MIRPUR: Pakistan cricket team beats Australia by 16 runs in a high scoring match of ICC T20 World Cup here at Shere Bangla Stadium.
In a group 2 match, Australia won the toss and chose to field first.
Pakistan’s opener Ahmed Shahzad and Captain Muhammad Hafeez could not score well but it is Akmal brothers who proved Australian decision wrong by playing some good shots on every side of the ground.
Kamran made 31 and supported his brother Umar Akmal who made 94 runs off 70 balls by hitting 9 fours and 4 sixes.
Australia was exhilarating with the bat but woeful in the field, with three dropped catches and ordinary ground-fielding allowing Pakistan to set a big total.
They looked no chance when they lost Dave Warner and Shane Watson in the first over of the chase to spinner Zulfiqar Babar, with more tricky Pakistan spinners yet to be produced.
Enter Maxwell, nicknamed “The Big Show’’ by his teammates.
He whacked his fifty in an Australian record-equalling 18 balls and no bowler, not even the in-form mystery spinner Saaed Ajmal, could contain him.
There was a bit of everything in Maxwell’s innings, even forced to duck a nasty beamer from paceman Bilawal Bhatti, which would have taken the batsman’s head off had he not taken evasive action.
Maxwell got his own back, helping to smash Bhatti for 30 off the over.
Australia looked on track even when Maxwell was caught in the deep off Afridi but a brace of late wickets got Pakistan home.
Aaron Finch (65 off 54 balls) was terrific but Pakistan roared when he was bowled by Ajmal and the Aussies were bowled out for 175 in a 16-run loss
Scores:
Pakistan 191-5 in 20 overs (Umar Akmal 94, Kamran Akmal 31; Nathan Coulter-Nile 2-36) v Australia 175 all out in 20 overs (Glenn Maxwell 74, Aaron Finch 65; Zulfiqar Babar 2-26, Umar Gul 2-29, Shahid Afridi 2-30, Bilawal Bhatti 2-36).
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