KARACHI: Abdul Razzaq’s brisk 70-run knock, followed by a tight bowling display propelled Pakistan to thrash Canada by 78 runs and register their fifth straight victory in the ongoing Over 40s Global Cup.
Abdul Razzaq made an immediate impact as he came up with a Player of the Match performance in his maiden outing in the Over 40s Global Cup.
Leading Pakistan, in the absence of regular skipper Misbah-ul-Haq, Abdul Razzaq blasted half a dozen sixes and five fours in his blazing 43-ball 70 which helped the home side set a formidable total of 312/8 in the allotted 45 overs against Canada.
Openers Kashif Siddique (29 off 40 balls) and Junaid Khalil Nainitalwala (31 off 34 balls) laid the foundation with a solid 60-run opening stand in little over 10 overs.
Rizwan Aslam (47 off 46 balls) was content in rotating the strike while captain Razzaq himself took up the responsibility of dominating the Canadian bowlers.
The pair added 96 runs for the third wicket to put Canada under pressure. Hassan Raza (42 off 44 balls) and Amjad Ali (33 off 32 balls) sustained the momentum which ensured a commendable total.
Ali Farooq, Iqbal Kassamali and Sultan Malik took a couple of wickets each for Canada in their all-important Over 40s Global Cup fixture.
Chasing a daunting total of 313, Canada got off to an unwanted start as they lost both their openers cheaply.
The asking rate kept mounting and the only consolation for Canada was playing out their full quota of 45 overs in which they could score only 234.
Tyrone Atmaram Persaud waged a lone battle for Canada with a cautious 61 off 78 balls while Ayaz Ali (47 off 61 balls) and Talal Iqbal (39 off 55 balls) remained the next notable run-getters for Canada.
Part-time leg-spinner Hassan Raza led the bowling attack for Pakistan, returning with astonishing figures of 2-50.
Pakistan have virtually booked a place in the semifinals by having won their first five matches, earning them 10 points.
In another fifth-round fixture of the ongoing Over 40s Global Cup, the USA outclassed Australia by 77 runs at Karachi Gymkhana while the West Indies crushed Nepal by eight wickets at NBP Sports Complex on Monday.
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