DUBLIN – Pakistani Captain Babar Azam led from the front as Men in Green beat Ireland in third and final T20 by 6 wickets to seal series by 2-1.
The hosts faced blows, losing early wickets, but Green Shirts made an excellent comeback in the series, winning game with a considerable margin. Skipper along with Mohammad Rizwan contributed half-centuries after Shaheen Shah Afridi’s splendid bowling figures of 3/14 that turned the tables in the crucial game.
After being asked to bat first by Pakistan skipper Babar Azam, Ireland managed to reach 178/7 in the allotted 20 overs. After losing Ross Adair (7) in the third over, Andrew Balbirnie (35) and skipper Lorcan Tucker (73) put the side back on track with 85 runs partnership. Lorcan Tucker and Harry Tector (30) put on another 32-run partnership to set the stage for a strong finish.
But the hosts kept on losing wickets at regular intervals and ended up at 178/7 as no other batter except Graham Hume (10) could reach the double figures. Shaheen Shah Afridi bagged three wickets and Abbas Afridi two while Mohammad Amir and Imad Wasim took one wicket each.
The three match series is tied 1-1 with the host Ireland winning the first and Pakistan bagging the second one.
Pakistan Playing XI: Babar Azam (c), Saim Ayub, Mohammad Rizwan, Fakhar Zaman, Azam Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Shaheen Afridi, Hassan Ali, Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Amir
