Sahibzada Farhan scored a steady half-century and Usman Tariq claimed three wickets as under-23 team of Pakistan prevailed over the United States by 32 runs in the ICC men’s T20 World Cup Group A match in Colombo on Tuesday.
The 29-year-old struck five sixes and six fours in his 41-ball 73 and received support from Babar Azam’s dazzling 32-ball 46 (four fours, one six) as Pakistan posted 190-9 at the Sinhalese Sports Club ground.
Their spinners later inflicted a collapse upon the raw USA batting which saw Tariq claim 3-27 and Shadab Khan 2-26 to peg their side back to 158-8 in 20 overs.
It was revenge for Pakistan, after they were stunned by the USA in the 20-over World Cup two years ago, and a second win from as many starts following their narrow three-wicket victory against the Netherlands on Saturday.
For the USA, Shubham Ranjane was the top scorer with a brave 30-ball 51 that included three sixes and as many boundaries before he was dismissed by left-arm pace-bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi playing in his second 100th T20 international.
Opener Shayan Jahangir hammered two sixes and five fours in his 34-ball 49 but was run-out as Milind Kumar also contributed with a 29 before United States lost ground after being at 123-3.
“It was a clinical performance as we batted very well to put up 190 and we knew that we could defend it,” Pakistan captain Salman Agha said.
“There’s ever room for improvement, we’d like to bowl a bit better in the powerplay before next game.”
Pakistan’s next match is against arch-rivals India in Colombo on Sunday, a game the Pakistan government agreed only on Monday to play after initially saying it would boycott the contest.
“We were in the game in the powerplay but again middle part we failed to show intent and lost wickets,” USA captain Monank Patel said.
Earlier, Farhan and Saim Ayub (17-ball 19, two sixes) added 54 in five overs.
Pakistan then fell for two wickets in the sixth over of their innings, bowled by Shadley van Schalkwyk.
Ayub was snapped up off a slower one and Agha holed out on the deep square-leg boundary for one.
Farhan and Azam took charge with some middle overs destruction in an 81-run third-wicket stand.
Farhan completed 1,000 T20 international runs in his 41st match before he was caught in the covers off spinner Harmeet Singh, who finished with 2-38 from four overs, in the 16th over.
Shadab Khan was hitting an onslaught, scoring 30 off 12 balls before Pakistan lost five wickets for a mere 13 runs in the last two overs.
Schalkwyk was USA’s best bowler, taking 4 for 25 to add to his four-for against India in the 29-run loss on Saturday.