, Imad Wasim 4-0-31-2. Pakistan Sharjeel Khan b Faulkner 30 Ahmed Shehzad c Coulter-Nile b Hazlewood 1 Khalid Latif b Faulkner 46 Umar Akmal b Zampa 32 Shahid Afridi st Neville b Zampa 14 Shoaib Malik not out 40 Imad Wasim c Coulter-Nile b Faulkner 0 Sarfaraz Ahmed c Khawaja b Faulkner 2 Wahab Riaz c Hazlewood b Faulkner 0 Mohammad Sami not out 4 Extras: (1b, 1lb, 1w) 3 MOHALI: Pakistan’s Khalid Latif dives to make his ground as Australia’s Shane Watson catches the ball during their ICC TOTAL: (for 8 wickets) 172 World Twenty20 2016 cricket match in Mohali, India, yesterday. — AP Overs: 20 Fall of wickets: 1-20, 2-40, 3-85, 4-110, 5-147, 7-164, 8-164. Did not bat: Mohammad Amir. Bowling: Josh Hazlewood 4-0-26-1 (1w), Nathan Coulter-Nile 4-0-45-0, Australia hand Pakistan James Faulkner 4-0-27-5, Shane Watson 2-0-27-0, Adam Zampa 4-0-32- 2, Glenn Maxwell 2-0-13-0. Result: Australia won by 21 runs. knockout punch at WT20 MOHALI: James Faulkner said tough opponent at home. We should be The Australians were in early trouble Younis laments decline Australia’s quest for the elusive World up for the challenge.” but Smith, 26, batted sensibly to ensure Twenty20 trophy was back on track yes- A dejected Afridi, who will now his side did not squander the advantage of Pakistan after exit terday after his record-breaking bowling decide on his international future, con- of batting first. performance knocked out Pakistan and gratulated Australia and admitted the Smith hit seven boundaries in his 43- MOHALI: Coach Waqar Younis yesterday lamented the decline set up a must-win showdown against former champions had been outplayed. ball knock and completed his second of Pakistan cricket after his team were knocked out of the World India. “Honestly, we were simply not good half-century in T20 internationals in the Twenty20 with a disappointing 21-run defeat against Australia. Faulkner took 5-27 against Shahid enough,” Afridi, 36, conceded after the process. A wayward Pakistan let Australia off the hook after having Afridi’s team, including four wickets in game. Watson, who has announced he will them in early trouble at 57-3 in the must-win group tie at Mohali. the final over, to seal a 21-run victory “In the last four overs, we gave away quit international cricket after the tour- The Aussies were quick to capitalise on some shoddy bowling after Australian skipper Steve Smith had 40 runs,” said Afridi who went wicketless nament, came in lower down the order and fielding, posting a commanding 193-4 before restricting earlier made an unbeaten 61 in Mohali. in the match and made just 14 runs. and provided some late fireworks in a Shahid Afridi’s men to 172-8. It was a clinical performance by The stage for the Australian win was 21-ball knock which included three six- The early ouster of the 2009 champions from the tournament Australia who posted 193-4 before set by an unbeaten 61-run knock from es. has put skipper Afridi as well as Younis under pressure, with both restricting Afridi’s men to 172-8 off their Smith who shared key stands with Australia opted for a new opening likely to lose their jobs sooner than later. 20 overs on a docile track. Shane Watson (44 not out) and Glenn pair in Aaron Finch and Usman Khawaja Younis, a dreaded fast bowler in his playing days, did not mince his words as he called for an overhaul back home. “We Australia are world champions in 50 Maxwell (30) to rescue his side from a for the crunch tie at the Punjab Cricket have just lost the match and whatever I say will look like an over cricket and the number one Test shaky 57-3. Association ground. excuse,” Younis, 44, said at a post-match press conference. team but have yet to win the World T20 Apart from Faulkner, whose victims Khawaja, enjoying a purple patch “If we think deeply we will see that Pakistan hasn’t seen any in five previous attempts. included the dangerous Sharjeel Khan with the bat, showed his aggressive international cricket for last seven-eight years and that has hurt Faulkner, the first Australian to take (30), rookie leg-spinner Adam Zampa intent early as he hit an off-colour us. “And that has started showing now. Earlier we had match five wickets in a T20 international, chipped in with two wickets. Mohammad Sami (53-0) for two fours in winners like Saeed Ajmal and Mohammad Hafeez who could admitted his figures were flattered by the first over of the innings. bowl. some desperate lower-order Pakistani LACKLUSTRE PAKISTAN The left-hander then lofted Riaz over “Yes, I would say that Pakistan cricket is in a bit of a decline batting. Pakistan lost wickets at regular inter- the fence for a six but he was out one and we need to control it. We will have to look at our domestic But he relished the prospect of what vals and were never really in the hunt ball later, losing his middle-stump to the cricket and infrastructure.” is now effectively a quarter-final against despite a valiant counter-attack by fast bowler. Pakistan finished their campaign with three defeats from four the hosts on Sunday as whoever wins Khalid Latif (46). Riaz then dismissed David Warner outings, including a loss at the hands of arch foes India in Kolkata. will enter the semi-finals. After losing opener Ahmed Shehzad (nine) with a ball that knocked off the Their preparations were not helped by their late departure in “I was lucky there at the end. More (one) cheaply in the third over, Sharjeel stumps in a spectacular fashion. Finch a row over security and Pakistan have not been able to play a importantly, we are back on track,” he tried to speed things up before chop- (15) was the next to go, failing to read a major cricket nation since a deadly attack on the Sri Lankan team said. ping on to his stumps off Faulkner. slow and low ball from Wasim. bus in 2009. There were flashes of individual brilliance from play- “We have played well all summer Umar Akmal (32) lost his wicket to Smith and Maxwell then steadied the ers like Sharjeel Khan and Mohammad Amir during the tourna- back home. We showed what we can do Zampa and Afridi was stumped after he innings, with a quick-fire 62-run partner- ment in India but the team failed to fire as a unit, prompting with the bat. Looking forward to the danced down the track to attempt an ship before Wasim made the break- speculation of a rift in the dressing room.—AFP next game against India, who are a ambitious shot off the same bowler. through. — AFP.