NEW YORK: Pakistan on Tuesday defeated Canada in what was a one-sided clash as the Men in Green chased down the 107-run target against the newbies to staye alive in the T20 World Cup with a seven-wicket win.
Knowing defeat would condemn them to a shock first round exit, Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam put on a match-winning second-wicket partnership of 63 as Pakistan reached their target with 15 balls to spare.
The win came as a breather for the side following their back-to-back losses against the United States (USA) and India in their first two matches of the mega-tournament.
Men in Green had a tough start as they failed to score a boundary in the first four overs. Saim Ayub soon departed for the pavilion after scoring just six runs, leaving the Green Shirts 20-1 in 4.2 overs.
However, Pakistan continued to play with caution as Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan formed a 63-run partnership.
Azam lost his wicket for 33 runs but Rizwan (53 off 53) remained on the pitch and took Pakistan over the line by chasing the target in 17.3 overs.
Earlier, the day belonged to Pakistan bowlers as the Canadian batters had no answers to their attack. Mohammad Amir, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf all did their part with the ball as the Green Shirts managed to restrict the opponents to 106-7 in New York.
Pakistan squad drew first blood against the opponents as Mohammad Amir bowled Canadian opener Navneet Dhaliwal (4) out in the third over.
The bowlers picked up wickets quickly after the first dismissal, as Shaheen Shah Afridi, who couldn't take his first over wicket, made progress when Pragat Singh (2) was caught and bowled in the fifth over.
Haris Rauf conceded 13 runs in the 7th over without taking a wicket but Imad Wasim did the job for his mate as he dismissed Nicholas Singh for just two runs in a run out.
Pakistan looked dominant with five wickets in hand as Rauf sought a hat-trick after sending Ravinderpal Singh to the dugout the 10th over.
Young pacer Naseem Shah struck, taking his first wicket of the match in the 14th over, with Canada at 73/6 at this point.
As the wickets kept tumbling, Aaron Johnson tried his best to keep Canada in the game as he deposited Imad for his third six before scoring a fifty.
Canadian skipper Saad Bin Zafar was sent packing with just 10 runs in the bag.
The national side needs to win today's match and the next one — both of which are high-stake group clashes — to stay in the tournament, as they lost two of the opening matches.
Pakistan: Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Saim Ayub, Babar Azam (capt), Fakhar Zaman, Usman Khan, Shadab Khan, Imad Wasim, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Amir
Canada: Aaron Johnson, Navneet Dhaliwal, Pargat Singh, Nicholas Kirton, Shreyas Movva (wk), Ravinderpal Singh, Dilon Heyliger, Saad Bin Zafar (capt), Kaleem Sana, Junaid Siddiqui, Jeremy Gordon
"With a heart full of gratitude, I bid farewell to T20 internationals," writes Jadeja
Swiss team outplayed the two-time winners, pushing them out of the tournament
Virat Kohli, often compared to Tendulkar, bows out in shortest international format with 4,188 runs in 125 games
Virat Kohli's wife says their daughter had concerns after seeing her father's team in tears after the win
Shaheen's reaction comes as he has shared a healthy rivalry with both players on pitch in recent years
Rohit said, "This was my last game as well. No better time to say goodbye to this format
