April 18, 2002	Thursday	Safar 4, 1423

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SHARJAH, April 17: Pakistan well and truly whipped Sri Lanka to lift the Sharjah Cup in style, by a massive margin of 217 runs Wednesday.

The highly rated Sri Lankan batting crumbled without resistance. They were sent packing for 78 in 16.5 overs, their second lowest score in One-day Internationals, chasing 295.

It was a remarkable performance by Pakistan, to say the least. More so after two demoralizing defeats in the qualifying round against the same opposition. But Wednesday Pakistanis came to terms with themselves.

Yousuf Youhana, who had, had a lean time earlier in this tournament, struck form at the right time.

So insipid was the Sri Lankan batting that Pakistan wiped them out with the help of only three seamers. Only Sanath Jayasuriya, Kumar Sangakkara and Russel Arnold were able to reach double figures. Once they were out, there was virtually no resistance from the likes of Mahela Jayawardena and Upul Chandana.

Waqar Younis and Shoaib Akhtar picked three wickets each while Wasim Akram claimed two. All three bowled extremely well and were admirably supported in the field.

Earlier, a scintillating fifth wicket stand of 155 between Yousuf Youhana and Younis Khan laid the foundation of the highest total in the tri-nation competition, New Zealand being the third team.

Youhana played probably one of his best one-day knocks of his career, amassing 129 off 131 balls, his best in his 100th One-day International which included eight fours and three sixes. His innings was a treat to watch and was rightly named Man of the Final.

It was Youhana’s first century in Sharjah as well as against Sri Lanka. But that should in no way undermine the fine knocks of Imran Nazir (63 off 61 balls) and Younis’s 66 from 71 balls. It was Imran’s second half century in last two outings.

The Pakistanis were at their very best after quite sometime except for Inzamam-ul-Haq, who was expected to play sensibly after Pakistan had lost Shahid Afridi and Rashid Latif with only 33 on board, disappointed his supporters for the second time as he ran himself out.

Rashid Latif one would not blame him. Why he was promoted in the batting order when Imran was going great guns is confusing. Youhana or Younis would have been a better choice.

Sri Lankans were visibly unsettled by the injury to their champion off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan. It was tragic and took them quite sometime to recover from the shock. And that to on off-spinner’s 30th birthday.

Sri Lanka bowling and fielding were far below mark even from their own standards. After playing and winning in the preliminary it was a shocking reversal.

Only for a brief period in the middle of the Pakistan innings that Sri Lanka could rally around to bring down the run rate to from almost seven an over to five per over but in the end, quite a number of fielding lapses and uninspired bowling helped Pakistan reach 295 for six in the end — a target which proved too tall an order for the Islanders.

All Sri Lankan bowlers came under the hammer but among the lot Nuwan Zoysa picked three wickets but conceded 63 runs.