Pakistan surrendered the three-match T20 series against England after another lack-luster all-round show at the Dubai International Stadium in front of a packed ground that were gunning for a win.
Down and out and needing 47 to win off the last three overs, the game sprang into action after Shahid Afridi played some typically lusty shots out of the park.
Chasing a stiff target of 173 — that could have been the highest-ever chase in T20s in the UAE — the opening pair of Ahmed Shehzad (28) and Rafatullah Mohamand (23) added 51 runs in five overs to give the partisan crowd a real hope of a stunning chase.
Unfortunately though, the start was thrown away by some inept batting by the middle-order. Boom Boom Afridi brought his team back in contention with a scintillating eight-ball 24-run assault that brought Pakistan with in a striking distance. Afridi’s knock included three sixes of one Chris Woakes over but he fell on the last ball of the same over.
Sarfraz Ahmed made 20 runs off 13 balls that included a lucky over-throw boundary that was deflected off his bat as he dived to make his ground in an attempt for a quick second run.
Pakistan needed 11 off the last over, which came down to four off the last ball. Anwar Ali who was on strike failed to connect sending thousands into stunned silence. England went into frenzied celebrations as they recorded an impressive win over their Asian rivals.
Earlier, England have set Pakistan a stiff 173-run target in the second T20 being played at the Dubai International Stadium.
Batting first after winning the toss for the second consecutive time, the tourists posted a score of 172 for 8 in their allotted 20 overs.
After a drab performance both with the bat and the ball, Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi made a superb comeback in the second T20I bowling a superb spell of four overs giving away only 15 runs and bagging three wickets to peg back England. He also became the leading wicket-taker in T20s with his performance in today’s match surpassing off-spinner Saeed Ajmal.
Afridi dispatched for 33 runs in his four overs in the opening game of the series struck with his first ball today sending back Alex Hales for 11. Jason Roy also fell to Afridi’s nagging line and length; he was snaffled behind the stumps by Sarfraz Ahmed after a contribution of 29 runs.
James Vince who propelled England’s innings with a 41-run knock in the first game, played a crucial 38-run innings off 24 balls to set-up the imposing total, he was also dismissed by Afridi.
Wahab Riaz and Sohail Tanvir had forgettable spells with the ball as England surpassed their 160-run effort in the first game, the two left-arms batsmen had combined figures of two for 87 from their eight overs.
Pakistan made two changes to their eleven, the duo of Shoaib Malik and Ahmed Shehzad recovered from their injury and illness respectively to take the field in the must-win game for the hosts.
England rested their captain Eoin Morgan, bringing in wicketkeeper-batsman Jos Buttler as the man in charge for the game today. Buttler scored a quick-fire 33 off only 22 balls.
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