T20 World Cup 2024: Babar Azam hits captain’s knock as Pakistan bow out with win over Ireland

Former champions Pakistan managed to salvage some pride as they secured a hard-fought three-wicket victory against Ireland in their final match of the T20 World Cup on Sunday. Despite being knocked out of the tournament after losses to the USA and India, Pakistan put up a strong performance in their last game.

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Opting to bowl, Pakistan’s bowlers, led by Shaheen Shah Afridi’s impressive spell of 3/22, restricted Ireland to a modest total of 106/9. The target seemed achievable, but Pakistan’s batting woes continued as they found themselves struggling at 62/6 in the 11th over.

However, skipper Babar Azam played a captain’s knock, remaining unbeaten on 32, along with Abbas Afridi’s valuable 17, guided Pakistan to victory at 111/7 in 18.5 overs. Shaheen Afridi’s cameo of 13 not out, including two powerful sixes, sealed the win for Pakistan.

Pacers Barry McCarthy (3/15), Curtis Campher (2/24) and Mark Adair (1/24) bowled their hearts out for Ireland but Pakistan stood tall in the end as the Irish finished the tournament without a win.

Ireland had a disastrous start to their innings as they slumped to 4/3 in the second over, courtesy of Shaheen Afridi and Mohammad Amir’s early strikes. Shaheen Afridi removed Andrew Balbirnie and Lorcan Tucker in the opening over, while Amir dismissed Ireland’s captain, Paul Stirling, leaving the top order in shambles. The middle order failed to offer much resistance, with Harry Tector and George Dockrell also falling quickly to Afridi and Amir.

Pakistan’s bowlers maintained the pressure on Ireland, with Haris Rauf joining the wicket-taking party by dismissing Curtis Campher. However, Mark Adair and Joshua Little staged a brief fightback, with Delany taking charge by hitting a six and a boundary to propel Ireland past the fifty-run mark. Despite some resistance from the lower order, Ireland could only manage to post a total just over the 100-run mark thanks to Little’s late flourish.

In their chase, Pakistan’s openers Saim Ayub and Mohammad Rizwan got off to a decent start before losing quick wickets in the middle overs. Fakhar Zaman, Usman Khan, Shadab Khan, and Imad Wasim fell cheaply, putting Pakistan in a precarious position.

Babar Azam’s calm presence at the crease proved crucial as he steadied the innings in partnership with Abbas Afridi, ensuring Pakistan crossed the finish line despite some hiccups along the way.

The match showcased Pakistan’s resilience in the face of adversity, with both their bowlers and batters playing crucial roles in securing a victory that restored some pride for the former champions.

“Let’s see, what team needs, I’ll be okay with it. We have a good bunch of players, we’ve to go home, chat and see where we lacked, and then come back. Couldn’t finish off close games, as a team we weren’t good as a team,” said Babar.

The win means Pakistan finish third in the group and Ireland ended bottom with a solitary point from their washed-out game against the USA.