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Man-of-the-match Shahid Boom Boom Afridi announced his return to international cricket in fine fashion by inspiring Pakistan to a comprehensive eightwicket victory over Sri Lanka
Man-of-the-match Shahid Boom Boom Afridi announced his return to international cricket in fine fashion on Friday evening by inspiring Pakistan to a comprehensive eightwicket victory over Sri Lanka in the first one-day international (ODI) at Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
Afridi (3-27) claimed three scalps and received good support in the spin department from Saeed Ajmal (2-21) and Mohammad Hafeez (2-24), who took two wickets apiece, as the hosts restricted their opponents to a paltry 131ao. Mohammad Hafeez endured an early exit in Pakistans run chase as they reached 30-1 in reply after five overs at the tea break.
It made little difference to the outcome nonetheless, with half-centurions Imran Farhat (50) and Younis Khan steering their side to within range courtesy of an unbeaten 103run, second-wicket partnership.
With only 17 runs left to knock off, Khan (56no) and Sarfraz Ahmed (4no) finished the job off to hand Pakistan a 1-0 lead in this best-of-five series ahead of Mondays second ODI here.
Sri Lanka skipper Tillakaratne Dilshan won the toss and elected to bat first. His decision had backfired drastically within 11 balls though and ironically with his own wicket.
Aizaz Cheema banged it in slightly short of a length and wide enough for Dilshan to think a cut was on, although the ball deviated sharply inward off the deck towards the right-handed opener (4) and he dragged on.
His early demise at 12-1 brought the prolific Kumar Sangakkara into the fray and both he and Upul Tharanga, as left-handers, seemingly had difficult picking deliveries from Cheema, Umar Gul and Abdul Razzaq that veered away from them.
Tharanga was clean bowled by Gul off a free hit, thus reprieved, but there was still enough indecisive dangling and wafting of bats towards balls carrying through to Ahmed to give the fielding side sufficient encouragement. Such a stroke put an end to Sangakkaras stint (5) out in the middle as he prodded at a Razzaq delivery and neither blocking, cutting or driving duly edged behind to Ahmed.
From 36-2, Tharanga and Dinesh Chandimal put on 30 valuable runs for the third wicket before the former (25) harmlessly lofted Hafeez straight to Cheema at mid-on for an easy take.
Chandimal (28) was gone 11 runs later as Afridi predictably made his mark in the first over of his long-awaited return. Having just been hit for a mammoth six, Boom Boom trapped his man plumb in front for instantaneous revenge to leave a struggling Sri Lanka XI in real trouble on 77-4.
It didnt get any better from there either as Geoff Marshs men edged slowly towards three figures after 28 completed overs with a run-rate (3.57) more in keeping with Test match cricket.
That going would have been all well and good with plenty of batsmen left in the hutch, yet with the middle order exposed and only the tail left to come, Sri Lanka looked fragile and Pakistan exploited that vulnerability expertly.
Angelo Mathews (4) was sharply run out by Razzaq and ODI debutant Kosala Kulasekara (0) then chipped Hafeez into Guls grateful hands at mid-off for a dire duck.
At 107-6, and with the tail becoming increasingly exposed, a competitive target looked a forlorn hope for the visitors and so it proved as the home team rattled on through with the minimal amount of fuss.
Mahela Jayawardene (24) tried an ambitious sweep over short fine leg off Saeed Ajmal and only succeeded in picking out a prowling Razzaq, while two gifts thereafter spelt the end of Sri Lankas innings.
Both Seekkuge Prasanna (5) and Suraj Lakmal (0) unwisely went after Afridi and Ajmal respectively and missed each time, allowing a standing-up Ahmed to smartly take off the bails behind the stumps.
Lasith Malinga had shown some belated defiance by clearing the ropes in between those desperate dismissals, albeit his time at the crease was soon up too; Afridi getting a cherry to cramp up Malinga, who made room, played and missed as it carried through onto his leg stump. Sri Lanka had been skittled for a mere 131 all out after 40.3 overs the lowest-ever total at Dubai International Cricket Stadium in its six ODIs to date.
Pakistans run chase received an initial setback when, on 12-0, Hafeezs hesitancy (5) and indecision with a Lakmal ball saw him almost apologetically cough up a catch to Kulasekara at mid-on. The game was then really taken away from the Lankans from there as Farhat, Khan and Ahmed collectively saw their country safely home to 132-2 after 21.5 overs.
alex@khaleejtimes.com
Three cheers for Afridi
Man-of-the-match Shahid Boom Boom Afridi announced his return to international cricket in fine fashion on Friday evening by inspiring Pakistan to a comprehensive eightwicket victory over Sri Lanka in the first one-day international (ODI) at Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
Afridi (3-27) claimed three scalps and received good support in the spin department from Saeed Ajmal (2-21) and Mohammad Hafeez (2-24), who took two wickets apiece, as the hosts restricted their opponents to a paltry 131ao. Mohammad Hafeez endured an early exit in Pakistans run chase as they reached 30-1 in reply after five overs at the tea break.
It made little difference to the outcome nonetheless, with half-centurions Imran Farhat (50) and Younis Khan steering their side to within range courtesy of an unbeaten 103run, second-wicket partnership.
With only 17 runs left to knock off, Khan (56no) and Sarfraz Ahmed (4no) finished the job off to hand Pakistan a 1-0 lead in this best-of-five series ahead of Mondays second ODI here.
Sri Lanka skipper Tillakaratne Dilshan won the toss and elected to bat first. His decision had backfired drastically within 11 balls though and ironically with his own wicket.
Aizaz Cheema banged it in slightly short of a length and wide enough for Dilshan to think a cut was on, although the ball deviated sharply inward off the deck towards the right-handed opener (4) and he dragged on.
His early demise at 12-1 brought the prolific Kumar Sangakkara into the fray and both he and Upul Tharanga, as left-handers, seemingly had difficult picking deliveries from Cheema, Umar Gul and Abdul Razzaq that veered away from them.
Tharanga was clean bowled by Gul off a free hit, thus reprieved, but there was still enough indecisive dangling and wafting of bats towards balls carrying through to Ahmed to give the fielding side sufficient encouragement. Such a stroke put an end to Sangakkaras stint (5) out in the middle as he prodded at a Razzaq delivery and neither blocking, cutting or driving duly edged behind to Ahmed.
From 36-2, Tharanga and Dinesh Chandimal put on 30 valuable runs for the third wicket before the former (25) harmlessly lofted Hafeez straight to Cheema at mid-on for an easy take.
Chandimal (28) was gone 11 runs later as Afridi predictably made his mark in the first over of his long-awaited return. Having just been hit for a mammoth six, Boom Boom trapped his man plumb in front for instantaneous revenge to leave a struggling Sri Lanka XI in real trouble on 77-4.
It didnt get any better from there either as Geoff Marshs men edged slowly towards three figures after 28 completed overs with a run-rate (3.57) more in keeping with Test match cricket.
That going would have been all well and good with plenty of batsmen left in the hutch, yet with the middle order exposed and only the tail left to come, Sri Lanka looked fragile and Pakistan exploited that vulnerability expertly.
Angelo Mathews (4) was sharply run out by Razzaq and ODI debutant Kosala Kulasekara (0) then chipped Hafeez into Guls grateful hands at mid-off for a dire duck.
At 107-6, and with the tail becoming increasingly exposed, a competitive target looked a forlorn hope for the visitors and so it proved as the home team rattled on through with the minimal amount of fuss.
Mahela Jayawardene (24) tried an ambitious sweep over short fine leg off Saeed Ajmal and only succeeded in picking out a prowling Razzaq, while two gifts thereafter spelt the end of Sri Lankas innings.
Both Seekkuge Prasanna (5) and Suraj Lakmal (0) unwisely went after Afridi and Ajmal respectively and missed each time, allowing a standing-up Ahmed to smartly take off the bails behind the stumps.
Lasith Malinga had shown some belated defiance by clearing the ropes in between those desperate dismissals, albeit his time at the crease was soon up too; Afridi getting a cherry to cramp up Malinga, who made room, played and missed as it carried through onto his leg stump. Sri Lanka had been skittled for a mere 131 all out after 40.3 overs the lowest-ever total at Dubai International Cricket Stadium in its six ODIs to date.
Pakistans run chase received an initial setback when, on 12-0, Hafeezs hesitancy (5) and indecision with a Lakmal ball saw him almost apologetically cough up a catch to Kulasekara at mid-on. The game was then really taken away from the Lankans from there as Farhat, Khan and Ahmed collectively saw their country safely home to 132-2 after 21.5 overs.
alex@khaleejtimes.com
Three cheers for Afridi
