wasn't the edge-of-the-seat final that would accept active off the ICC World Twenty20 in style, but that won't amount to Pakistan who gave their nation a article to savour amidst afflicted times. From the moment Tillakaratne Dilshan, the tournament's top-scorer, fell in the aperture over Pakistan had a anchor on the match. Shahid Afridi, who emerged as their trump card, guided his aggregation home in the 19th over with an best 54, and it was larboard to Younis Khan to accession the bays in what he afterwards appear would be his final Twenty20 international, in advanced of a sea of aberrant Pakistan supporters.
Pakistan won't be arena at home for the accountable future, but the afterward they accept had at this accident has able the angle that England can be a agent home. The masses were auspicious from aboriginal on as Abdul Razzaq - a abundant alone comeback-story amidst the team's improvement - claimed three key wickets in his aperture access to leave Sri Lanka on 32 for 4. They never looked aback admitting the best efforts of Kumar Sangakkara.
Occasionally the astriction rose as the appropriate amount climbed, but anniversary time Afridi was on duke with one of his best complete innings. He hit afterwards assurance from Muttiah Muralitharan for six and four in the 14th over, a affected advance adjoin a key bowler. The destination of the bays was closed back he swung a huge six over midwicket off Isuru Udana in the 18th over - the moment back Sangakkara gambled on one of his weaker bowling links - and followed that with addition abuttals off a aerial abounding toss.
Shoaib Malik played his allotment with 24 off 22 assurance in a match-winning angle of 76 afterwards Kamran Akmal had accustomed aboriginal catalyst to the top-order. The batsmen knew they didn't accept to booty abounding risks and played Ajantha Mendis added good than any added aggregation as he went for his best big-ticket spell of the tournament.
Pakistan's acceleration from rank outsiders to champions is an amazing affectation for a aggregation that had to exhausted Netherlands by a cogent allowance to alike break in the accident during the accumulation stages. However, they accept ailing at the appropriate time and couldn't accept produced a added complete achievement for a final. They fell bristles runs abbreviate two years ago at Johannesburg, but this time there was no mistake.
Top Curve
Prime Numbers
*
22
Cardinal of dot assurance Pakistan bowled in the aboriginal six overs.
*
53 for 1
Sri Lanka's boilerplate account in the Powerplay overs, afore this match. Here, they were bargain to 34 for 4 afterwards six.
*
129
The cardinal of runs Shahid Afridi has denticulate in his aftermost three innings, back affective up to No.3, at a bang amount of 148.27. This run additionally includes his aboriginal two half-centuries in Twenty20 internationals, in alternating games.
*
13
The cardinal of wickets for Umar Gul in the tournament, absolutely as abounding as in the 2007 edition. In 2007 he averaged 11.92 at an abridgement amount of 5.60. Here his boilerplate was 12.15 at an abridgement amount of 6.44.
*
64
Kumar Sangakkara's score, his additional half-century and his accomplished account in Twenty20 internationals.
*
3 for 20
Abdul Razzaq's bowling figures, his best in Twenty20 internationals, and his additional three-wicket booty in six matches.
Bottom Curve
Sri Lanka, who accept been the archetypal of consistency, were bent off bouncer by advancing tactics. In a active atmosphere, Pakistan were on top of their bold from the alpha as 17-year-old Mohammad Aamer belied his affliction with a tone-setting aperture over. In a bright plan he bowled abbreviate at Dilshan who was audibly discomforted by the approach. Adjoin the fifth brawl Dilshan approved to booty the action with a beat over abbreviate fine-leg, but alone managed to aces out the man on the bend of the circle. He had middled around all his attempts at the attempt during the clash and what a time for it to go wrong.
With the tournament's arch run-scorer branch off Pakistan were buoyed and Sri Lanka shaken. Jehan Mubarak was answer to No. 3, but he couldn't survive the additional over back he came bottomward the angle and got a arch bend into the covers to accord Razzaq his first.
Sri Lanka briefly rallied as Sanath Jaysuriya appropriate he could align a turnaround. Favouring the leg ancillary he swung Razzaq for six with a bull short-arm cull and calm four added abutting ball, but it was a brief acknowledgment back an central bend comatose into the stumps. Razzaq was collapsed on his face at the moment of adjournment afterwards bottomward in his follow-through but it was Sri Lanka who were activity unsteady.
Younis Khan went on the advance and his accommodation to column a advanced blooper paid affluent assets back Mahela Jayawardene steered the brawl beeline to Misbah-ul-Haq at abate height. Razzaq was arena his candid with a fresh charter of activity afterwards actuality giving addition able at all-embracing level. He wasn't allotment of the aboriginal squad, but Yasir Arafat's abrasion that prompted the about-face now looked like a achievement of fortune.
Four wickets central the Powerplay meant Sri Lanka had little best but to comedy it safe as Younis angry to his spinners. Sangakkara was calmness embodied amidst Sri Lanka's problems acquainted that the hopes of a appropriate absolute adequate on his shoulders. He paced his innings expertly, extensive fifty off 44 assurance admitting the problems that amidst him, but alone begin abutment back abutting by Angelo Mathews.
The final bristles overs brought 59 runs and if any advance could accomplish a bold out of 138 it was Sri Lanka's. However, aboriginal wickets were key and they didn't materialise as Akmal and Shahzaid Hasan played sensibly. The diabolism of Mendis and Muttiah Muralitharan and the accurateness of Lasith Malinga accept provided admirable ball over the aftermost weeks, but on this break couldn't adjure the abracadabra spell that was needed.
As Afridi and Malik accepted mid-pitch afterwards the acceptable moment the affect showed what this achievement agency for Pakistan. They bare this success best and conceivably that drive was the chief factor. The country faces a difficult few years of rebuilding, but this achievement will accept brought abundant joy and, hopefully, acceptance of a brighter future.
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