Younis Khan produced a fine all-round performance to guide Pakistan to a battling three-wicket win over Zimbabwe in the second match of a triangular one-day tournament on Sunday.

He followed a decent display as stand-in wicketkeeper for flu-victim Moin Khan with 77 from 86 balls to set up a second win for the hosts in a tournament also involving Sri Lanka.

Younis shared a fifth-wicket stand of 114 from 128 balls with Shoaib Malik (80) to rescue his team from a precarious position of 89 for four chasing a target of 253.

Zimbabwe did well to stretch the Pakistan innings to 48.1 overs and take three more wickets before flamboyant all-rounder Shahid Afridi finished the match with two huge sixes in six balls.

It was Zimbabwe's 12th straight defeat since 15 white players rebelled against the Zimbabwe Cricket Union in April accusing it of racism.

Eighteen-year-old seamer Tinashe Panyangara gave his side a sniff of victory when he removed Yasir Hameed (0), Bazid Khan (0) and Salman Butt (30) by the time Pakistan had scored 48.

When Douglas Hondo had Misbah-ul-Haq (23) caught behind the underdogs appeared in control of in front of a capacity crowd.

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The early joy followed a disciplined batting performance by Zimbabwe in which half centuries by Brendan Taylor (73), Dion Ebrahim (71) and a chirpy 46 from 33 balls by skipper Tatenda Taibu led the visitors to a total of 252 for four.

Younis and Malik struck the ball cleanly to all parts of the ground as the limited Zimbabwean attack was exposed once more after a bright start.

Malik enjoyed a let-off on 10 when Mark Vermeulen dropped him at second slip of Panyangara but after scoring his sixth ODI half century, he was brilliantly caught at wide long on by Stuart Matsikenyeri inches from the ground.

Yousuf Youhana fell for 14 with Pakistan just 13 runs short of victory and Younis was run out before the hosts reached their target to seal their second victory over the Zimbabweans in the tournament.

The hosts beat Zimbabwe by 144 runs in the tournament's opening match on Thursday.

Scorecard:

Zimbabwe innings
Stuart Matsikenyeri c Sami b Afridi 41
Brendan Taylor c Youhana b Naved 73
Vusi Sibanda run out 0
Dion Ebrahim not out 71
Mark Vermeulen b Naved 1
Tatenda Taibu not out 46
Extras (lb-2, w-11, nb-7) 20
Total (for four wickets, 50 overs) 252

Did not bat: Elton Chigumbura, Mluleki Nkala, Prosper Utseya, Tinashe Panyangara, Douglas Hondo

Fall of wickets: 1-87, 2-87, 3-159, 4-161

Bowling: Muhammad Sami 10-1-43-0 (1-w), Rao Iftikhar 8-1-32-0 (1-w), Rana Naved 10-0-82-2 (6-nb, 2-w), Shahid Afridi 10-0-39-1 (2-w), Shoaib Malik 10-1-43-0 (1-nb,4-w), Bazid Khan 2-0-11-0 (1-w)

Pakistan innings
Salman Butt c Chigumbura b Panyangara 30
Yasir Hameed c Taibu b Panyangara 0
Bazid Khan lbw Panyangara 0
Shoaib Malik c Matsikenyeri b Nkala 80
Misbah-ul-Haq c Taibu b Hondo 23
Younis Khan run out 77
Yousuf Youhana b Hondo 14
Shahid Afridi not out 16
Rana Naved not out 0
Extras (lb-3, w-14, nb-1) 18
Total (for seven wickets, 48.1 overs) 258

Did not bat: Rao Iftikhar, Muhammad Sami

Fall of wickets: 1-1, 2-25, 3-48, 4-89, 5-203, 6-240, 7-252

Bowling: Tinashe Panyangara 9-1-28-3 (5-w), Douglas Hondo 10-0-61-2 (3-w),Elton Chigumbura 5-1-31-0 (1-nb, 1-w), Prosper Utseya 10-2-34-0, Stuart Matsikenyeri 4-0-23-0, Brendan Taylor 3-0-23-0 (3-w), Mluleki Nkala 5.1-0-41-1 (2-w), Vusi Sibanda 2-0-14-0.

Result: Pakistan won by 3 wickets.

Next match: Pakistan v Sri Lanka in Karachi on October 6.