Pakistan captain Younus Khan challenged his side to win the World Twenty20 for their cricket-starved fans after they booked their place in the second round on Tuesday.
Victory over the Netherlands — who stunningly defeated England in the opening match of the tournament — by 82 runs at Lord’s saw Pakistan bounce back from their 48-run loss last weekend to the hosts at the Oval.
Now Younus wants Pakistan, finalists at the inaugural World Twenty20 two years ago in South Africa, to go all the way and give their supporters something to celebrate after the Asian nation became a virtual no-go zone for international cricket following an armed attack on the Sri Lanka team bus in Lahore in March.
PHOTO: AFP
“We have no international cricket so if we reach the semi-final or win the tournament, the nation will stand up for us,” Younus told reporters.
“I need a cup for Pakistan. If I bring one cup for Pakistan that will be an achievement for me,” he said.
The Dutch, who began the match with a better run-rate, needed to stop Pakistan winning by at least 25 runs to go through to the Super Eights.
PHOTO: AP
But, after holding Pakistan to 175 for five and so needing to make at least 151 to get into the second round, the Dutch were dismissed for just 93.
Leg-spinner Shahid Afridi did the bulk of the damage with four wickets for just 11 runs — the fourth best figures in all Twenty20 internationals.
“If we bowl like that in every game, we will go through to the semi-finals, Younus said. “Everybody knows we are slow starters, I just hope we have performances like this in every game.”
Afridi, perhaps best known as a destructive batsman in limited overs cricket, has been struggling for runs of late but Younus said: “I don’t worry about his batting. Everybody knows if he bowls well, we will get quick wickets.”
Kamran Akmal responded to being promoted to open from No 3 by top-scoring with 41 and the wicketkeeper then completed four stumpings during the Dutch innings.
Dutch captain Jeroen Smits said his side, which features several part-time players, could be proud of their efforts.
“I thought we had a good chance,” he said. “Maybe we were a bit over-confident.”
■PROTEAS BEAT KIWIS
AFP, LONDON
South Africa left-arm spinner Roelof van der Merwe took two key wickets as the Proteas beat New Zealand by one run off the last ball in their “dead” World Twenty20 group clash at Lord’s on Tuesday.
The Black Caps were cruising at 82 for two, chasing just 129 to win, when van der Merwe, who finished with two for 14, bowled Ross Taylor, who appeared to be suffering from a hamstring injury, as the batsman slogged across the line.
He then had top scorer Brendon McCullum stumped for 57 and New Zealand were 93 for four off 17 overs.
Come the last over, from teenage seamer Wayne Parnell, New Zealand still needed 15 to win.
With 10 runs required off three balls, a diving Jacques Kallis at long-off dropped Jacob Oram and next ball the left-hander glanced a boundary.
But with four needed off the last ball, Oram couldn’t manage a repeat display and was run out by South Africa captain Graeme Smith.
Smith top-scored for his side with 33 off 35 balls in a modest total of 128 for seven.
However, this was a meaningless match with both sides already through to the second stage Super Eights after they’d each defeated minnows Scotland.
“We were 20 runs short when we batted. We lost our way as well as some intensity and kept finding their fielders,” Smith said. “But it wasn’t an easy wicket and we knew that if we could bowl well, it would be a great challenge.”
Once again, spinners played a major part with Van der Merwe named man of the match with his 2-14 while Johan Botha went for just 13 runs off his four overs.
“Our spinners have bowled well over a period of time now,” Smith said. “They managed to control their batsmen today.”
McCullum got the Black Caps off to a brisk start and he went on to complete a 46-ball fifty with five fours.
But Martin Guptill, opening in place of the injured Jesse Ryder, went cheaply for six.
And when Neil Broom was caught and bowled for one by Kallis, New Zealand were 26 for two.
But a stand of 56 between McCullum and Taylor appeared to have repaired the early damage.
New Zealand were again without captain Daniel Vettori because of the left-arm spinner’s shoulder injury.
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