Mohammad Hafeez heroics help Pakistan clinch thriller vs England in final T20I

Twenty20 is proving to be a game suited for the older folk. Recently, 36-year-old Dwayne Bravo became the first bowler to take 500 wickets in the format. On Tuesday, 39-year-old Mohammad Hafeez and 35-year old Wahab Riaz gave Pakistan plenty to smile as their tour to England ended on an ultimate high. Hafeez blasted a magnificent 86 and despite Moeen Ali’s counter-attacking 61, Pakistan held their nerve thanks to Wahab Riaz’ superb death bowling and secured a dramatic five-run win against England to end the three-match series 1-1. After the disappointment of the Test series in which they lost 0-1, this win in Old Trafford will help them regain plenty of confidence.

England chose to bowl and they remain unchanged. However, Pakistan made some changes with Sarfraz Ahmed coming back in the side as well as Wahab Riaz. Babar Azam’s side handed a debut to Haider Ali. Pakistan, though, did not start well with Fakhar Zaman falling in the first ball of Moeen Ali’s first over. Haider Ali, promoted up the order, got going with a big six. Babar Azam struck three consecutive fours off Saqib Mahmood but he was dismissed for 21 off 18 balls by Tom Curran.

From that point on, it was the Haider Ali and Hafeez show. The 19-year-old Haider Ali showed his class with two more fours off Chris Jordan and he continued the onslaught with another six off Lewis Gregory. After a slow start, Hafeez opened up with two sixes off Adil Rashid as Pakistan reached 100 in the 10^th over. Haider Ali reached his fifty on debut with a pull off Lewis Gregory off just 28 balls while Hafeez grew in confidence with his third six, this time off Curran.

The Pakistan veteran reached his fifty off just 31 balls with a four and a six off Rashid as the duo notched up the 100-run stand. Jordan ended Haider Ali’s superb knock. However, Hafeez raised his gear and regularly cleared the boundary with ease, with England not helping themselves with some dropped catches as Pakistan ended on 190/4, with Hafeez staying unbeaten on 86.

Moeen Ali keeps England in hunt

In response, England lost Jonny Bairstow and Dawid Malan cheaply but Tom Banton continued his great form. He smashed three boundaries off Imad Wasim and Haris Rauf. Eoin Morgan threatened with a big six off Shadab Khan but when he fell for 10, England were in trouble. The hosts’ woes were compounded even further when Rauf trapped Banton LBW for 48.

Sam Billings looked good with a four and a six and Moeen Ali showed his intentions with a boundary and a six off Shaheen Afridi. Wahab Riaz dismissed Billings but Moeen Ali kept England in the game with three sixes in over bowled by Shadab. Gregory hit two fours off Rauf and Moeen responded with two more fours off Shaheen Afridi but the bowler kept Pakistan in the hunt by getting rid of Gregory for 12.

Wahab Riaz, though, sealed the game with the wickets of Jordan and Moeen for 61 in the 19^th over. With 17 runs needed in the final over, Curran threatened to do the unthinkable when he launched Rauf for a big six to get the equation down to six off the final ball. However, Rauf nailed a yorker and England could not do anything about it as they lost the match by the thinnest of margins.

With the end of this tour, Australia now beckon for three ODIs and three T20Is which will begin from this Friday.