Sufiyan Muqeem Biography

In the second Twenty20 International at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo on Tuesday, Sufiyan Muqeem, who was playing in just his sixth Twenty20 International, recorded career-best figures of 5 for 3 to help bundle out Zimbabwe for 57 and set the stage for Pakistan’s easy 10-wicket victory, which won the series.

Zimbabwe’s openers, Brian Bennett and Tadiwanashe Marumani, chose to bat and got off to a quick start. Jahandad Khan was lifted for a six over deep mid-wicket by Bennett, who had hit a pitched up delivery from Abrar Ahmad for a boundary straight down the ground in the opening over. Marumani further asserted his dominance by driving a pacer’s high-pitched ball for a boundary in between the two shots. When Marumani uppishly sliced Abbas Afridi to the fielder at cover point in the fifth over, the partnership that had kept the pace steady during the powerplay came to an end.

Afridi’s wicket-maiden turned the tide of the match after a 37-run opening pair had guaranteed a commanding lead. The collapse of Zimbabwe’s innings started when Bennett mistimed a pull off Haris Rauf early in the following over and was caught. Zimbabwe was down to 45 for 4 at the conclusion of the ninth over as wickets kept falling with each over. But that was only the beginning of the suffering.