Pakistan faced a 93-run defeat against defending champions England in their last group match of the ongoing World Cup 2023, leading to their exit from the mega event.
Batting second and chasing England’s 338-run target, Pakistani batters consistently lost wickets as the English side restricted the Green Shirts to 244 runs in the 44th over.
During the chase, Pakistan encountered early setbacks with openers Abdullah Shafique and Fakhar Zaman returning to the pavilion within the first three overs, leaving their side at 10-2 in 2.4 overs, courtesy of David Willey.
The Men in Green found some stability as skipper Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan contributed, but both were dismissed after 22.3 overs, with Pakistan at four down for 100 runs.
Salman Ali Agha emerged as the top-scorer for the struggling Pakistani side, managing to score 51 runs. Shaheen Shah Afridi added 26 runs further down the batting line.
Haris Rauf and Wasim played aggressive innings towards the end, combining for 53 runs, but their efforts fell short against the massive target set by the English batters.
In the earlier part of the day, England, batting first, posted 337 runs on the scoreboard, thanks to a solid performance by their top order.
Dawid Malan and Jonny Bairstow provided a dominant start, scoring 80 runs within 13 overs without any loss. Malan was the first to depart for the pavilion after scoring 31 runs, victim to Iftikhar Ahmed.
Bairstow followed suit, losing his wicket for 59 runs. However, Joe Root and Ben Stokes built a crucial 132-run partnership after losing two wickets, putting Jos Buttler’s men in a comfortable position.
Stokes top-scored with 84 runs, including 11 fours and two sixes, but fell short of a consecutive World Cup century, being bowled by Shaheen Afridi. Root scored 60 runs before becoming Afridi’s victim.
Buttler (27 off 18) and Harry Brook (30 off 17) added crucial runs late in the game, helping England set a target of 338 runs.
For Pakistan, Haris, who conceded the most runs by a bowler in a single World Cup edition, took three wickets, while Afridi and Wasim Jr bagged two each, and Iftikhar picked one.
Pakistan concluded their World Cup campaign with four wins out of nine matches, securing the fifth position in the points table with eight points.
(Islamabad51_Newsdesk)
