A fine show by bowlers, backed well by batters Saim Ayub and Babar Azam, steered Pakistan to a comfortable six-wicket victory against Sri Lanka in the tri-nation series final at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Saturday.
Chasing a modest 115 for victory, the hosts came home in 18.4 overs thanks to Saim (36 off 33 balls).
Babar (37 not out off 34) played an exquisite cut shot through point off pacer Dushmantha Chameera for a boundary to complete a well-deserved victory.
Mohammad Nawaz won the Player of the Match, as well as Player of the Series.
“To deliver when the team requires you is very important,” he said in the post-match presentation.
“I plan with the coaches and try to keep it simple because as a fingerspinner, you don’t have many options. So I try to read the game and bowl accordingly.
Speaking on his batting, he said: “I try to see what the situations demands: to build a partnership or attack. So I try to play accordingly.“
Earlier, Pakistan bowlers made a spectacular comeback to dismiss Sri Lanka for a paltry 114.
After being sent in to bat, Dasun Shanaka-led tourists dominated the proceedings in the first half of their innings, reaching a solid 81-1 in 10 overs before they faced a dramatic collapse.
Spinners Mohammad Nawaz (3-17), Abrar Ahmed (2-18) and Saim Ayub Ayub (1-17) checked the Sri Lankan progress while fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi (3-18 off three overs) mopped up the tail.
The Sri Lankans were eventually dismissed in 19.1 overs when pacer Salman Mirza cleaned up Dushmantha Chameera.
TEAMS
Pakistan: Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Babar Azam, Salman Agha (C), Fakhar Zaman, Usman Khan (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Salman Mirza, Abrar Ahmed
Sri Lanka: Pathum Nissanka, Kamil Mishara, Kusal Mendis (wk), Kusal Perera, Janith Liyanage, Dasun Shanaka (C), Pavan Rathnayake, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dushmantha Chameera, Maheesh Theekshana, Eshan Malinga
