And with that it's a wrap from us. Pakistan get the first win of this tri-series, and they will get a few days off before their next match. Zimbabwe though will be in action against Sri Lanka on Thursday, so be sure to join us for that. Till then on behalf of Fidel and the rest of the team, this is Madushka signing out!
Salman Ali Agha: It was a close game, we didn't start well bowling and bat, and when you don't start well it tends to get close. [bowling?] The spinners have been doing well for that last 4-5 months, whoever comes, and they're the ones that put us back in the game. [expectation?] When we came last night and saw the pitch I knew it wasn't going to be very high scoring, lately it's not been in Pindi. It's a 160-180 kind of a pitch but we bowled really well. Was very happy to chase 147. We need to start well, bowling or batting. The powerplay we need to be ruthless. That's what I'm going to talk about."
Sikandar Raza: "I didn't think that [147] was a good total on that wicket. There was a need for batsmanship on this sort of wicket, some of us needed to grind for the team and try and find a partnership. Had we found one I think 160-165 was a par score. I think the guys were trying we cannot fault them for that. Pakistan have some mystery, and the spinners are quality as well with Saim, Nawaz and Abrar. It's not easy to put them away. I though at that moment had we found 6-7 an over, and kept some wickets in hand, then we could have pulled the plug a bit earlier. We didn't know how much dew there was gonna be, last 10 overs were slightly easier to bat on. [160?] When we went out there to bat I thought there wasn't much turn, it was just slightly stoppy. It wasn't easy to work the pace. I thought 160, with the seam attack and quality we have, thought that would have been par. [good fight?] Certainly happy with that, there's more positives than negatives. But we're getting to a stage, where the fight has always been there, but we must learn how to cross the line. That has been the last hurdle. I'd like to see us crossing the line more often. [conditions?] Not the easiest. The pressure, the visibility of the high ball, certainly when the temperature drops quickly, these are not easy. That's we love this game, and play this sport."
Player of the Match goes to Mohammed Nawaz for his figures of 2 for 24 and his unbeaten 20 off 12: "Feeling good, and starting the series well gives you good confidence as a team. [bowling after a good opp. start?] Can be a little difficult sometimes, still as a bowler I was just trying to stick to my plan. And the pitch was helping a little as well. [pitch different?] It's a little different. Rawalpindi is my home ground, and usually high scoring. But today it played different. [confidence] I feel I'm at the top of my game but T20 cricket momentum can change in one or two overs, so you have to be on top all the time and keep reading the situation of the game. That's what we did well today I think. I also want to dedicate this award to my family and kids."
9.40pm Time for the post-match presentation...
Waseem: "Zimbabwe has clearly won the first 10 overs of each innings, and Pakistan won the second set of 10 overs. Strange game "
Yasser Saleem: "Nawaz with the ball. Nawaz with the bat has won the game for Pakistan."
Abrar: "Nawaz : " Proved Again a Match Winner perfect choice for POM Nawaz you beauty alongside Usman gets lot of confidence for next games""
Ahmed: "well zimbabwe have themselves to blame .. they were comfortably ahead on more than one occasion during the course of the match, pakistan get the win with a nothing performance tbh, I thought they were poor tonight. "
Ka Sean: "Regardless of the opposition, Pakistan only knows how to make a match entertaining. a true entertainer. "
In the midst of it all there was also a return to international cricket for Graeme Cremer, who had missed missed 126 T20Is played by Zimbabwe - which is now the most by any player - between his past two games.
9.28pm So Pakistan's middle order comes to the fore to rescue a game that they looked in danger of bottling about halfway through. In the end it was the final 10 overs of both innings where Pakistan did their best work. First reeling in Zimbabwe after a lightning start, and then recovering from a dire powerplay to win the game with four balls to spare. Fakhar Zaman, Usman Khan and Mohammed Nawaz came together to put up stands of 61 and 36 to take the hosts home, having slipped to 54 for 4 haflway through the chase. Zimbabwe's bowlers did very well to keep things tight and force mistakes, and they were backed up by some excellent fielding - even if a dropped chance in the penultimate over rendered all that fairly moot.