Cricket

Pakistan tour of Netherlands 2022

A near full-strength Pakistan ODI team barely managed to avoid a close call against 15th ranked team in the format, Netherlands. A team against which England created several records, Babar Azam-led Pakistan were given a reality check. Before this clash, Pakistan had beaten Netherlands in a dominating fashion. This was the first time an ODI clash between Pakistan vs Netherlands was alive till the slog overs.&nbsp; &nbsp;At the start of Netherlands run chase, it looked like the old story will repeat itself but at the end, they evaded an embarrassing loss with a 16-run victory. Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah struck with the new ball. Max ODowd and Wesley Barresi got out for a single-digit score. Bas de Leede did not impress either and scored 16 runs from 30 deliveries before getting out lbw. &nbsp;From 62/3, opener Vikramjit Singh took the cautious approach whereas Tom Cooper kept the game alive. The 97-run partnership for the fourth wicket kept Pakistan bowlers nervous. Cooper scored 65 runs from 54 deliveries including six fours and two sixes. Rauf got his wicket in the 31st over. Nawaz got the wicket of Vikramjit. He scored 65 runs from 98 deliveries. &nbsp;With half of their side back in the pavilion, Netherlands were expected to suffer a massive defeat. Scott Edwards decided not to surrender. Edwards shared crucial partnerships with Teja Nidamanuru (15) and Logan van Beek (28). However, in the end, it became too tough a job to be pulled off single-handedly. Naseem and Rauf's timely strikes prevented hosts from taking the run chase deep. &nbsp; &nbsp;Edwards remained not out for 71 off 60 deliveries including six fours and one six. The Dutch managed to post 298/8 in the run chase, their highest ODI total against Pakistan by far. In the absence of an injured Shaheen Afridi, Pakistan bowling lineup did not look lethal and leaked too many boundaries.&nbsp; &nbsp;Earlier, Pakistan skipper won the toss and opted to bat first. Imam-ul-Haq struggled to rotate the strike and his miserable stay at the crease was ended by Vivian Kingma. Zaman and Azam shared a 168-run partnership for the second wicket to lay a platform for big total.&nbsp; &nbsp;Azam continued his rich vein of form and scored 74 runs from 85 deliveries. Zaman completed his century but could not carry on. The opener got run out for a run-a-ball 109. The southpaw hit 12 fours and one six in his century knock. &nbsp;Before the slog overs, Mohammad Rizwan (14) and Khushdil Shah (21) got starts but could not convert them. Mohammad Nawaz could not do the damage either and got out for a single-digit score.&nbsp; &nbsp;In the slog overs, Shadab Khan and Agha Salman helped Pakistan finish in style. Shadab missed his half-century and remained unbeaten for 28-ball 48 including four fours and two sixes. On the other end, Salman remained not out for 16-ball 37 which included three boundaries. They shared a 48-run partnership for the seventh wicket from just 25 deliveries. &nbsp;Pakistan posted 314/6 on the board. Log van Beek turned out to be the most expensive bowler despite taking the wickets of Azam and Khushdil. He conceded 89 runs in his quota of 10 overs.

A near full-strength Pakistan ODI team barely managed to avoid a close call against 15th ranked team in the format, Netherlands.

pakistan-tour-of-netherlands-16-aug-2022

15th-ranked Netherlands give Pakistan major scare before Asia Cup 2022, nearly pull off run chase of 315

Pakistan have gone to Netherlands for a three-match ODI series. The Pakistani team clinched a win in the first ODI. Even though the Pakistani team put a total of 314 runs on the board in the first game, there were still a few questions that put skipper Babar Azam in a spot of bother.&nbsp;The Pakistani opener Farkhar Zaman scored a hundred, the captain joined him after the early wicket of Imam-ul-Haq and put a partnership of 168 runs for the second wicket.&nbsp;&nbsp;Babar played a useful knock of 74 with a healthy strike rate of 87.06, but still had to face the backlash of the former captain Shahid Afridi.&nbsp;&nbsp;“Ball keeps swinging there. Babar and Fakhar played an outstanding innings. But I rate Babar highly, so I think it was a good opportunity for him to score a hundred. There was no need to play a shot like that. Fakhar was playing with him. I liked his innings too,” Afridi was quoted as saying by Samaa TV.&nbsp;On being asked whether Babar would be upset with his knock, he said, “I don't think Babar needs to take pressure over these things. He doesn't need to bother himself with what other people are saying. His performance speaks for himself. And he is playing brilliantly. I just said that when Fakhar is playing like that, you don't need to take chances. I only wanted him to score a hundred."&nbsp;The expectations from the young captain have risen through the years as Babar has shown signs of greatness. Questions have been asked of the 27-year-old related to the way he paces his innings. After Pakistan’s loss to Australia in the T20 World Cup 2021 semi-final, he was criticised for his strike rate as well.&nbsp;&nbsp;Against Netherlands, Babar tried to accelerate his innings by playing a lofted shot on a length delivery as he eyed the long off region to be empty. The Dutch bowler Longa van Beek tempted him with a free chance to clear the mid off player and score a boundary. Babar went for it but could not time it fully and ended up giving an easy catch to mid off fielder Tom Cooper.&nbsp;&nbsp;Babar fell short of a hundred which prevented Pakistan from posting a gigantic total against Netherlands. In the end, it was Shadab Khan and Agha Salman’s partnership that helped Pakistan cross the 300-run mark. Even then, Pakistan bowlers survived a scare as they managed to win the series opener by just 16 runs.&nbsp;

Pakistan have gone to Netherlands for a three-match ODI series.

'There was no need to play a shot like that': Shahid Afridi questions Babar Azam's shot selection against Netherlands

Pakistan’s bowlers were tested in the first ODI by hosts Netherlands as they managed a narrow 16-run win while defending the total of 314. However, normalcy was restored when Pakistan took on the Dutch in the second ODI of the three-ODI series. Pakistan registered an easy seven-wicket win with 98 balls to spare to take an unassailable lead in the series. &nbsp;In the run chase of 187, Pakistan openers faltered and registered single-digit scores. Netherlands opening bowler Vivian Kingma got the wickets of Fakhar Zaman (3) and Imam-ul-Haq (6) in the first four overs of the run chase.&nbsp; &nbsp;Skipper Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan steadied the ship with an 88-run partnership for the third wicket. Azam did not care about the criticism over his strike rate and played according to the situation of the game. Babar scored 57 runs from 65 deliveries including seven fours before becoming Aryan Dutt's only victim of the day. &nbsp;Rizwan anchored the run chase while Agha Salman made the most of his promotion in the batting order. Rizwan took 72 deliveries to get to his half-century whereas Salman took on Netherlands bowlers. Towards the end of the run chase, Salman took the aggressive approach. He got to his maiden ODI half-century in style with a six to finish off the game. He took 35 deliveries to reach his fifty. On the other end, Rizwan remained unbeaten on 69 off 82 deliveries.&nbsp; &nbsp;Earlier, skipper Scott Edwards won the toss and opted to bat first. The decision backfired as Vikramjit Singh (1), Max ODowd (1) and Wesley Barresi (3) got out for single-digit scores. Netherlands were reduced to 8/3 as Naseem Shah took two and Haris Rauf got one wicket with the new ball. &nbsp;Bas de Leede and half-centurion of previous match, Tom Cooper took control of the innings. Cooper scored freely once again and scored 66 runs from 74 deliveries including 7 fours and two sixes. The two shared a 109-run partnership for the third wicket. It was Mohammad Nawaz who broke the partnership. &nbsp;Netherlands suffered a batting collapse as De Leede watched from the non-striker's end. From 117/3, they were all out for 186. Two of the batters bagged ducks. Only Logan van Beek scored in double digits in the lower order. Leede was the last to get out. He scored a patient 89 off 120 deliveries including two fours and three sixes. The hosts could put on just 189 on the scoreboard.&nbsp; &nbsp;Rauf and Nawaz took three wickets. Shah took a couple of wickets with the new ball whereas Mohammad Wasim Jr and Shadab Khan took one wicket each.

Pakistan’s bowlers were tested in the first ODI by hosts Netherlands as they managed a narrow 16-run win while defending the total of 314.

After 1st ODI scare, Pakistan romp over minnows Netherlands with 7-wicket win despite openers’ failure

Netherlands put on a spirited performance against Pakistan in the third ODI but the latter's experience came to their rescue as Babar Azam's men avoided a major scare on August 21 (Sunday) and completed a 3-0 clean sweep by pocketing the final game of the series by nine runs.&nbsp;Opting to bat first, the Men in Green were slow to get off the blocks as Vivian Kingma struck in the first ball of his spell to send Abdullah Shafique (2 runs off 5 balls) back to the pavilion. Skipper Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman (26 runs off 43 balls) steadied Pakistan's ship after the early blow and registered a 55-run stand before Logan van Beek broke a building alliance by disturbing Zaman's woodwork.&nbsp;Pakistan's captain went on to notch his third consecutive half-century of the series but the number one ICC-ranked batter was far from his fluent best. Netherlands bowlers made life difficult for Pakistan's batters by hitting the right areas consistently. As a result, Pakistan kept losing wickets at regular intervals and were bundled out for 206 in 49.4 overs despite a gutsy knock of 91 runs in 125 balls by Babar Azam.&nbsp;Bas de Leede was the pick of all Holland bowers, finishing with figures of 3/50 in nine overs. Kingma chipped in with two wickets while Aryan Dutt, Shariz Ahmad and van Beek bagged a wicket each.&nbsp;Pakistan bowlers came out with a chip on their shoulders and reduced Netherlands to 37/3 by the 14th over mark. Just when it seemed like the Men in Green would amble towards an easy win, opener Vikramjit Singh and veteran Tom Cooper stitched a 71-run partnership for the fourth wicket, which infused life into the contest and put Pakistan under pressure.&nbsp;Soon after reaching the half-century mark, Vikramjit (50 runs of 85 balls) threw his wicket away as Mohammad Wasim Jr sent the Holland opener back to the hut. The onus fell on Cooper to guide his team home from thereon but Pakistan pacers tighten the screw and kept chipping away at the wickets column.&nbsp;From 172/6 to 197 all out, the hosts dug their own grave. Cooper (62 runs off 105 balls) failed to lead his team to the promised land as Wasim Jr and Naseem Shah proved too hot to handle.&nbsp;Shah bagged his first fifer in ODIs and finished with figures of 5/33 in 10 overs while Wasim Jr ended the game with four wickets to his name in 9.2 overs.&nbsp;

Netherlands put on a spirited performance against Pakistan in the third ODI but the latter's experience came to their rescue as Babar Azam's men avoided a major scare on August 21 (Sunday) and completed a 3-0 clean sweep by pocketing the final game of the series by nine runs.

Pakistan avoid major scare against minnows Netherlands, sweep series 3-0

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