Khan and Manzoor spur Pakistan to big cricket win against Zimbabwe

February 3rd, 2008 Sana · No Comments

SHEIKHUPURA, Pakistan - Younis Khan and debutante Khurram Manzoor hit half centuries Saturday as Pakistan thrashed Zimbabwe by seven wickets with 19 overs to spare in the fifth and final limited-overs international.

The Pakistan victory completed a 5-0 whitewash for the hosts.

“It’s good for us that we won all the matches - especially after losing to South Africa at home and against India last year,” said captain Shoaib Malik, who also won the man of the series award.

Khan hit better than run-a-ball 63 while Manzoor made a confident 50 off 74 balls with Pakistan wiping off the meagre 182-run target for the loss of three wickets in only 31 overs.

Misbahul Haq (31 not out) completed the rout when he lofted left-arm spinner Ray Price (2-38) for a straight six over long off while Fawad Alam remained unbeaten on 14.

“We should have won at least two games, but in the end it was disappointing to lose the series 5-0,” said Zimbabwe’s stand-in captain Hamilton Masakadza.

“Lots of our batters got starts in the series but nobody could went on to convert it into big scores.”

Under heavy overcast skies, Zimbabwe bowlers struggled to contain the free-scoring of Khan and Manzoor.

Khan, who was rested in the previous game, added 97 runs off 100 balls in partnership with Manzoor before he was well caught by stand-in captain Hamilton Masakadza at mid-on.

Khan hit eight fours and a straight six in his 51-ball knock that delighted the crowd of around 18,000 at the Sheikhupura Stadium. Manzoor followed Khan in Price’s next over when he was clean bowled while attempting a cross-batted shot.

Earlier, the debutante pace duo of Abdur Rauf and Wahab Riaz grabbed five wickets between them to shoot Zimbabwe out for 181 in 45.4 overs - the visitors’ lowest total in the five-match series.

Rauf took 3-45 while left-arm Wahab (2-19), got the prized scalps of in-form Sean Williams (19) and Tatenda Taibu (6) in his first three overs as Zimbabwe was bowled out in 45.4 overs.

Brendon Taylor (49) top scored and shared an 85-run sixth wicket stand off 123 balls with Elton Chigumbura (34) before both fell in successive overs as Zimbabwe lost its last five wickets for 29 runs.

Zimbabwe had a bad start after Masakadza won the toss and opted to bat. The top five wickets fell for just 67 runs with Williams top edging to fine leg and Taibu brilliantly caught in the covers by Rizwan Ahmed in Riaz’s opening spell.

Taylor and Chigumbura did the repair work before Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik (2-35) struck and had Taylor clean bowled off a delivery that kept low. Taylor faced 79 balls and hit five boundaries.

Chigumbura departed in the next over when he was smartly stumped by wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed off left-arm spinner Fawad Alam, who had earlier dropped a hard catch when Chigumbura was on 15.

Rauf, who earlier caught Masakadza off his own bowling, struck twice in one over and quickly finished off the innings when he clean bowled the last two batsmen Ray Price and Chris Mpofu cheaply.

Pakistan made wholesale changes as it rested experienced Mohammad Yousuf and all-rounder Shahid Afridi. It also dropped fast bowlers Kamran Hussain and Sohail Khan, while opening batsman Khalid Latif was also left out. Beside Riaz, Manzoor and Rauf, leg-spinner Ahmed also made his debut.

Zimbabwe’s regular captain Prosper Utseya could not recover from the ankle injury that had sidelined him since playing in the second match at Hyderabad. Fast bowler Tawanda Mupariwa also missed a second game in a row after spraining his ankle in the third match