POTCHEFSTROOM: Fast bowlers Mohammad Wasim and Tahir Hussain blew away Scotland as Pakistan got off to the perfect start in the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup 2020 with a seven-wicket win at the North West University Oval in Potchefstroom on Sunday.

Scotland, who won the toss and opted to bat first, lost both openers in the opening over of the match as Tahir, playing his first match for Pakistan, sent the stumps of Scotland skipper Angus Guy and Ben Davidson flying.

Tahir then added the wicket of Tomas Mackintosh, who top-scored for Scotland with 20.

Wasim, a late replacement for fellow speedster Nasim Shah in the squad, took over from there. The right-arm pacer’s first wicket was of Jasper Davidson as he made full use of the opportunity with a probing spell of pace bowling.

Abbas Afridi took two quick wickets before the 18-year-old Wasim polished off the tail taking the last four wickets as Scotland were sent packing for 75 in 23.5 overs.

The North Waziristan-born Wasim, who was declared man-of-the-match, took five wickets for mere 12 runs in 7.5 overs. Tahir took three for 23 in nine overs, while Abbas took two for 32 in six overs.

It took only 11.4 overs for Pakistan to chase down the target. Their run-chase was off to a shaky start as openers Haider Ali (4) and Mohammad Shehzad (0) were back in the pavilion in the first eight balls.

Captain Rohail Nazir and Irfan Khan weathered the storm with a 47-run stand for the second-wicket. Rohail scored 27 off 23 balls, which included two fours a six, while Irfan returned not out with 38 off 37 balls, of which six were dispatched for fours.

Pakistan take on Zimba­bwe in their second Group ‘C’ match on Wednesday.

Scoreboard

SCOTLAND:

A.S. Guy b Tahir 0

B.J. Davidson b Tahir 0

T.S.S. Mackintosh c Rohail b Tahir 17

J.J. Davidson c Irfan b Wasim 9

Uzzair Shah c Haris b Wasim 20

L.R. Naylor c Irfan b Abbas 0

Kess Sajjad lbw b Abbas 6

R.J.R. Hanley b Wasim 2

L.J. Robertson b Wasim 0

C.D. Peet not out 4

J.S. Cairns b Wasim 6

EXTRAS (LB-3, W-7, NB-1) 11

TOTAL (all out, 23.5 overs) 75

FALL OF WKTS: 1-0, 2-1, 3-24, 4-37, 5-38, 6-51, 7-59, 8-59, 9-66.

BOWLING: Tahir Hussain 9-2-23-2 (2w); Abbas Afridi 6-1-32-2 (1nb, 3w); Mohammad Wasim 7.5-2-12-5 (2w); Aamir Ali 1-0-5-0.

PAKISTAN:

Haider Ali lbw b Naylor 4

Mohammad Shehzad lbw b Peet 0

Rohail Nazir b Kess Sajjad 27

Irfan Khan not out 38

Qasim Akram not out 5

EXTRAS (LB-1, W-1, NB-1) 3

TOTAL (for three wkts, 11.4 overs) 77

FALL OF WKTS: 1-4, 2-4, 3-51.

DID NOT BAT: Fahad Munir, Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Haris, Aamir Ali, Mohammad Wasim, Tahir Hussain.

BOWLING: Naylor 3-0-12-1 (1w); Peet 3-0-17-1; Kess Sajjad 3-0-15-1; Cairns 1-0-11-0; Robertson 1-0-15-0; J.J. Davidson 0.4-0-6-0 (1nb).

RESULT: Pakistan won by seven wickets.

UMPIRES: B.P. Jele (South Africa) and A.K. Chaudhary (India).

MATCH REFEREE: G.F. Labrooy (Sri Lanka).

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Mohammad Wasim.

Published in Dawn, January 20th, 2020