Pakistan beats Zimbabwe by 5 wickets with 3 balls to spare

(Web Desk) --  19.3 overs: PAKISTAN WINS! Shahid Afridi hits one straight over bowler s head. 

19.2 overs: OUT! Malik clean bowled by Panyangara. His 7 off 14 balls have caused momentum to flow back to the Zimbabwean side.

19 overs: 166-4. 6 runs required from 6 balls. Malik on strike. 5 runs made from 11 balls by the all-rounder

18 overs: Pakistan requires 11 runs off 2 overs.

17.3 overs: OUT! Akmal gets out cheaply.4 runs off 3 balls, edges it to cover. Pakistani team exuberating domino effect as one wicket falls after the other.

16.5 overs: OUT! Hafeez plays a lazy late cut and edges it to keeper. Gone on 12 runs, Pakistan 157-3. Bowler looks jubiliant.

14.4 overs: OUT! The batsman that looked likely to be the centurion got out on 83. Mukhtar Ahmed goes after a blitz. Pakistan 144-2

13.3 overs: OUT! Ahmed Shehzad goes after a soft dismissal.

13 overs: 140-0.

11.5 overs: FIFTY! Ahmed Shehzad hits a fifty off 35 balls. Vitori strays on the pad and gets punished for four.

11 overs: 123-0 Ahmed Shehzad 47 off 31 while Mukhtar Ahmed makes 71 off 35 balls. Pakistsan requires 50 from 54 runs.

9.2 overs: Openers put on century stand. Shake hands with each other, 73 runs required now off 10.4 overs.

9 overs: 98 runs without loss.

7.1 overs: FIFTY! Mukhtar brings up his fifty in style! Pumps fist as he reaches the milestone.

7 overs: 79-0. Legspinner Cremer brought on to the attack.

5 overs: 60 runs partnership in 30 balls by the openers.

A fan in the crowd displays a banner worth a thousand words.

4.2 overs: Ahmed Shehzad gets to the pitch of the ball hits it over the bowlers head. Six and four off the last 2 balls.

Opener Mukhtar hit on the helmet by a bouncer. Ahmed Shahzad examining the helmet.

4 overs: Pakistan 49-0. Going at a run-rate of more than 10 at the moment.

3.5 overs: Mukhtar Ahmed on a trail blazing innings right now. Four 4s of the last over, partnership 37 off 19 balls right now.

2 overs: 15 runs. Ahmed Mukhtar 14 off 10.

Opener Mukhtar starts off with a four. Aggresive intent shown by the young batsman.

0.0 overs: Openers Shehzad and Muktar take the crease.

Contributions from the top order batsmen, Zimbabwe defending a total of 173 runs at the Gaddafi turf.

20.0 overs: 172-6 as the quote of overs runs out. Tough ask for the chasing team. Run-rate of 8.63 required.

19.1 overs: OUT! Clean bowled! Clever bowling at the death by the veteran left arm fast bowler Wahab Riaz. 

19.0 overs: Last over of the innings. Wahab Riaz to bowl as Elton Chigumbura looks to hit it out of the park.

18.2 overs: SIX! Elton Chigumbura take a bow, 53 off 33 balls, bringing up his fifty in style. Sami proving expensive now despite taking regular wickets. Zimbabwe 166-5.

17.3 overs: Misfield by Bhatti, poor effort, goes for four. Wahab Riaz looks shocked at the less-than-par effort.

16.6 overs: OUT! After hitting a four and six to Sami, Sikander Raza gets out. Caught at long off by Ahmed Shehzad who did best by not crossing the boundary line with the ball in his hand. 

15.5 overs: Bilawal Bhatti taken to the cleaners. 3 fours so far, expensive over by the fast bowler. No-ball adding insult to injury.

Shoaib Malik is keeping it tight. 3 overs, 8 runs and 1 wicket. What a comeback by the all-rounder.

14 overs: Zimbabwe 108-4. Sikander Raza and Elton Chigumbura on crease.

12.4 overs: OUT! Shoaib Malik gets Sean Williams on 16, as the batsman skies it.

12.3 overs: 100 runs up for the Zimbabwean team. Will Zimbabwe score big or wil the Pakistani bowlers get them out before they do damage?

10 overs: Zimbabwe 83-3. Elton Chigumbura and Sean Williams at the crease.

8.2 overs: Wahab Riaz bowls a nasty bouncer to Charles Coventry. He goes back to pavillion after making 14 off 7 balls. Zimbabwe 73-3.

Exclusive picture from Gaddafi Stadium for Dunya News. Beautiful sight.

6.6 overs: OUT! Chopped onto the stump. Hamiltan Masakdza goes after a brisk 43. Zimbabwe 58-2.

6.5 overs: OUT! Sami bowls a bouncer to Vusi Sibanda who skies to for a catch to the keeper!

Sibanda walks back to the pavillion.

 6.0 overs: Bilawal Bhatti has gone for 22 runs in his 2 overs, while Sami has gone for 12 in 1.2 balls. Pakistani pacers leaking runs here.

5.3 overs: Direct hit from out-filed shows a close call for the Zimbabwean batsman. Not out is the call.

5 overs:  Zimbabwe 40-0. Opening stand has started posing problems for the Pakistani pace attack as Vusi Sibanda and Hamilton Masakadza have started to flourish.

3.2 overs: A mid-field collison between Bilawal Bhatti and Vusi Sibanda. 

3 overs: Masakadza hits Anwar Ali for 2 fours in an over. Masakadza on 16 off 10 balls now.

1.3 overs: Sami hit for two consecutive fours as he bowls poor line and length. Hamilton Masakadza on strike.

19:00  Fast bowler Anwar Ali given the new ball first up. Crowd on their feet as the first ball is about to be bowled.

18:55:  Pakistani squad for the first T20 International:

18:45: National anthem of Pakistan rings throughout the ground. Fans and players alike pitch in to show their fervour. What a sight as Gaddafi stadium roars with the sound of Pakistan s anthem!

18:37:   President of Pakistan, Mamnoon Hussain has arrived in the ground. He is currently meeting the Zimbabwean team.

18:21: Zimbabwe has won the toss and elected to bat first.

18:15: Spectators have gathered in the ground with some very interesting banners. Here s one that caught our eye:

18:00: The home team has support from all corners of the country as school children sit in front of TV to watch the opening ceremony.

Kids who are going to accompany the players at the opening ceremony. #PakvsZim #CricketComesHome pic.twitter.com/fS26c7Mbn5

— Aman. - (@LalaLoyalist) May 22, 2015

17:50: Pakistani team arrives in the middle of ground and offers prayers for the successful revival of cricket in the country. Many faces in the Pakistani dressing room have not seen international fixtures at home.

Spectators have started pouring into the Qaddafi stadium as the inaugural #PakVsZim T20 International as Pakistani team arrives in the ground ahead of the fixture.

More than 50 thousand tickets have been sold for the match as the stadium is packed with fans to watch the first encounter with a test team after a hiatus of 6 years.

Celebrities like Ali Saleem and Meera are also on way to the stadium to spectate the match.

Talking exclusively to Dunya News, Meera said that Pakistan is a peaceful country.

Pakistan and Zimbabwean national teams have reached the stadium, according to sources.