Player of the Match
Player of the Match
2109dThe Report by Danyal Rasool in Lahore

Babar's 86 edges out World XI in Lahore

Pakistan's return home in more than two years was triumphant, beating the World XI in 20 runs in the first T20I in Lahore

Match Centre

Statistics

Best performances - Batsmen

Babar Azam
Babar Azam
86(52) 10x4 - 2x6
Control %86%
  • Productive Shot
  • flick
  • 22 runs
  • 1x4 - 1x6
8 12 12 3 15 8 7 21
Ahmed Shehzad
Ahmed Shehzad
39(34) 3x4 - 0x6
Control %85%
  • Productive Shot
  • flick
  • 17 runs
  • 2x4 - 0x6
0 10 3 2 4 4 5 11

Best performances - Bowlers

Sohail Khan
Sohail Khan
O4
M0
R28
W2
Eco7.00
RHB
OFFLEG
2W
  • FTFULL TOSS
  • YYORKER
  • FFULL LENGTH
  • GGOOD LENGTH
  • SGSHORT OF GOOD LENGTH
  • SSHORT LENGTH
LHB
LEGOFF
Shadab Khan
Shadab Khan
O4
M0
R33
W2
Eco8.25
RHB
OFFLEG
1W
  • FTFULL TOSS
  • YYORKER
  • FFULL LENGTH
  • GGOOD LENGTH
  • SGSHORT OF GOOD LENGTH
  • SSHORT LENGTH
LHB
LEGOFF
1W

Match Details

Toss

World-XI , elected to field first

Player Of The Match

Series result

Pakistan led the 3-match series 1-0

Match number

Season

Hours of play (local time)

19.00 start, First Session 19.00-20.25, Interval 20.25-20.45, Second Session 20.45-22.10

Match days

12 September 2017 - night match (20-over match)

T20I debut

TV Umpires

Reserve Umpire

Match Referee

Scorer: Thilak Ram | Commentator: Karthik Krishnaswamy

END OF OVER:
20 | 13 Runs 1 Wkt | World: 177/7 (21 runs required, RR: 8.85)

  • Daren Sammy29 (16b)
  • Ben Cutting0 (0b)
  • Hasan Ali4-0-44-0
  • Rumman Raees3-0-37-2

10.45pm: That's it for tonight, a triumphant return home for Pakistan, and a feast for their fans at the Gaddafi. We'll bring you the second T20I tomorrow, and the third game on Friday. Do tune in for that. Until then, good night!

Sarfraz Ahmed: "It was a very important match, after Champions Trophy. No praise is too high for our players, especially Babar Azam, and the way Ahmed Shehzad played, and the way Shoaib Malik and Imad Wasim finished the innings. We've got some very good players, which is why the selection committee is giving them a lot of opportunities. Our fitness is getting better day after day, and the humidity today was a test of it, and we passed it."

Faf du Plessis: "It was a good game, I thought Pakistan played exceptionally well. I thought it was a 180 wicket, so maybe we gave away 20 runs too many. Our bowling was possibly one-dimensional. They had a lot of variety, spinners, left-arm, right-arm. It was a great occasion to play here, and as soon as we walked into the field, it was just a normal game. I needed to get a 50 or 60 for us to win. Quick turnaround, I don't think I've ever played two T20s in two days. Great to play in front of the Pakistani fans, hopefully next two games we can get a full house."

Babar Azam is the Player of the Match. "There was no pressure. It was just a slow wicket, so I thought I'll take my time and play my natural game. Once I got a partnership with Ahmed bhai, I just wanted to take it as far as I could."

There's a Giggly Boom Boom shot of the match award, and it's gone to Hashim Amla. Has there been a greater name for an award in the history of awards?

Talha Hameed: "STATS: Total of Four T20Is have been played in Pakistan, Pakistan have won all Four. Brilliant!"

10.20pm Pakistan's first home international in two years, and they've won it comfortably. World XI were chasing the game right through their innings, and maybe they didn't get their batting order right, but none of that really matters now, does it? Think about everyone in the stands right now, and just the fact that they were able to watch their own team, in the flesh, after so long. And today they've got to watch some excellent performances from their players, none better than a brilliant 86 from Lahore's very own Babar Azam. There was also some vintage late hitting from Shoaib Malik, some typically un-hittable slow left-arm swerve from Imad Wasim, ripping legbreaks and googlies from Shadab Khan, and a last over full of yorkers from Hasan Ali.

19.6
4
Hasan Ali to Sammy, FOUR, another yorker, five in a row to finish. Sammy swings hard, and gets a thick inside-edge that runs away for an inconsequential boundary to fine leg
19.5
W
Hasan Ali to Sammy, 1 run, OUT, another yorker, close to off stump, dug out towards deep point. They belatedly decide to take a single, and that only results in a run-out at the bowler's end

NLTC Perera run out 17 (11b 3x4 0x6) SR: 154.54

19.4
1
Hasan Ali to Perera, 1 run, in the blockhole on off stump, makes himself room and steers towards backward point
19.3
1
Hasan Ali to Sammy, 1 run, off-stump yorker this time, squeezed down to long-off
19.2
0
Hasan Ali to Sammy, no run, bam. Now Hasan nails the yorker, Right up at the batsman's feet, and he sweeps him off his feet too. Just about digs it out, gets his front leg out of the way of some late inswing, and falls to the floor while doing so. Applauds the bowler too
19.1
6
Hasan Ali to Sammy, SIX, he certainly can hit the first ball for six. Short ball, angling into the body, but he's opened up almost in expectation, and he pulls it away over the backward square leg boundary

34 off the last over. Five sixes and a four. Can Sammy manage that?

Babar's best

55*

Previous highest score for Babar Azam in T20Is, which he has gone past in this match. This is his second fifty in 9 T20I games.