Mohammed Hafeez shines with the bat as Pakistan register victory in Younus Khan's last ODI
Pakistan provided a perfect farewell gift to Younus Khan in his last ODI match, as they comprehensively beat England by 6 wickets in the first ODI, with more than 6 overs to spare, at the Sheik Zayed stadium in Abu Dhabi, to lead the four-match ODI series 1-0. Mohammad Hafeez turned out to be the hero of the match as he scored his 11th ODI hundred and helped his team to victory.
Earlier in the afternoon, England who won the toss and batted first, got off to a disastrous start as they were reduced to 14/3. Captain Eoin Morgan and James Taylor steadied things for the visitors with a 133-run stand. But the eventual dismissal of Morgan led to another batting collapse down the order, as England could only finish with 216 on board.
Morgan top scored for the visitors with 76, while Taylor played a useful hand finishing with 60, to provide some consolation for England in batting. The tall, lanky pacer Mohammed Irfan was the pick of the bowlers for Pakistan, snapping 3 wickets and conceding just 35 runs in his 10 overs, which included two maidens. Shoaib Malik and Anwar Ali too chipped in two wickets apiece to reduce England to a low total.
Chasing the modest total, Pakistan too struggled at the top of the order as they were reeling at 41/3, before Hafeez rescued them with his brilliant unbeaten knock of 102, which included 10 fours and a six. He was provided with good support from the other end by youngster Babar Azam, who hit 62 in as many deliveries, smashing four sixes and two fours.
Younus Khan, who was playing his last ODI match, had a forgettable outing with the bat as he was dismissed for just 9 runs. He walked back to the pavillion to a standing ovation from the fans and his teammates, and in the process brought down curtains on his illustrous career, which spanned more than 15 years.
The visitors, on the other hand, have themselves to blame for this loss, as they failed to produce any magic with the bat or the ball. England are yet to win a match on this tour and have to pull up their socks if they have to win the current ODI series.
Brief Scores: England 216 (Morgan 76, Taylor 60, Irfan 3-35) lost to Pakistan 217/4 in 43.4 overs(Hafeez 102*, Azam 62*, Topley 3-26) by 6 wickets.