Pakistan captain Babar Azam was delighted after his side defeated South Africa by 33 runs (DLS Method) on Thursday. Opting to bat first, Pakistan faced a quick fall of wickets but Iftikhar Ahmed and Shadab Khan anchored the innings and took the team's total to 185/9 in 20.0 overs in their Super 12 encounter of the ongoing T20 World Cup at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Thursday. Chasing 186, rain interrupted the game and target got revised to 142 in 14 overs. The Pakistan bowlers restricted the Proteas to 108/9, claiming the victory by 33 runs.
"Very happy with the way the team performed. Rizwan and I were not up to the mark, but the way Haris played, he's a different player and shifted the momentum. Then Shadab and Ifti were outstanding in finishing the innings," Babar said in the post-match presentation.
"These are our best players and everyone is ready to play. Everyone is a match-winner. The first two matches were close losses, but we've given 100 per cent in the last two matches and you never know, cricket is a funny game, we hope for the best," he added.
Coming to the match, Pakistan kept their slim T20 World Cup hopes alive. Their win means Pakistan can still reach the World Cup semi-finals if they win their last match against Bangladesh and other results go their way.
But they must rely on both India and South Africa losing their final games.
With ANI and AFP Inputs