Cricket Highlights, June 11: T20 WC 2024 (Match 22) – Canada vs Pakistan

Canada vs Pakistan (Match 22) – Highlights

In this article, we will discuss Pakistan’s long-awaited triumph at the T20 World Cup, where they showcased a comprehensive performance to secure their first victory of the tournament by defeating Canada by seven wickets in New York. 

The victory was orchestrated by their fast bowlers, who collectively took six wickets to restrict Canada to 106 for 7 in their 20 overs, despite a resilient 44-ball 52 from Aaron Johnson. Johnson’s score was impressive considering the pitch conditions in New York, making Canada’s total quite competitive.

Toss favor Babar & he chose to field first. He likely hoped for some early magic from Shaheen Afridi, but it was Aaron Johnson who stole the spotlight in the first over. Johnson hit Afridi for two boundaries on the first two balls, setting a record as the first time the opening two deliveries in a men’s T20 World Cup match had been hit for fours.

Johnson continued his aggressive play, striking Naseem Shah over backward point. Mohammad Amir was the only bowler who found his rhythm early and was rewarded when he bowled Navneet Dhaliwal with a searing in-dipper. Afridi and Naseem soon found their lengths, and although Johnson continued to attack, there were several near-misses. Afridi eventually had Pargat Singh caught at first slip, leaving Canada at 30 for 2 after six overs. The pivotal moment came in the seventh over when Nicholas Kirton, Canada’s top batter in the competition, was run out by a direct hit from Imad Wasim.

Despite Johnson’s efforts, Canada continued to lose wickets. Haris Rauf took two wickets in three balls, dismissing Shreyas Movva and Ravinderpal Singh, reducing Canada to 55 for 5 after ten overs. Johnson reached his fifty but was soon bowled by Naseem for 52.

Canada struggled to accelerate their innings, scoring just 29 runs in the last five overs and facing 76 dot balls, a record in the men’s T20 World Cup. Forecaster gave Pakistan a 93% chance of winning at the halfway mark, but the tricky New York pitch meant nothing was certain.

In response, Pakistan experienced a shaky start during the powerplay. They had replaced Iftikhar Ahmed with Saim Ayub, who opened alongside Mohammad Rizwan, thus disrupting the Rizwan-Babar Azam opening pair. This move backfired as Ayub was dismissed for 6 off 12 balls.

Kaleem Sana’s first over included five wides, but Canada bowled tightly otherwise. Ayub fell early, edging Dilon Heyliger behind. Babar had a close call with an appeal for caught behind, but replays showed it hit his pad. During the powerplay, Pakistan managed to hit just one four, while Canada struck five. Out of Canada’s 36 powerplay deliveries, 31 were pitched on a length or short of a length, causing difficulties for the Pakistani batters.

Canada’s spinners, Junaid Siddiqui and Saad Bin Zafar, who had troubled Ireland in their previous game, couldn’t contain Babar and Rizwan. Rizwan swept Saad through deep-backward square-leg, and Babar hit Junaid for a six down the ground. They added 31 runs between overs six and ten, putting Pakistan back on track.

Babar was dismissed by Heyliger, edging a catch behind, but Rizwan remained at the crease until the end. Rizwan notched his 29th T20I fifty off 52 balls, marking the slowest half-century by a Pakistani in this format, a reflection of the challenging conditions that required a more cautious strategy. Usman Khan sealed the victory with the winning runs, as Pakistan successfully completed the chase in 17.3 overs. While the win didn’t boost their Net Run Rate above the USA’s, it was a positive step forward after their earlier defeats.

There was finally something for Pakistan to celebrate at the T20 World Cup as they delivered a solid all-round performance to secure their first win of the tournament, defeating Canada by seven wickets in New York.

Canada vs Pakistan Scoreboard

Canada – 106/7 (20.0)

Pakistan – 107/3 (17.3)

Result – Pakistan won by 7 wickets (with 15 balls remaining)

Player of the match – Mohammad Amir

Mohammad Amir

Canada vs Pakistan Playing XIs

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