In a two-over interval late within the T20 World Cup remaining, the hearts of Pakistan supporters sunk and the English loosened up for wild celebrations.
Pakistan followers watched on, gutted, because the spearhead of the facet’s assault, magnificent fast Shaheen Afridi, limped from the sphere.
He’d returned to the MCG pastures after buckling a knee whereas taking an aesthetic outfield catch, solely to bowl one ball and name it a day 15.1 overs into England’s chase.
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What adopted was a glut of runs that noticed the English rip the sport away from a gutsy Pakistan facet defending solely 137.
Ben Stokes and Moeen Ali mixed to pummel 29 runs from 11 balls throughout the sixteenth and seventeenth overs, setting England up for a five-wicket win with six balls to spare.
Mark Taylor labelled Afridi’s exit the “turning point” on 9’s protection of the match, whereas Callum Ferguson criticised the choice handy part-time off-spinner Iftikhar Ahmed the ball when the chief of the assault stumbled from the sphere.
Iftikhar leaked 13 runs from 5 balls, earlier than Mohammad Wasim conceded 16 from a full over.
“I’ve watched this Pakistan side really closely through the tournament. It feels like a more mature Pakistan at the moment,” Ferguson mentioned.
“But there’s no doubt that Iftikhar bowling at that stage of the game was the furthest thing from everyone’s minds … before Shaheen went down. He’s barely bowled at all in this tournament. We know he’s an off-spinner that does bowl from time to time, but for that to be the situation and for him to be bowling that over — that was a real left-field one for me.
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“I assumed (left-arm orthodox bowler Mohammad) Nawaz might need bowled it, regardless that it will have meant spinning into the 2 left-handers. I nonetheless thought they’d have gone with him. He is a man that is bowled nicely by way of the match.”
Stokes finished with an unbeaten 52 runs from 49 deliveries, saving the highest score of his T20 international career for the most important stage.
Ali played a tremendous supporting role, hammering 19 from 13 after striding to the middle at No.6.
“Wasn’t to be and it damage them in the long run,” Ferguson said of the call to give Iftikhar the ball.
“Ben Stokes took full toll.”
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