This T20WC has been very very interesting ! - would it culminate with a new winner from the 12 teams in fray, especially a Minnow Nation winning ?? today all searches lead to Zimbabwe.
Every year since 2019, African leaders have commemorated October 25 as Anti-Sanctions Day to protest against the longstanding restrictions on trade and commerce with Zimbabwe, imposed by the United States, United Kingdom, European Union and their allies. The Southern African Development Community (SADC) grouping of 16 regional nations started the trend but the occasion has since been adopted by the wider African Union. Every year – like clockwork – an obligatory chorus from Africa condemning the sanctions against Zimbabwe grows louder as October nears. In September, South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa and African Union (AU) chairperson and Senegalese President Macky Sall demanded that the sanctions be lifted. On October 25, SADC chairman and Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi accused the West of trying to use sanctions to force a regime change in Zimbabwe.
On 9th June 1983, in their very first one-day international, Zimbabwe announced their arrival with one of the greatest upsets in World Cup history, beating Australia by 13 runs at Trent Bridge. Brief scorecard reads : Zimbabwe 239 for 6 (Fletcher 69*, Butchart 34*) beat Australia 226 for 7 (Wessels 76, Marsh 50*; Fletcher 4-42) by 13 runs.. Zimbabweans had played with ease the renowned Australian pace attack of Dennis Lillee, Jeff Thomson, Geoff Lawson and Rod Hogg.
Trent Bridge, 1983; Newlands, 2007; Harare Sports Club, 2014 and now 27th Oct 2022 – great days for Zimbabwe, their earlier three international victories over Australia - to dramatise it, 11,406 days since Zimbabwe's last and only other ODI-win came against Australia. They had beaten Australia in the 1983 World Cup, at Trent Bridge, which was also Zimbabwe's first ODI. Between the two wins, Zimbabwe's win-loss record against them was 27-0. That Newlands win was in T20 WC.
Mugabe, dominated the country's political scene since it gained independence from the UK in 1980. With tanks on the streets of Zimbabwe and enemies at the gates of his plush mansion, the globe is witnessed the end of Robert Mugabe’s remarkable and blood-stained rule over Zimbabwe. After more than 3 and half decades running the nation, the old despot’s vice-like grip on the shattered ‘breadbasket of Africa’ weakened, the like cause – his loathed second wife, Grace. In his early days, Mugabe repeatedly called for violence against white people in Rhodesia, lashing out at them in racist rants as being 'blood-sucking exploiters' and 'sadistic killers'. The freedom had been possible due to violent insurgency and economic sanctions forcing the Rhodesian government to the negotiating table. Mugabe took control of one wing in the guerrilla war for independence.
Today at the prestigious Perth, Zimbabwe won the toss and elected to bat first. The player of match was a person born in Sialkot in the northeast of Pakistan, aspired to become a fighter pilot. He wrote the exam that got him into Air Force college, was one of 60 to have won a place among 60,000 applicants. But in his third year, failed an eye test. His dream shattered he moved out for studies and ended up playing for Zimbabwe.
T20I no. 1849 - Zimbabwe produced one of the all-time World Cup upsets with a brilliant performance in Perth to beat Pakistan by one run in a match that went down to the very last delivery. Pakistan needed 11 to win off the final over of a pulsating evening, and that equation came down to three from three with the well-set Mohammad Nawaz at the crease. 25-year-old Brad Evans produced three stunning deliveries right when it mattered.
After getting tonked for a
3 and a four with fuller balls (the second one a slower), Brad Evans adjusted
to hit the hard length for three of the final 4 balls Zimbabweans ended up screaming their heads off and lying on the
ground in joy. The fourth was a rasping seamer that beat the bat. Dot ball. The
fifth, another hard length, was weakly shovelled to mid-off by Nawaz, and
Mohammad Wasim Jr sunk to the ground. He was not on strike, and probably knew
the game was up. It was. The final ball was the surprise fuller one but Shaheen
could only hit to mid-on. They ran hard, and there was even a fumble by the
wicketkeeper Regis Chakabwa, who had already effected the stumping of the
tournament with a quick leg-side work to take out Shan Masood, recovered to do
the job. Up he hopped. So did the rest of Zimbabweans. Babar Azam sunk his chin
into his palms.
Earlier India beat
Netherlands in their group match at Sydney.
With regards – S. Sampathkumar
27/10/2022
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