Ahmed Shehzad registered the highest score in Twenty20 cricket by a Pakistan batsman to help secure a 19-run victory over Zimbabwe that wrapped up a 2-0 series win.
Shehzad underpinned an imposing total of 179 for one at Harare Sports Club with 98 from 64 balls, accelerating impressively after bringing up his fifty from 42 deliveries.
Pakistan’s innings also featured an unbeaten 54 from Mohammad Hafeez, who went on to return 3-30 as Zimbabwe were limited to 160 for six in reply.
Hafeez helped Shehzad add 143 for the second wicket, another record for Pakistan in the game’s shortest format.
Misbah-ul-Haq previously held the honour of his country’s best individual T20 score, having struck 87 not out against Bangladesh in 2008, yet that effort was surpassed as Shehzad prospered from a succession of lusty blows over the leg side.
Zimbabwe’s only wicket arrived in the sixth over when Elton Chigumbura ran round from mid-off to catch Nasir Jamshed off Shingi Masakadza.
An asking rate of nine an over was always likely to prove too much and Hafeez claimed the first three wickets to fall as Zimbabwe battled their way to 160 for six.