King and Shepherd hit career-bests as West Indies come close to win
2nd T20 International
Venue: National Stadium, Karachi
Toss: Pakistan won and chose to bat
Result: Pakistan won by 9 runs
Scoreboard: https://www.windiescricket.com/matches/209705/#scorecard
Brandon King set a platform at the top of the order and Romario Shepherd launched a late charge as West Indies put up a brave fight but went under by a narrow margin of just nine runs against Pakistan on Tuesday.
The free-scoring King hit his maiden half-century – 67 off 43 balls with eight fours and three sixes – as the visitors made 163 all out off 20 overs, in reply to the home team’s 172-8 off 20 overs. Needing 23 to win off the last over, Shepherd hit Haris Rauf for 13 but the West Indies were bowled out on the last ball when the pacer clean bowled last man Oshane Thomas.
Shepherd denied Shaheen Afridi (3-26) a hat-trick and his career-best 35 not out off 19 balls lifted West Indies to the brink of a comeback win. He faced just 19 balls and hit two fours and two sixes. When King was caught in the deep in the 16th over off Rauf, he was only the fifth man down with the score at 118. But Afridi’s three wickets in the next over handed the momentum was back with Pakistan.
Pakistan were 141-7 after 18 overs but Shadab Khan hit an unbeaten 28 off 12 balls to give them a defendable total. It proved to be the difference. Earlier, left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein again stood out for the West Indies in an unchanged spell of four overs up front and had Fakhar Zaman stumped by Pooran. Mohammad Rizwan top-scored with 38, Iftikhar Ahmed added 32, and Haider Ali made 31. However, it was Shadab’s breezy knock including three sixes in the last two overs which gave Pakistan just enough runs.
This gave Pakistan an unassailable 2-0 lead with one match to be played. The two teams will return to the same venue on Thursday for the final contest. First ball is 6pm local time (9am East Caribbean/8am Jamaica).
-CWI
