Pakistan defeated the visiting World XI by 33 runs in a gripping contest for the Independence Cup at Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium on Friday. World XI skipper Faf du Plessis won the toss and put Pakistan in to bat first, as was the case in the first two matches of the series.
The green shirts in their innings set a target of 184 runs for the visiting side in the Twenty20 international (T20I) series finale, but the World XI managed to pile on only 150 runs with eight wickets.
The game appeared to be on knife's edge until the last few overs, when Pakistan regained control of the innings, taking crucial wickets as the international side began giving the green shirts the run-around with a series of hard knocks.
Pakistan was labouring under the aggressive batting of heavy-hitter Thisara Perera who smashed a 4 and three 6s off young Shadab Khan when he was caught by Babar Azam off a delivery from Rumman Raees. Then the game turned on its head.
First Babar went on to catch David Miller at deep mid-wicket as he attempted to smack Hassan Ali out of the park. Then he ran out Morne Morkel, and a sense of urgency returned to the World XI batting side.
Although the international team had opened their innings with hard knocks from Tamim Iqbal, the Bangladeshi cricketer was bowled by Usman Shinwari in the second over.
In the fifth over, Hassan Ali bowled Ben Cutting out for five, while Hashim Amla was run out the very next ball for 21.
An inside edge by George Bailey went on to dislodge the leg stump as he tried to get a boundary against Imad Wasim in the sixth over, and then World XI skipper Faf du Plessis was run out for 13 off 13 balls in the 10th over.
Pakistan's total of 183 for the loss of four wickets was powered by Player of the Match Ahmed Shehzad's "blistering" run count of 89. The side's highest-run scorer became the first Pakistani to smash three back-to-back 6s in T20 cricket.
Right-handed Babar Azam, Pakistan’s top-order batsman, was awarded Man of the Series for his performance in the Independence Cup. Babar led the run-scoring chart, aggregating 179, including a match-winning 86 in the series opener.
Although Pakistani openers Fakhar Zaman and Shehzad slowly piled on the pressure early in the first innings with their 61-run partnership, Fakhar's wicket brought the heat back onto the green shirts.
From then on, Shehzad, Babar Azam and Imad Wasim struggled to keep the total moving, and the latter two both got out in the last over trying to take Pakistan over the line.
"I am over the moon," said Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Najam Sethi, who was asked to say a few words. "Pakistanis, congratulations, congratulations, congratulations!"
The successful completion of the tournament is another milestone in the revival of international cricket in Pakistan, which has suffered a dearth of opportunities on home ground since the 2009 attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore, save a limited-over series against Zimbabwe in 2015.
Du Plessis hailed the series as a big step and success.
"We wanted to come here and play a small part in cricket coming back to Pakistan. Thanks everyone for the opportunity for coming here. We were joking about it, the blokes were saying we should do this every year. For a lot of guys who don't play a lot of international cricket these days, this was terrific competition against a strong Pakistan side," he said.
Pakistan hopes the successful staging of this series will help them host Sri Lanka for a T20I on October 29, at the end of their full series in the United Arab Emirates. A month later they are also likely to host the West Indies for three Twenty20 matches.

It was hyped as the best-ever Caribbean Premier League (CPL) final and few would deny that it wasn’t. In front of a packed Brian Lara Academy in Tarouba early Sunday morning last week, the Trinbago Knight Riders won their second Hero Caribbean Premier League title in dramatic style against the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots in a match that went down to the wire and could have gone either way.
In a final featuring T20 stars such as Dwayne Bravo, Chris Gayle, Evin Lewis and Sunil Narine, it was 28-year-old Kevon Cooper who proved the hero with the ball and more decisively with the bat to take the hosts to victory by three wickets with an over to spare.
Chasing a modest 136 for victory, the Knight Riders struggled badly and needed 33 from 18 balls with Cooper and Denesh Ramdin at the crease.
TKR needed a super knock from one of the two and the man nicknamed “Super Cooper” during a past Indian Premier League (IPL) stint duly obliged.
He hit a whirlwind 29 from 14 balls including two fours and two sixes to swing the match decisively in TKR’s favour. Australian pacer Ben Hilfenhaus felt the brunt of his bat, conceding two fours and a six in an error-strewn 19th over that cost 22 and included two wides and a no-ball.
Although it was Ramdin who hit the winning run, Cooper’s brilliance was the difference on the night. An emotional Cooper dropped to the ground and started crying immediately as his teammates ran onto the field to celebrate. Ramdin finished on 26 not out.
Earlier, Bravo won the toss and decided to bowl and TKR were in full control for the first 19 overs.
The hosts strangled the Patriots batting with incisive bowling and inspired fielding, removing their prolific openers Chris Gayle (one) and Evin Lewis (16) cheaply as their rivals lost their way.
But a poor final over from Bravo went for 21, battered for two sixes and a four by Afghanistan’s Mohammad Nabi (18 off five balls) as the Patriots posted a competitive 135 runs for six wickets in their 20 overs. Top scoring for the Patriots was Carlos Brathwaite with 30 not out from 25 deliveries.
Cooper took two for 12 while Narine was at his frugal best with one wicket for eight runs from four economical overs.
Knight Riders captain Dwayne Bravo has come in for some criticism for persisting with Narine as a pinch hitter but insisted he would not change the strategy for the final. And for the 12th time in 13 matches, the plan failed with Narine out for three, top edging left-arm fast bowler Sheldon Cottrell in the second over to be dismissed caught and bowled.
Apart from a chance-filled 79 vs the Barbados Tridents, the lefthander has scored just 80 runs in 12 innings at an average of 6.66.
Although telling the media he would not change the formula for the final, Bravo promoted himself to No. 3, and lasted just one ball, bowled comprehensively by a fierce swinging delivery from Cottrell that cannoned into his leg stump. The wickets kept tumbling for the Knight Riders despite chasing the small score with Colin Munro (29), Darren Bravo (one), Hamza Tariq (18), Daniel Christian (eight) and Javon Searles (two) all finding it difficult against disciplined Patriots bowling.
But with Cooper’s entry and the calmness of Ramdin to push the ones and twos, Knight Riders avoided calamity to bring cheer to their fans and give national hero Brian Lara, whose name is etched on the venue, something to smile about as he looked on in attendance.
After the game, Patriots captain Chris Gayle lamented his team’s failure in their first-ever CPL final.
“We had a foot in at one stage but couldn’t get past the line. All I have to say is congrats to Bravo and Trinidad, they’ve been playing good cricket and they got the better of us in the final. It’s disappointing but one team has to lose and unfortunately that’s us,” he said.
Gayle, however, thanked his players for a tremendous season and hopes they can build on their showing for the future.

South African all-rounder JP Duminy has decided to call it quits from Test and first-class cricket with immediate effect, a Cricket South Africa media release confirmed on Saturday (September 16).
Duminy, who was dropped from the Test team after the first match at Lord's in the four-match series against England in July earlier this year, decided to focus on limited-overs cricket hereafter, opting out of the opening round of first-class fixtures.
"After long and careful deliberation, I have decided to retire from first-class and Test match cricket with immediate effect. I have thoroughly enjoyed the privilege and opportunity to represent my country in 46 Tests and the WSB Cape Cobras in 108 first-class matches overs the past 16 years. It is an experience that cannot be replaced and one I will always cherish," read the CSA release.
"Test cricket has always been the pinnacle and I've been fortunate enough to experience some memorable highlights with the Proteas and also in first-class matches with the WSB Cape Cobras. In recent years I have been privileged to be a senior member and custodian of a special team environment and culture which has made me very proud."
Duminy, who made his Test debut against Australia in 2008 in Perth, finished with 2103 runs from 46 Tests at 32.85. He will continue to play one-day and T20 cricket for both South Africa and the Cape Cobras, even leading the Cape Town Knight Riders in the inaugural T20 Global League later in the year.

India continued their dominance in limited overs cricket after going 1-0 up in the five-match ODI series against Australia after winning the first game by 26 runs (D/L method) in Chennai, courtesy an all-round show from Hardik Pandya.
Virat Kohli-led India restricted Australia to 137/9 to romp home at MA Chidambaram Stadium while chasing 164 runs from 21 overs in a rain-reduced contest. Australia’s chase was halted twice before play eventually began.
Australia didn’t start the chase well and lost Hilton Cartwright for 1 after he was cleaned up by Jasprit Bumrah. Skipper Steve Smith who came in at number three too didn’t stay for a long time at the crease, courtesy of a stunning catch from Bumrah in the outfield. In the fifth over of the innings, Smith tried to slash a length delivery from Pandya but only managed to top edge the ball. Jasprit Bumrah, stationed at short fine leg, ran backwards and took a blinder after judging the catch perfectly. Smith scored 1 run after facing 5 deliveries in the innings.
Australia then lost wickets in quick succession only to get reduced to 35/4 before Glenn Maxwell took the charge and hammered the Indian bowlers all around the park. The highlight of his cameo role came at Kuldeep Yadav’s expense with a boundary and three continuous sixes. He was eventually dismissed by Chahal for 39 after trying to play against the spin but only managed to give a catch to Manish Pandey in the deep.
Smith’s side once again lost wickets quickly and were left tottering at 109/8. James Faulkner remained unbeaten at 32 as they eventually scored 137/9 in 21 overs. For India, it was Chahal who returned with figures of 3/30 in 5 overs while Pandya and Yadav scalped two wickets apiece. Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar too got a wicket each.
Earlier, India notched up a total of 281/7 in 50 overs after batting first. The hosts too didn’t start off the proceedings well and were reduced to 11/3 and later 87/5 before MS Dhoni and Hardik Pandya came in for their rescue. The two batsmen stitched a stand of 118 runs for the sixth wicket where Pandya smashed 83 runs off just 66 deliveries while Dhoni scored 79 off 88. Middle-order batsman Kedar Jadhav too chipped in with 40 before getting out to Marcus Stoinis.
The two sides will next play the second ODI in Kolkata on Thursday (tomorrow).

By Annan Boodram
While fans around the world were thrilled to the high heavens by the Windies victory against England in the second Test match of the current tour, I join in the chorus that one tree does not a forest make. Our boys in maroon have flattered to deceive before…many times.
The words of Captain Holder are what he is expected to say, especially given the penchant of the cricketing administrators to never tolerate independent thought and any language that can be deemed critical. Thus as long as Holder indulges in boardspeak à la WICBC he is safe, even though, like Darren Sammy before him, Holder’s selection as captain continually comes under scrutiny. However, at the minimum Sammy was a better tactician, a far better leader of people and quite fair in his captaincy. Holder, on the other hand, keeps making fundamental captaincy mistakes, indulges in field placements that befuddle and uses his bowlers in ways that are enigmatic. Particularly so was his handling of strike spinner, Devendra Bishoo, whose deployment, or rather lack thereof, was criticized by all and sundry. It is felt that appropriate use of Bishoo in the first Test may have made a difference in the outcome of the game, while use of Bishoo in the third Test clearly indicated that he was set up for scapegoat status in a losing cause. Many also argue that Holder chose Chase over Bishoo so as to provide scope for Chase to boost his bowling credentials in order to secure his place in the team as an all-rounder. And a few wondered whether race may have been a factor, especially given that Bishoo was the only Indian in the team that was once described by a former captain as a Black team.
Some fans have made the point that players should not be chosen on the basis of the captain’s comfort level with them. But the reality seems to be that this current team, referred to by many as a Barbados team with a couple of guest players, is being so categorized. And while Shai Hope has given hope indeed, his brother Kylie continues to fail miserably as does Dowrich, while Chase, once considered a rising star, seems to be at sea.
With respect to boosting the current team, Darren Bravo must be brought back immediately. And many argue that captaincy should go to Bravo or Brathwaite, while Holder should be allowed to merit his place like everyone else, especially since that position can be filled by a third pacer, most likely Taylor, with Beaton and a few others chafing at the bit. Ramdin should be brought back since he is still the best keeper/batsman around and at 29 still young even by cricketing standards, while a couple of the other youngsters develop, among them Nicholas Pooran. And Gayle also should be given a run, while Powell is provided with the help he needs, as he’s still a good talent. Blackwood also needs some work so that his approach to batting does not remain one-dimensional, as he too is a good talent. As well Kyle Hope must be dropped and among considered replacements should be Assad Fudadin. Finally the board must decide on the role of Bishoo since playing him without appropriately and fully utilizing him is a waste of time. Waiting in the wings are Permaul, Shillingford and one or two others.
Finally some of India’s current Test players came through the ranks of the IPL. The West Indies selectors ought to take note of this and some of the CPL’s consistent players ought to, at least, be given a chance.

Trinidad and Tobago cricketer Rayad Emrit returned home after a suicide bomber killed at least three persons and injured a dozen in an attack outside the Alokozay Kabul International Cricket Ground in Kabul, Afghanistan, last Wednesday.
And former Pakistan Test all-rounder Abdul Razzaq, the only Pakistan player featuring in the tournament, has quit the Afghanistan’s T20 league as a result of the blast.
Emrit, who left Trinidad the prior weekend to compete for the Boost Defenders in the Shpageeza Cricket League (SCL) in Afghanistan, was in the field in the second match of a doubleheader against MIS Ainak Knights when the blast occurred.
The all-rounder, speaking to Newsday, recounted the terrifying incident which has left him and his family shaken.
“It had a suicide attack outside or close to the stadium. We don’t know how close it was. It sounded like it was right outside the stadium. They said it was three kilometres but it felt right there.
We were fielding and heard a loud explosion and the whole ground started to shake. When I looked up I saw the building shaking and glass shattered and smoke in the air. We just went off the field. They told us it was a glass cylinder explode, then they said it was a grenade. Inside the stadium was safer but after now we hearing it was a suicide bomber,” Emrit said.

The 36 year old said he was not taking any chances with his life and would be returning home as soon possible.
“My family uneasy home so most likely I’ll leave Friday as long as I get a flight. Trust me it’s the scariest thing I’ve experienced,” he added.
Emrit, recently competed for the Guyana Amazon Warriors in the Caribbean Premier League and has plied his trade in numerous cricket leagues around the world including in Bangladesh, Pakistan and Hong Kong.
According to an ESPNcricinfo story Shafiqullah Stanikzai, Afghanistan Cricket Board’s chief executive officer, the blast occurred during the fourth over of Knights chase of 202.
The other overseas players at the ground were Emrit’s teammates Cameron Delport (South Africa) and Morne van Wyk (South Africa). Delport was a member of the Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel in the CPL in the past. The Zimbabwean trio of Vusi Sibanda, Sikandar Raza and Ryan Burl were representing Knights. The match was stopped briefly, but once the Afghanistan government-appointed security gave the clearance, it resumed.
Zimbabwe has ordered nine of its cricketers playing in the league to return home following the incident. The nine include Test players Elton Chigumbura, Hamilton Masakadza, Sikandar Raza and Richmond Mutumbami.
ZC revoked the no-objection certificates it issued to the players to allow them to go to Afghanistan. It says “ZC will not under any circumstances compromise on matters of player safety.”
Pakistan's Abdul Razzaq was at his hotel at the time of the blast and the hotel is just minutes drive from the site of the blast.
“I was watching a match on television when I heard a deafening blast. All the players were terrified,” Razzaq said. “I immediately decided to return to Pakistan, but the tour organisers persuaded me to play one more match.”
Afghanistan was recently inducted as the 12th full member by the International Cricket Council in June. The security situation has not permitted any international cricket to be played in the war-torn country. But for the T20 league, Stanikzai said the Afghanistan government itself was involved in security.
“For this tournament, a special decree has been issued by His Excellency, the president of the country, to look after the security,” he explained. “We heard a sound, but we were not sure exactly what happened.
The match was stopped for short time but resumed once the security heads told us we can carry on. The president’s special advisor was also present at the ground to assure the security.
They told us there is no threat to the players.”

Headline News >