‘Protect this man at all costs’: Shadab Khan keeps Pakistan’s T20 World Cup dream alive

Pakistan needed nothing less than victory to keep their T20 World Cup dream alive, and Shadab Khan’s all-round masterclass got the job done.

Shadab Khan reacts with teammates. Photo by DAVID GRAY / AFP

Pakistan’s unbeaten T20 World Cup record against South Africa remains intact after Thursday evening’s rain-affected victory at the SCG kept the Cornered Tigers in contention for an unlikely semi-finals berth.

Hobart Hurricanes recruit Shadab Khan was the saviour with bat and ball for Pakistan, scoring a career-best 52 (22) and snaring two wickets as the men in green secured a 33-run victory via the DLS Method.

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The only other Pakistani to score 50+ runs and take at least two wickets in a T20 World Cup match is former captain Shahid Afridi, who achieved the rare feat back in 2009.

The South Africans, who were plagued by sloppy fielding errors on Thursday, now need to defeat the Netherlands in Adelaide on Sunday afternoon to book their spot in the knock-outs.

The Sydney crowd of 30,351 was flooded with hundreds of Pakistan flags, several of which had been purchased down the road at a makeshift stall outside Central Station.

Every Pakistani boundary prompted roars of delight from the crowd, but the sea of green fell eerily silent when opener Mohammad Rizwan was dismissed in the first over of the match.

The world No. 2 T20I batter chopped a length delivery from Proteas seamer Wayne Parnell back onto his stumps for 4, bringing Mohammad Haris to the crease.

Haris had been added to Pakistan’s T20 World Cup earlier that day as a replacement for Fakhar Zaman, who was ruled out of the tournament with a posterior cruciate ligament injury.

Parnell promptly welcomed Haris to the tournament with a rip-snorting bouncer that struck the right-hander on the grill between his eyes, forcing umpire Chris Gaffaney to immediately wave for medical support.

Mohammad Haris of Pakistan. Photo by Isuru Sameera Peiris/Gallo Images/Getty Images

But the 21-year-old was seemingly unfazed by the nasty head knock, smacking his next delivery into the iconic Ladies Pavilion for six, following it up with a perfectly-timed scoop over the fine leg boundary rope.

It was fearless batting from Haris, who was eventually trapped on the pads by speedster Anrich Nortje for 28 (11).

Pakistan quickly crumbled to 4/43, with captain Babar Azam failing to reach doubles figures for a fourth consecutive match, removed by talented paceman Lungi Ngidi for a sluggish 6 (15).

Azam has scored just 14 runs in four knocks during this year’s T20 World Cup, averaging 3.50 with a dismal strike rate of 46.66.

Iftikhar Ahmed and Mohammad Nawaz set about reviving the Pakistani innings, combining for a 52-run partnership, during which South Africa’s Aiden Markram horrifically misjudged a catch, sprinting in from the rope only for Kookaburra to fly over his head for a boundary.

Proteas spinner Tabraiz Shamsi broke the fifth-wicket partnership later that over, trapping Nazaw on pads for 28, but replays suggested there may have been an inside edge.

Nawaz, believing he had been run out at the striker’s end, marched off in disgust without calling for a review, but because the stumps were broken happened after Gaffaney raised the finger for LBW, it would have been deemed a dead ball if the decision had been reviewed.

Bizarre incident - Nawaz given out LBW - looking at the replays he got bat on it - but he didn’t review it. He was then run out but as he had already been given out by the umpire the ball was dead - so the run out would not have counted
PAK 101/5 #PAKvSA#T20WorldCup

— Natalie Germanos 🏏 (@NatalieGermanos) November 3, 2022

Soon after, Ahmed brought the crowd back to life by smacking a 106m six into the third tier of the SCG’s Brewongle Stand, the largest six of the Super 12 stage thus far.

The 32-year-old and Khan drastically turned the tide, each scoring rapid half-centuries and plundering 82 runs in an explosive 35-ball partnership, albeit assisted by some horrific fielding.

Player of the Match Khan brought up his maiden T20I fifty in just 20 deliveries, the second-fastest half-century by a Pakistani in T20I history, cracking three boundaries and four sixes to frustrate South Africa’s classy bowling attack.

Markram’s evening went from bad to worse in the penultimate over, spilling a regulation chance at long-on to gift Khan an additional life on 50, but thankfully Nortje dismissed the 24-year-old the following delivery.

“I‘ve done well in PSL with the bat, but international, definitely this is my best innings,” Khan told reporters in the post-match press conference,

“And more important, our team wins. So that‘s more important to me.”

Pakistan, who had only mustered 68 runs from their first 10 overs, lost 4/8 at the death, but finished with a team total of 9/185.

I'll remember that 52 off 22 for a very long time. The 2nd fastest T20I 50 for Pakistan. Shadab Khan. Some absurd hitting. Protect this man at all costs... #PAKvSApic.twitter.com/RrrWib6IXE

— Aatif Nawaz (@AatifNawaz) November 3, 2022

This is for my entire team who have supported me throughout. I try to give it my all for them and for the fans of Pakistan cricket. Will always keep believing and working hard no matter what. #PakistanZindabadpic.twitter.com/aO6QAe9IKl

— Shadab Khan (@76Shadabkhan) November 3, 2022

South Africa’s run chase got off to a woeful start, with wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock caught at mid-wicket for a fifth-ball duck in the opening over.

Pakistan paceman Shaheen Shah Afridi, who finished with 3/14, struck again in his second over, removing the dangerous Rilee Rossouw caught at third man for 7.

South African captain Temba Bavuma, under immense pressure to rediscover some form, shifted momentum back in the Proteas’ favour with a 19-ball 36, headlined by a remarkable six off Pakistani paceman Haris Rauf.

But just when South Africa was seemingly cruising towards the target, Khan dismissed both Bavuma and Markram in his first over of the evening, swinging the pendulum firmly back in Pakistan’s direction.

Bavuma feathered a catch through to the wicketkeeper while Markram played all around a straight one, both returning to the sheds moments before rain halted proceedings in the ninth over.

South Africa was seven runs ahead of the DLS par score before Khan’s game-changing over, but fell 12 runs behind the target just six deliveries later.

Shaheen Shah Afridi celebrates the wicket of Heinrich Klaasen. Photo by DAVID GRAY / AFP

Ground staff teased the impatient crowd by sporadically dragging the covers on and off before the new target of 73 runs from five overs was officially announced.

It proved too tall an order for the South Africans, who fell 33 runs short of the updated target with wickets tumbling regularly throughout the uninspiring run chase.

“I wouldn‘t say it’s a concern, probably just a bit of a wake-up call,” Bavuma told reporters in the post-match press conference.

“I thought the first ten overs we were superb. We were able to get them under pressure. Then after that, the wheels probably came off.

“Maybe it‘s a performance that we needed to bring us down back to earth.”

Pakistan will next face Bangladesh at Adelaide Oval on Sunday afternoon, with the first ball scheduled for 3pm AEDT.