Player of the Match
Player of the Match
2624dThe Report by Danyal Rasool in Lahore

Pakistan mark cricket's return with series win

Pakistan produced a clinical performance in all three departments to beat Faf du Plessis' men by 33 runs in the third and final T20I and clinch the series 2-1

Match Centre

Statistics

Best performances - Batsmen

Ahmed Shehzad
Ahmed Shehzad
89(55) 8x4 - 3x6
Control %90%
  • Productive Shot
  • on drive
  • 24 runs
  • 1x4 - 2x6
2 16 11 5 7 2 30 16
Babar Azam
Babar Azam
48(31) 5x4 - 0x6
Control %87%
  • Productive Shot
  • flick
  • 11 runs
  • 1x4 - 0x6
5 1 5 0 7 7 11 12

Best performances - Bowlers

Hasan Ali
Hasan Ali
O4
M0
R28
W2
Eco7.00
RHB
OFFLEG
1W
  • FTFULL TOSS
  • YYORKER
  • FFULL LENGTH
  • GGOOD LENGTH
  • SGSHORT OF GOOD LENGTH
  • SSHORT LENGTH
LHB
LEGOFF
1W
NLTC Perera
NLTC Perera
O4
M0
R37
W2
Eco9.25
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

Player Of The Series

Series result

Pakistan won the 3-match series 2-1

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

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

TV Umpires

Reserve Umpire

Match Referee

Commentator: Shashank Kishore

END OF OVER:
20 | 5 Runs | World: 150/8 (34 runs required, RR: 7.50)

  • Daren Sammy24 (23b)
  • Samuel Badree0 (2b)
  • Rumman Raees4-1-20-1
  • Hasan Ali4-0-28-2

There's plenty still left from this series, which Osman, Danyal and Umar will bring you over the course of the next 24 hours. For now, as Pakistan comes together to thank World XI and revel in joy and maybe even relief over the smooth conduct of this series, it's time for us to say goodbye. This has truly been a special series, one which we all hope would be instrumental in ensuring more teams tour this part of the world in the not-too-distant future. On behalf of Akshay Gopalakrishnan, this is Shashank Kishore signing off. Cheers!

Sarfraz Ahmed: "No praise is enough for the guys," he says. "The guys have stopped eating rice and rotis. Credit to the trainers and coaches for laying down strict markers towards fitness. We were sloppy in the second game but the way we came back today was superb. This is a young team, the focus is to ensure we give them confidence and opportunities."

The winning Pakistan team now come up to receive awards. Sarfraz Ahmed gets the biggest cheer.

Faf du Plessis: This has been a huge success. We wanted to come here and play a small part in cricket coming back to Pakistan. Thank everyone for the opportunity for coming here. We were joking about it, the blokes were saying we should do this every year. For a lot of guys who don't play a lot of international cricket these days, this was terrific competition against a strong Pakistan side. There's lot more energy, their fielding is electric. That's a big change. They're as good as any team. Skills wise, yorkers, slower balls - they're all there. We were very happy to be here and play a role. Thank you so much for the hospitality.

Each member of the World XI squad - except Daren Sammy - and their support staff receive special medals from Dave Cameron. All of them get a huge round of applause.

Babar Azam is the Player of the series.

Ahmed Shehzad is the Player of the Match for his 55-ball 89. "I was just trying to play to the situation," he says. "Maybe I failed to score big runs in the first two games but we had good partnerships that took us to the totals we wanted. Today I decided to bat till the end. I thought if others could do it, why wasn't I able to build on my 30s and 40s. It came out well. I've been working really hard. The coaching staff have been with me through my thick and thin. They showed their faith and trust in me when I didn't score runs. I would like congratulate PCB and all the forces who have been working day and night. We've been talking to the international players and few of them even said they'd like to come back again. Yes, they came here, we all enjoyed but cricket wins."

Dave Cameron, chairman Cricket West Indies, receives a special coin from PCB chairman Najam Sethi for extending his support to Pakistan

10.35pm Andy Flower and his World XI players walk around the ropes to thank the crowd. That's a terrific gesture. Grant Elliott, while on commentary, even said how they wished this lasted longer. Let is not be forgotten that amidst the craze for cricket and the excitement this series produced, Shahid Afridi and Misbah-ul-Haq were given an opportunity to say goodbye in front of their home fans.

10.30pm In the end, World XI were a group of players, while Pakistan was a team, and it finally showed. Sarfraz calls his boys into a huddle. Does all the talking before his boys roar in delight. They came into this series as favourites and have played like one. So the euphoria has carried on from their Champions Trophy win. Mind you, the visitors weren't any pushovers. There was some serious pedigree in there, but Pakistan - they'll love to hear this - have dominated in conditions familiar to them. Thank you for making this possible, Lahore.

Wonder how the fans must be feeling? Wonder if there is a feeling of emptiness that typically accompanies everyone at the end of a week of festivities. Or at the end of a big-fat wedding, perhaps? I'm sure those who were inconvenienced by all the security checks and traffic restrictions will also go home satisfied at having their monies worth.

19.6
1
Rumman Raees to Sammy, 1 run, slower and fuller on leg stump, bunted to the midwicket region. Pakistan take the series 2-1. Terrific scenes in Lahore. The fans are happy, the dressing room is happy, the coach is ecstatic. We've witnessed a terrific display of death bowling.
19.5
4
Rumman Raees to Sammy, FOUR, full toss which he's belted down to Babar, who fumbles at long-on to concede the boundary. Effort of a man who knows the result is a foregone conclusion. He can be forgiven though
19.4
0
Rumman Raees to Sammy, no run, wow, Wasim Akram who has mentored him at the PSL would surely be grinning ear to ear. Yorker, dead straight on middle, Sammy just about manages to bring his bat down to keep that out
19.3
0
Rumman Raees to Sammy, no run, slower delivery angling away, dropped it a touch short, Sammy looked to belt this over cover but was early into the stroke. Three dots
19.2
0
Rumman Raees to Sammy, no run, this is a stunning exhibition of death bowling. Full, dead straight on right towards the toe. Sammy gets a thick inside-edge onto the pad
19.1
0
Rumman Raees to Sammy, no run, slower and fuller outside off, Sammy looks to hit this over long on, swung through early. Beaten. Sammy wants pace on the ball, he'll get none of it

Right then. Last few minutes of cricket in what has been a superb series. Touchwood it has all passed off smoothly. Huge credit to Lahore and everyone associated with these matches to make it possible. Pakistan not far away from the trophy

Babar's series

168

Previous most runs by a Pakistan batsman in a bilateral T20I series, by Ahmed Shehzad v Zim in 2013. Babar Azam's 179 in this series is now the highest for Pak and 4th highest.