Pakistan v Zimbabwe 2nd T20 — As it happened

E-Paper | April 28, 2026

Welcome to Dawn.com's live coverage of the second Twenty20 International between Pakistan and Zimbabwe from Gaddafi Stadium Lahore.

Six years with no international cricket was a long time, and the first game to break this isolation proved to be a thriller as Pakistan clinched a five-wicket victory over Zimbabwe.

Cricket has finally returned to Pakistan. Now the focus will be on the field for both the hosts and the visitors.

Pakistan will be looking forward to making it a clean sweep, whereas the African side Zimbabwe will be eyeing a series leveler.

With its fighting spirit in the first T20, Zimbabwe made it clear that the series won't be an easy ride home for the hosts.

After today's T20, Pakistan and Zimbabwe will face each other in three One-Day Internationals. Due to security reasons, all matches are going to be played in Lahore.

Top Reads:

Malik, Bilawal likely to be dropped for second T20 | Comment: Zimbabwe and Wounded Tiger XI open new cricket chapter | Cricket festivity back after six years | PCB’s ‘hospitality’ irks journalists | Pakistan seal victory in first T20 against Zimbabwe

Our readers are at the heart of everything we do.
Do you have a thought to share or a way we can improve? We’d love to hear it. Reach out to us at feedback@dawn.com.

The writer is a multimedia journalist based in Karachi.

faryal iqbal. minhas

May 24, 2015 05:48pm

In fact so much happiness brings dropped catches missed runouts and batting failure

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Blue Saffron

May 24, 2015 05:49pm

Go, Team Pakistan! Show us what you got. Zimbabwe, wish you the best. May the best team win.

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MOHAMAD SALEEM MOHAMAD NASRIN

May 24, 2015 05:57pm

when I was at karachchi our cricket team met thet horrible fate and we could not ralize the resone while pakistani friends craying lot in front of me,nearly after five yeare pakistan got golden opportunities in the terribe situation which will clearly up lift image of pakistan and there behaviour ,good luck ,goodluck and sindaabaatb.

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Saher

May 24, 2015 06:41pm

Shame on Afridi for dropping Sarfaraz. He should have dropped himself first.

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May 24, 2015 07:00pm

Completely different feeling to see your own country live on TV!!

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sandeep

May 24, 2015 07:43pm

while watching this match it seems that light is not sufficient. very dark atmosphere. where as difference is seen while watching Mumbai vs chennai, very bright out there

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omo

May 24, 2015 08:10pm

surprisingly malik has best bowling figures .

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Santosh Menon

May 24, 2015 09:32pm

@MOHAMAD SALEEM MOHAMAD NASRIN : My apologies!. I don't understand what you are saying or trying to convey!.

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Hakim

May 24, 2015 09:46pm

What is the reason behind dropping an inform wicket-keeper batsman? The same game as in the World Cup is repeating with Safaraz. I am really really worried the way things are going. I hope personal agendas don't lead another promising career like with Abdul Razzaq who was always underrated and other less deserving players preferred over him - Afridi, Shoaib etc. I don't know the new wicketkeeper. But he must be hell of a player that a consistent keeper with aggressive batting skills is dropped for no obvious reasons. Let's wait and see.

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May 24, 2015 10:14pm

Do they want to oblige Zinbabwe by loosing match? Pak in it's usual batting mood.what's going on?

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May 24, 2015 10:27pm

Well played Zimbabwe!!!

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May 24, 2015 10:29pm

Very narrow victory. Congrats Pak and well done Zimbabwe!

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latetotheparty

May 24, 2015 10:33pm

brilliant game, a nail biter indeed. congratulations team pak ! #CricketComesHome

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Vorshal

May 24, 2015 10:34pm

Great match. Congratulations to both teams. At last, Pakistan proved it was a superior team indeed!

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Salma

May 24, 2015 10:36pm

Pakistan may have won but I haven't ever seen so poor bowling unit playing for Pakistan. Bhatti is probabely the most expensive bowler in the world of T20 but yet he finds a place in the 11. They should have played Hammad Azzam who bowls very tight wicket to wicket line. Nauman Anwer played a breif innings of 18 but promised a lot for the future.

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Shahid

May 24, 2015 10:38pm

Some players are just not made to bat low down the order and Rizwan is one of them. He should have batted at 4 instead of Shoaib. Bhatti has no place in the bowling unit of Pakistan. Why didn't Afridi let Wasim bowl his 4 instead getting Bhatti back for getting hammered.

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Enkay

May 24, 2015 10:42pm

Congratulations to Pakistan on beating Zimbabwe 2-0.

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Hakim

May 24, 2015 10:43pm

Why is it not possible for us to speak Urdu in our own country playing in front of our own people???? Why has the post match conference to be in English language? I am not able to understand.

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LOUDSPEAKER

May 24, 2015 10:45pm

What kind of win this is ? What a comparison between 175/3 and 176/8 ? Well played Zimbabwe

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Hakim

May 24, 2015 10:49pm

Why was Sarfaraz dropped?? Any rational behind it? Is it going on the same pattern as in the WC?

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AXH

May 24, 2015 10:53pm

@Hakim - Because English is spoken and understood at the global level where as Urdu is a local language.

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Pakistan34

May 24, 2015 10:59pm

Good win for pakistian but there are still holes needing to be filled before the T20 World Cup in India in 2016 and now let the ODI Series begin best of luck to Azar Ail and the playing 11 which should Include Sohaib Mosood Umer Akmal and Yasir Shah and Irfan if he's recovered for injury. Yasir Shah is a must in the absence of Seed Ajmal and please no more Sohaib Mallik he's all ready spent tallent Good luck team PAK !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Sarah

May 24, 2015 11:05pm

@Fi 176 is too many to chase in successive matches.So enjoy the outcome.

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Sarah

May 24, 2015 11:08pm

@Salma Nothing wrong with Bhatti,just some one need to tell him to take pace of the bowling when bowling on subcontinent wickets.Any pacer will struggle on this pitch unless he knows to take pace off the bowl.Bhatti batting is strong and may be that is why he has been preferred.

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Sarah

May 24, 2015 11:11pm

@LOUDSPEAKER Did you watch they were on verge of losing? Chasing 175 is always going to take its toll.But good thing was there batting depth was too much in this match.Imad Wasim has 207 First Class Highest score with average of 40.00 plus.Bhatti won second match after he did previously against South Africa in South Africa in last series.

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Larka

May 24, 2015 11:15pm

Pathetic display of Batting from Umar Akmal,Rizwan,Shahid Afridi,Shahzad,Shoaib Malik. Zimbabwe bowlers bowling long hops, full tosses & our batsman with such short boundries were not able to clear the fence. Cricket not of high standard.

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Sarah

May 24, 2015 11:17pm

@Hakim Because the TV audiences are there from other countries watching the broadcast and some part of world may understand anything.

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LOUDSPEAKER

May 24, 2015 11:25pm

@Saher I think giving chance to the reserve wicket keeper in the playing eleven is not at all a bad idea....yes I agree with you that Afridi has no place in the Pakistan team. One really wonders why the selectors has included Shoeb Malik in the 2nd T20.

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Robert Dsouza Abu Dhabi

May 24, 2015 11:30pm

what is problem to Pak coach, when I visited Karachi I have seen Sarfarz, I do not u/standing why on-off he dropped from team, Waqar policy looks some bias, personal like dislike, previously when he was coach dropped Yousuf Bhai & Razzak still they are in a position to play, this way he is killing Sarfarz ambition & Talent.

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