Pakistan Cricket Secured Top Rank MRF Tyres ICC T20I Format After Beating New Zealand in 2018 Series

Pakistan Cricket Secured Top Rank MRF Tyres ICC T20 Update:

Pakistan Cricket Secured Top Rank MRF Tyres ICC T20 team rankings for the third time in as many months after winning their three-match series against New Zealand at the Bay Oval in Tauranga on Sunday the 28th January 2018.

The 18-run victory gave Pakistan a come-from-behind 2-1 series win that will see them overtake New Zealand at the top of the world T20 rankings. Pakistan Cricket Secured Top Rank MRF Tyres ICC T20I.

Read: ICC Champions Trophy 2017 Pakistan beats India in Final by 180 Runs

An animated captain Sarfraz Ahmed leapt with delight and punched the air after the final ball as Pakistan pulled off back-to-back wins over the hosts. Pakistan Cricket Secured Top Rank MRF Tyres ICC T20.

Pakistan Cricket Secured Top Rank MRF Tyres ICC T20. However, New Zealand beat the Windies 2-0 earlier in the month to move to the number-one ranking once again. Kane Williamson’s side will have another crack at the number-one ranking when they will feature in next month’s T20I tri-series, also involving Australia and England.

It marked an incredible comeback for the tourists who were whitewashed in the five-match one-day series on arrival in New Zealand and lost the first Twenty20.

speedster Mohammad Amir, who won the man-of-the-series award said:

"It was a tough tour for us because... we lost the (ODI) series but T20s is a totally different format."
"It is very special for all Pakistani people."

Sarfaraz Ahmed praised the team effort and the way his side refused to be bowed after a disappointing start to the tour. He said:

"They way we came back after 6-0, credit goes to my boys. They worked really hard and now we are again number one."

Batting first on a friendly wicket, Pakistan reached 6-181 with opener Fakhar Zaman making 46 off 36 at the top of the innings. With wickets in hand, Umar Amin was able to lead a late charge that saw 58 runs scored in the final four overs. New Zealand, in reply, were never up with the run chase, and managed 6-163 in their 20 overs.

The defeat followed a 48-run loss in the second Twenty20, which ended a 13-match winning streak across all formats, and put a dampener on New Zealand's preparation for next month's triangular series with Australia and England. Zaman was the architect at the start of the Pakistan innings with a sharp 46 before being dismissed in a debatable decision when Tom Bruce took a catch at ground level.

New Zealand managed to arrest Pakistan's brisk early run rate in the middle of the innings until Amin lashed out. His 21 came off the first five balls in an over from Ish Sodhi before the New Zealand spinner claimed the wicket off the final delivery. Haris Sohail chipped in with 20 off 12 balls while Aamer Yamin, replacing the injured Hasan Ali, faced six deliveries for his 15.

New Zealand struggled from the start of their reply to get near the required run rate of more than nine an over, and were in early trouble when Williamson was out for nine.

Martin Guptill attempted to bully the bowlers but it was primarily a lone stand. When he was removed for 59 off 43 balls in the 13th over, the required run rate had shot up to 13.57. Ross Taylor put the ball over the boundary fence three times in his 25 off 10 balls. But with his dismissal in the 17th over, New Zealand were 5-128 and their hopes of a miraculous comeback were over.

Source: Mehran Post

ICC Cricket Champions Trophy 2017 Pakistan Beats Sri Lanka for Semi Finals

ICC Cricket Champions Trophy 2017 Pakistan Beats Sri Lanka Update: Sarfraz Ahmed and Mohammad Amir led Pakistan to a sensational three-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in the virtual quarter-final of the ICC Champions Trophy in Cardiff on Monday. ICC Cricket Champions Trophy 2017 Pakistan Beats Sri Lanka.

Chasing 237 to book their place in the last-four, the Men in Green were in all sorts of troubles after losing seven wickets for a score of 162 in the 30th over.

ICC Cricket Champions Trophy 2017 Pakistan Beats Sri Lanka. However, pacer Amir, who had a wonderful day with the ball earlier, supported his captain in an unbeaten 75-run match-winning eighth-wicket partnership, as Pakistan chased down the target in the 45th over.

ICC Cricket Champions Trophy 2017 Pakistan Beats Sri Lanka. Sarfraz finished with a brilliant unbeaten knock of 61 off 79, which included five boundaries, whereas Amir finished with valuable a 28 not out.

For Sri Lanka, pacer Nuwan Pradeep was the pick of the bowlers as he finished with the figures of three for 60 in his 10 overs.

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Earlier, after being put into bat first, the Islander were bowled out for 236 in the final over of their innings, courtesy sublime bowling performance from the Pakistani pacers.

Left-arm paceman Junaid Khan and right-armer Hasan Ali were the pick of the bowlers for the Men in Green, as the duo claimed three wickets a piece, whereas Amir and debutante Faheem Ashraf picked two wickets each.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Niroshan Dickwella finished with the top score of 73 off 86 balls, which included four boundaries.

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This victory means that England will meet Pakistan in Cardiff in the first semi‑final on Wednesday. They may be happy about that for the surface here seems to suit some of their team (their bowlers if not their batsmen).

There has not been much encouragement for bowlers in this tournament but the likelihood of some lateral movement for the fast men has been greater in Wales than in England. There may not be much pace in the pitches in Cardiff but good bowlers have sporadically found some movement. In earlier games Tim Southee, Liam Plunkett and Mark Wood have gained some assistance from grass, which Eoin Morgan has described as “thatchy”.

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Pakistan, especially with the introduction of Junaid Khan as a replacement for the volatile Wahab Riaz alongside Amir and Hasan Ali, now have a triumvirate of pace bowlers who seem adept at exploiting any help. Hence they may be more dangerous opponents for England than Sri Lanka might have been.

Their pace trio were effective on Monday. Between them they took eight wickets with the debutant seamer Fahim Ashraf also picking up two. Such conditions favour Pakistan’s style of play. They are not so well equipped to chase the mega-totals as their batting lineup may be described as old-fashioned – with the exception of the newcomer Fakhar Zaman, a left-hander who wastes no time. But mega-totals in Cardiff are not guaranteed.

Via: Mehran Post