By Calvin Roberts
Pakistan maintained their status as the only unbeaten team in the CLICO under-15 international cricket tournament when they inflicted an eight-wicket defeat on Malaysia in their final Group 2 matche at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence, yesterday.
After winning the toss and opting to take first strike on a wicket that was conducive to batting in overcast conditions, Malaysia were bowled out for a paltry 76 from 38.4 overs then watched Pakistan race to 86-2 from 20.1 overs to record another victory in the tournament which began last week in Barbados.
Captain Keithan Goonasagaran who made 27 and was the lone batsman to show any resistance to the spin bowling of Man-of-the-Match Ahsan Mirza (4-19) and Muhammad Nawaz 3-1 respectively as the two ripped through the middle and lower orders of the Malaysians.
Malaysia were in trouble as early as the fourth over when the inform Zufair Asyraf was bowled by Naqash Basharat for 5 with his team on 14. Goonasagaran and Mohammad Makram then added 32 runs for the second wicket from 17 overs with some positive batting as they set about repairing the damage done by Basharat, who in tandem with his other new ball partner Muhammad Waqar kept a tight rein on the Malaysians.
Even though Goonasagaran struck Waqar for four exquisitely through the cover region, and followed it up by turning the same bowler off his legs for another boundary, Malaysia still found runs hard to come by and not even a 10-minute rain interruption at 10:19hrs could have prevented the Pakistanis from trampling their opponents.
From the comfortable position of 46-1 in the 21st over, they crumbled to 76 all out 17 overs later, losing their last nine wickets for 30 runs as the Pakistani spin pair of Mirza and Nawaz maintained their domination of the batsmen in this tournament, sharing seven of the nine wickets.
After Makran was caught by Muhammad Babar at first slip off Usman Qadir, son of legendary Pakistan leg spinner Abdul Qadir, it was smooth sailing for the spinners who befuddled all the batsmen they have bowled to in this tournament.
So devastating they were that left arm chinaman bowler Mirza was on a hat trick route and would have got it had wicket keeper Faizan Khan stayed down a second later after he dismissed Muhammad Hazim and Mohd Nazril off consecutive deliveries.
Nawaz proved to be the perfect foil for Mirza when introduced into the attack, as he induced Pavithren Nadaesan to drive at a well flighted delivery, but only succeeded in offering Babar one of his two catches at first slip.
No other Malaysian batsman was able to get into double figures in this encounter and Pakistan being asked to bat 12 overs before the luncheon interval, reached 44 without loss as Azad and Abassi made light work of the Malaysian bowling.
When Nazril over pitched one on Abbasi’s off stump, the batsman humbly obliged by driving him exquisitely through extra cover for four. Apparently Nazril had no confidence in Abbasi’s batting talent and he tested it again, only to be driven through mid off for another four.
The 50 was raised in the 16th over when Azad pulled Zahid through midwicket for his fourth boundary, but the bowler had the final say when he bowled Abbasi in his next over.
Qaddafi joined Azad and they continued to make havoc of the Malaysian bowling with the former opening his account with a huge six over midwicket off Zahid.
He pulled the next delivery from the said bowler over midwicket for four and after seeing Azad being adjudged lbw to Zahid for a well played 33 that lasted 57 balls, he ended the contest in fine style by hitting Zahid over long off for six to ensure Pakistan remained unbeaten in the tournament and set up a semi-final clash with Bangladesh. Zahid ended with 18 from 4.1 overs while Mirza was declared Man-of-the-Match.
