T20 World Cup 2024: Pakan suffer Ireland scare in three-wicket win, finish third in Group A | Cricket News

Pakan braved a massive scare to reger a three-wicket win in their final T20 World Cup 2024 Group A match against Ireland at the Central Broward Regional Park Stadium Turf Ground in Lauderhill, Florida.
A day after being officially knocked out from the Super 8s race, Babar Azam’s side succumbed to a shocking collapse while only chasing 107-run target on a surface aiding spongy bounce.
The chase was rocked early Irish pacers Josh Little, Barry McCarthy and Curtis Campher, leaving Pakan three down for 52. McCarthy returned to dismiss Usman Khan and Shadab Khan in the space of three deliveries in the 10th over to stall the momentum. Skipper Babar Azam then shepherded the chase against tumbling lower-order wickets to see off the chase, unbeaten on 32 off 34 balls. Shaheen Afridi hit the winning runs, smacking two sixes in the penultimate over.
Earlier, it was an Afridi burst that set the ball rolling for Pakan. The left-arm snapped up two wickets in the first over before adding a third in his next over. Ireland were reduced to 15 for four before a rearguard show from Gareth Delany and Josh Little dragged the side over 100. Left-arm spinner Imad Wasim restricted the lower-order with figures 3/4 in four overs.
Pakan avoided their second defeat against Ireland in T20Is, the first of which came before the World Cup in a bilateral meeting between the sides. The result left Pakan third in Group A with their second win.
It is Pakan’s poorest finish at a T20 World Cup across nine editions, having previously finished fourth out of five teams in a Super 10 group in 2014.
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