All-rounder Sikandar Raza sensationally picked up 3/25 against Pakistan on Thursday as Zimbabwe prevailed by one run in a final-ball thriller to register their first Super 12 win at the T20 World Cup. Floored by an extraordinary last-ball defeat to arch-rivals India in their opening match on Sunday, Pakistan, the 2009 World T20 champions, find their tournament in tatters after, having restricted Zimbabwe to a modest 130/8 at Perth Stadium, reaching just 129/8 in reply.

For Zimbabwe, it was their first win from two matches. The African side had earlier split points with South Africa following a washout. Pakistan’s hopes are now hanging by a thread. Even if they win all of their remaining games, Babar Azam’s men will need some help from other teams — they will also have to root for India against South Africa — to make the semis.

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Flop show leaves Pakistan on the brink

Fresh off a horror last over against India that cost his side the match, Mohammed Nawaz’s nightmare tournament continued. When he was caught for 22 off the penultimate ball of the match off the bowling of Brad Evans (2/25), who had an 11-run cushion in the last over. Pakistan’s chase got off to a rocky start, in the eighth over with the world’s top-ranked T20 batsman. Mohammad Rizwan, back in the dugout for 14 having chopped a delivery from two-meter-tall Blessing Muzarabani.

For the second time in the tournament, star Pakistani openers — Babar and Rizwan — failed to provide a good start. Babar looked tentative before he was squared up by a seaming fuller length delivery from Evans. It was left to Shan Masood to steady the ship with a composed 44. Regularly exploiting the large outfield to run twos. But Raza further pegged back the Asian side with his off-spin, having Masood stumped off a wide.