Captain Babar Azam guided Pakistan through a nervy chase as they ended their T20 World Cup campaign with a three-wicket win over Ireland on Sunday in the last Group A match, a dead rubber after both teams were already eliminated.
Pakistan finished third in the five-team group with four points after losing to India and the United States, who progressed to the Super Eight stage. Ireland finished bottom with one point, ending their campaign without a win.
Pakistan, the 2009 champions and runners-up in 2007 and 2022, lost their first two Group A fixtures.
A stunning super-over humiliation at the hands of the United States was followed by a six-run loss to bitter rivals India in a game where they failed to chase down a modest 120-run target.
After Pakistan won the toss and chose to bowl, Shaheen Afridi (3-22) dismissed Andrew Balbirnie and Lorcan Tucker in the first over while skipper Paul Stirling and George Dockrell fell to Mohammad Amir (2-11), leaving Ireland reeling at 28-5 in the sixth over.
Gareth Delany (31 off 19 balls) helped stabilise Ireland’s innings but fell to Imad Wasim (3-8) before an unbeaten last-wicket partnership of 26 runs between Joshua Little (22 not out) and Benjamin White (5 not out) got them to 106-9.
After Pakistan openers Mohammed Rizwan and Saim Ayub (both 17) fell during the powerplay, Barry McCarthy (3-15) dismissed Usman Khan and Shadab Khan in the same over, leaving Pakistan looking shaky at 57-5.
But Azam (32 not out) anchored the innings and Pakistan chased down the target with seven balls to spare, as Lauderhill’s Central Broward Park stadium finally saw a match completed after three of its previous games were washed out.
Pakistan: Mohammad Rizwan, Saim Ayub, Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Usman Khan, Shadab Khan, Imad Wasim, Shaheen Afridi, Abbas Afridi, Haris Rauf and Mohammad Amir
Ireland: Andy Balbirnie, Paul Stirling, Lorcan Tucker, Harry Tector, Curtis Campher, George Dockrell, Gareth Delany, Mark Adair, Barry McCarthy, Josh Little and Ben White
