Pakistan’s wicketkeeper-batter Azam Khan found himself in a heated exchange during the T20 World Cup match against the USA at the Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas on Thursday. Azam was dismissed for a duck, contributing to Pakistan’s unexpected defeat against the co-hosts, which was decided via a Super Over.
Following criticism over his performance in the recent series against England and his selection for the T20 World Cup, Azam recorded his second consecutive duck. After a five-ball duck against England, he incurred a golden duck against the USA, dismissed by left-arm spinner Nosthush Kenjige. As Azam returned to the pavilion, he faced abuse from spectators and reacted by charging towards a fan, giving a death stare and mouthing a few words before heading to the dressing room.
Azam’s dismissal came on the penultimate ball of the 13th over, shortly after Kenjige broke a 72-run partnership between captain Babar Azam and Shadab Khan. This partnership had revived Pakistan from 26 for three to 98 for four. However, Shadab’s dismissal led to another collapse, restricting Pakistan to 159 for seven.
In response, the USA started strongly and maintained momentum even after Steven Taylor’s dismissal in the sixth over. Captain Monank Patel scored a fifty, with Andries Gous and Aaron Jones steadying the chase to level the score despite Pakistan’s attempts to bounce back.
During the Super Over, Mohammad Amir struggled, bowling three wides and conceding seven extras, setting a target of 13 for Pakistan. Saurabh Netravalkar then bowled a perfect over for the USA, allowing just 13 runs and taking a wicket, securing the home team’s second consecutive World Cup win following their earlier victory over Canada.
