Pakistan kept its hopes alive of reaching the semi-finals stage of the ongoing T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia as the Men in Green added two points to their tally after defeating South Africa at Sydney Cricket Ground.
Shadab Khan was named player of the match for his all-round performance, scoring 52 runs off 22 balls, and taking two crucial wickets including Temba Bavuma and Aiden Markram.
Mohammad Haris, who was picked in the playing eleven after Fakhar Zaman suffered a knee injury, also impressed fans by scoring 28 runs off 11 balls, including two boundaries and three maximums.
Mohammad Nawaz and Iftikhar Ahmed also did very well, scoring 28 runs off 22 balls and 51 runs off 35 balls, respectively, to help their team to a total of 185 runs.
Batting consultant, Matthew Hayden, lauded team efforts saying, “When you are under pressure and you have got a job to do that is when it really counts.”
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Hayden was short of words for Shadab, saying, “What a player,” adding that it took courage to do what he did at such a crucial stage of the match.
While praising Iftikhar, Nawaz, and Shadab Khan in the dressing room speech, Hayden said that they were just brilliant when it mattered.
The legendary Australian also praised the bowling efforts, saying Pakistan not only defeated a world-class side like South Africa but hammered them. He also said that this should be the benchmark performance for team Pakistan going forward and told them to play the game with the same intensity.
