BULAWAYO: Left-arm spinner Sufiyan Muqeem on Tuesday broke legendary pacer Umar Gul’s long-standing record of best bowling figures by a Pakistani player in men’s T20Is.
The emerging spinner achieved the milestone during Pakistan’s 10-wicket victory in the second T20I of the three-match series against Zimbabwe, where he dismissed five batters for just three runs off just 16 deliveries.
Sufiyan started proceedings by dismissing Ryan Burl in the ninth over of the Zimbabwe innings, before sending Tashinga Musekiwa for a gold in the same innings.
He took two more wickets in his second over, dismissing Wellington Masakadza and Richard Ngarava before completing his sensational bowling performance by removing Clive Madande – the last Zimbabwean batsman to fall.
As a result, Sufiyan overtook Gul, who held the record for recording the best bowling figures for Pakistan in men’s T20Is, courtesy of his 5/6 in three overs against New Zealand in the 2009 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
Remarkably, Gul recorded the same numbers again four years later in a bilateral T20I against South Africa, conceding fewer balls.
Meanwhile, all-rounder Imad Wasim is fourth on the list thanks to his 5/14 against West Indies in 2016.
Best bowling figures for Pakistan in men’s T20Is
Sufiyan Muqeem – 5/3 against Zimbabwe in 2024
Umar Gul – 5/6 against New Zealand in 2009
Umar Gul – 5/6 against South Africa in 2013
Imad Wasim – 5/14 against West Indies in 2016
Umar Gul – 4/8 against Australia in 2009
Sufiyan’s economical bowling numbers helped Pakistan eliminate Zimbabwe with a paltry total of just 57 runs in 12.4 overs.
Chasing a modest total, the Green Shirts comfortably won the winning runs with all ten wickets in hand and 87 balls to spare.
For his brilliant bowling performance, Sufiyan was named player of the match.
The victory gave the visitors an unassailable 2-0 lead in the ongoing series, with the third match scheduled for the same venue on December 5th.
