Black Caps game washed out as Pakistan send signal

Heavy rain in Brisbane washed out the final batches of warm-up matches ahead of the T20 World Cup with the Black Caps game against India abandoned without a ball being bowled.

Pakistan’s match was also rained off, but they played some impressive cricket before the game was abandoned.
Photo: PHOTOSPORT

The Black Caps, who were crushed by nine wickets by South Africa in their first warm-up game, start their World Cup against hosts Australia at a sold out SCG on Saturday.

2009 champions Pakistan were happy even though halted their victory charge against Afghanistan earlier in the day.

Shaheen Shah Afridi, returning from a knee injury, sent an ominous signal to the batters who have converged in Australia bowling four overs at full tilt to claim two wickets for 29 runs.

The left-arm speedster removed both the Afghan openers in his first two overs and the danger he poses was best illustrated when he trapped Rahmanullah Gurbaz lbw with a searing toe-crushing yorker.

Gurbaz was carried off on the back of a team mate and was subsequently sent to hospital for a scan.

Afridi had bowled two overs in the warm-up match against England but completed his full quota against Afghanistan who managed 154-6.

Pakistan captain Babar Azam and his deputy Mohammad Rizwan were looking to get some batting practice but were forced off the ground as rain stopped played in the third over.

Meanwhile Alzarri Joseph led West Indies’ inspired fast bowling display with a four-wicket haul to help them beat Zimbabwe by 31 runs in Hobart and keep the twice former champions in the hunt to qualify for the Super 12 stage.

Joseph bowled with pace and precision to cause damage to Zimbabwe at the start and then returned in his second spell to snuff out the remaining fight from the African side to register career-best figures of 4-16 in T20 internationals.

All-rounder Jason Holder provided able support by picking up 3-12 as West Indies bundled out Zimbabwe for 122 after winning the toss and batting first to post 153-7.

In the day’s first outing, Ireland’s Curtis Campher and George Dockrell combined in an unbroken 119-run stand to take their side to an unlikely six-wicket win over Scotland to leave all four teams in Group B with a win each after two matches.

On Friday, West Indies will meet Ireland while Scotland take on Zimbabwe and the winners from those matches will progress to the Super 12 phase of the tournament.

–Reuters