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Hetmyer blitz helps West Indies thrash Zimbabwe

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 MUMBAI: West Indies’ batter Shimron Hetmyer plays a lofted stroke during his breathtaking knock in the Super Eights match against Zimbabwe at the Wankhede Stadium on Monday.—AFP
MUMBAI: West Indies’ batter Shimron Hetmyer plays a lofted stroke during his breathtaking knock in the Super Eights match against Zimbabwe at the Wankhede Stadium on Monday.—AFP

MUMBAI: The West Indies blew away T20 World Cup surprise packages Zimbabwe by a colossal 107 runs in Mumbai on Monday as Shai Hope’s team opened their Super Eights campaign with a dominant victory.

Shimron Hetmyer blasted 85 off 34 balls as the West Indies piled up 254-6, the second highest total in the history of the tournament.

Zimbabwe, who stunned Australia and Sri Lanka to reach the Super Eights, got off to an awful start chasing a monumental 255.

They were reduced to 20-3 in the third over when two wickets fell to Akeal Hosein’s left-arm spin and never threatened to get close.

They were all out for 147 in 17.4 overs with Brad Evans hitting some lusty late blows before being last man out for 43 off 21 balls with five sixes.

Left-armer Gudakesh Motie was the pick of the West Indies bowlers with 4-28 as he found some sharp turn. Hosein took 3-28.

Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza won the toss and opted to bowl, then saw his bowlers flogged to all parts of the Wankhede stadium.

Only Sri Lanka, who made 260-6 against Kenya in 2007, have scored more in a T20 World Cup match.

Coming in at 17-1, the left-handed Hetmyer was given a life Zimbabwe would come to regret.

A routine catch at deep fine leg was spilled by Tashinga Musekiwa when the batsman was on nine.

Hetmyer took full advantage, racing to his fifty off 19 balls, equalling South Africa’s Aiden Markram for the fastest half-century of the tournament so far.

Hetmyer and Rovman Powell, who came in at 54-2, completed their century stand in 45 balls.

They had added 122 off 52 balls when Hetmyer became the third wicket to go down with 176 on the board in the 15th over.

Hetmyer, having been dropped for a second time on 70 by the hapless Musekiwa, this time was held in the deep by Brian Bennett having smashed seven sixes and seven fours.

Powell was out soon after for 59, off 35 balls, with four sixes.

Sherfane Rutherford took up the mantle and guided his side past 200 and then 250 as he scored 31 not out off 13 balls with two sixes.

Romario Shepherd joined in the fun by smacking 21 and Jason Holder took 13 off three balls as 38 runs were bludgeoned off the final two overs.

SCOREBOARD

WEST INDIES:

B. King c Musekiwa b Ngarava9

S. Hope c Bennett b Evans14

S. Hetmyer c Bennett b Cremer85

R. Powell c Musekiwa b Muzarabani59

S. Rutherford not out31

R. Shepherd c Burl b Ngarava21

J. Holder c Munyonga b Muzarabani13

M. Forde not out1

EXTRAS (LB-10, NB-1, W-10)21

TOTAL (for six wickets, 20 overs)254

DID NOT BAT: A. Hosein, G. Motie, S. Joseph

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-17 (King), 2-54 (Hope), 3-176 (Hetmyer), 4-194 (Powell), 5-229 (Shepherd), 6-248 (Holder)

BOWLING: Ngarava 4-0-47-2 (1w), Muzarabani 4-0-42-2 (2w), Evans 4-0-46-1 (3w), Cremer 4-0-38-1, Raza 3-0-52-0 (2w, 1nb), Myers 1-0-19-0 (2w)

ZIMBABWE:

T. Marumani c Hetmyer b Forde14

B. Bennett b Hosein5

D. Myers b Motie28

R. Burl c Hetmyer b Hosein0

S. Raza b Motie27

T. Munyonga c Joseph b Motie14

T. Musekiwa b Motie0

B. Evans c Hosein b Forde43

G. Cremer c&b Holder0

B. Muzarabani c Joseph b Hosein0

R. Ngarava not out7

EXTRAS (LB-4, W-5)9

TOTAL (all out, 17.4 overs)147

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-20 (Marumani), 2-20 (Bennett), 3-20 (Burl), 4-52 (Myers), 5-94 (Raza), 6-94 (Musekiwa), 7-101 (Munyonga), 8-102 (Cremer), 9-103 (Muzarabani)

BOWLING: Hosein 4-1-28-3, Forde 3.4-0-27-2 (3w), Motie 4-1-28-4, Joseph 3-0-35-0 (1w), Holder 3-0-25-1 (1w)

RESULT: West Indies won by 107 runs.

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Shimron Hetmyer

Published in Dawn, February 24th, 2026



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‘Our fate is not in our hands’: Shaheen on T20 World Cup semi-final prospects following defeat by England – Sport

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After England beat Pakistan in the T20 World Cup Super Eight clash by two wickets on Tuesday, Pakistani pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi acknowledged that his side’s fate was not in its hands anymore.

Pakistan have only one point from two Super Eight matches so now must win their final game and rely on other results going their way to have any hope of reaching the semi-finals.

“We know our fate is not in our hands,” he admitted, “But we need to beat Sri Lanka in our last match on Saturday and then hope other results go our way.”

“It’s not ideal, but it’s like this,” Shaheen said during a press conference after the match.

He also hailed Harry Brook’s century in the match against England as a “world-class knock”.

Brook reached his maiden T20 International hundred off 50 balls, with four sixes and 10 fours, as England went past their 165-run target with five balls to spare to win by two wickets.

Afridi jolted the England top order with a burst of three wickets before Brook played the ultimate captain’s innings to steer his side home.

“In my opinion this will be the best innings of his life,” Afridi told reporters. “It wasn’t an easy pitch to bat on but he took the game away from us.”

Promoted to number three after a morning conversation with England coach Brendon McCullum, Brook walked in after Afridi dismissed Phil Salt off the first ball of the innings.

Afridi then removed Jos Buttler and Jacob Bethell to leave England wobbling at 35-3 in the power play.

Brook stood firm, adding 45 for the fifth wicket with Sam Curran and 52 with Will Jacks for the sixth.

His century was the second fastest in T20 World Cup history, and the first ever by a team’s captain.

Only West Indies great Chris Gayle, against England in the 2016 T20 World Cup, reached three figures quicker. He took just 47 balls.

Afridi was clobbered for a six and a four as Brook raced through the “nervous nineties” in two balls, going from 90 to 100 before raising his bat.

The tall paceman bowled Brook with a yorker next ball, but did not celebrate wildly – instead he immediately went to congratulate the England captain in a superb show of cricket sportmanship.

“Brook played proper cricketing shots and he desreved a handshake, so I went to him and shook his hand in appreciation,” said Afridi.



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‘Our fate is not in our hands,’ says Shaheen Shah Afridi after Pakistan’s loss to England – Sport

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After England beat Pakistan in the T20 World Cup Super Eight clash by two wickets on Tuesday, Pakistani pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi acknowledged that his side’s fate was not in its hands.

Pakistan have only one point from two Super Eight matches so now must win their final game and rely on other results going their way to have any hope of reaching the semi-finals.

“We know our fate is not in our hands,” he admitted, “But we need to beat Sri Lanka in our last match on Saturday and then hope other results go our way.

“It’s not ideal, but it’s like this,” Shaheen said during a press conference after the match.

He also hailed Harry Brook’s century in the match against England as a “world-class knock”.

Brook reached his maiden T20 International hundred off 50 balls, with four sixes and 10 fours, as England went past their 165-run target with five balls to spare to win by two wickets.

Afridi jolted the England top order with a burst of three wickets before Brook played the ultimate captain’s innings to steer his side home.

“In my opinion this will be the best innings of his life,” Afridi told reporters. “It wasn’t an easy pitch to bat on but he took the game away from us.”

Promoted to number three after a morning conversation with England coach Brendon McCullum, Brook walked in after Afridi dismissed Phil Salt off the first ball of the innings.

Afridi then removed Jos Buttler and Jacob Bethell to leave England wobbling at 35-3 in the power play.

Brook stood firm, adding 45 for the fifth wicket with Sam Curran and 52 with Will Jacks for the sixth.

His century was the second fastest in T20 World Cup history, and the first ever by a team’s captain.

Only West Indies great Chris Gayle, against England in the 2016 T20 World Cup, reached three figures quicker. He took just 47 balls.

Afridi was clobbered for a six and a four as Brook raced through the “nervous nineties” in two balls, going from 90 to 100 before raising his bat.

The tall paceman bowled Brook with a yorker next ball, but did not celebrate wildly – instead he immediately went to congratulate the England captain in a superb show of cricket sportmanship.

“Brook played proper cricketing shots and he desreved a handshake, so I went to him and shook his hand in appreciation,” said Afridi.



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Pakistan fans are left replaying one missed catch after England wins T20 match

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