LEICESTER (England), June 14: Younis Khan and Rashid Latif helped Pakistan overcome a middle order collapse to beat Leicestershire by five wickets in the one-day tour match here on Saturday.
Younis (45) and skipper Rashid (40) came together after the tourists lost four wickets for 19 runs after opener Mohammad Hafeez (54 off 69 balls, four fours and one six) and Yasir Hameed (48 off 93 balls, five fours) had put on 81 for the second wicket.
But from 132 for one, Pakistan collapsed to 151 for five with Australian Brad Hodge taking three wickets with his part-time off-spinners.
However, Younis, who struck six fours in his 39-ball innings, and Rashid’s 37-ball cameo which included four boundaries, restored parity with the unbroken 71-run stand that finally settled the issue beyond doubt in the final warm-up before Tuesday’s opening encounter in the NatWest Challenge series at Old Trafford.
The tourists, however, must be puzzled by Yousuf Youhana’s lean form since arriving in England. The Pakistan vice-captain offered a return catch to Hodge after scoring only three.
Earlier, all-rounder Abdul Razzaq celebrated his inclusion in the Pakistan squad for the three-match limited-overs series against England by taking four for 55 as Leicestershire reached 231 for seven in their 50 overs.
Razzaq’s victims included former England Test batsman Darren Maddy (15) and one-day all-rounder Jeremy Snape (0). Both were trapped leg before wicket.
Indian opener Virender Sehwag was a notable early casualty when he fell to young paceman Umar Gul, caught behind by Rashid for 19 after putting on 53 for the opening wicket with John Maunders (25).
Hodge top-scored for the county with an unbeaten 47 while Darren Stevens struck 40. Hodge was involved in two useful partnerships. He put on 48 for the fourth wicket with Stevens and then together with Trevor Ward forged a fifth-wicket stand of 65, the highest of the innings, before Ward was bowled by Razzaq for 28.
Scoreboard
LEICESTERSHIRE:
J.K. Maunders b Hafeez 25
V. Sehwag c Rashid b Umar 19
D.L. Maddy lbw b Razzaq 15
D.I. Stevens c Shoaib b Shabbir 40
B.J. Hodge not out 47
T.R. Ward b Razzaq 28
J.N. Snape lbw b Razzaq 0
P.A. Nixon c Imran b Razzaq 13
D.D. Masters not out 1
EXTRAS (B-4, LB-12, W-19, NB-8) 43
TOTAL (for seven wkts, 50 overs) 231
FALL OF WKTS: 1-53, 2-82, 3-86, 4-134, 5-199, 6-199, 7-225.
DID NOT BAT: M.J.A. Whiley, J.O. Grove.
BOWLING: Shoaib Akhtar 10-0-44-0 (6w); Shabbir Ahmed 8-0-44-1 (7nb, 9w); Umar Gul 10-0-31-1 (1nb); Abdul Razzaq 10-0-55-4; Mohammad Hafeez 10-1-26-1; Younis Khan 2-0-15-0.
PAKISTAN:
Imran Nazir b Whiley 30
Mohammad Hafeez c Maddy b Hodge 54
Yasir Hameed lbw b Snape 48
Yousuf Youhana c and b Hodge 3
Younis Khan not out 45
Misbah-ul-Haq c Nixon b Hodge 3
Rashid Latif not out 40
EXTRAS (B-1, W-8) 9
TOTAL (for five wkts, 46.5 overs) 232
FALL OF WKTS: 1-51, 2-132, 3-138, 4-144, 5-151.
DID NOT BAT: Abdul Razzaq, Shoaib Akhtar, Shabbir Ahmed, Umar Gul.
BOWLING: Whiley 7-0-54-1 (2w); Grove 8-2-21-0 (5w); Masters 9.5-0-52-0 (1w); Snape 10-0-39-1; Sehwag 5-0-35-0; Hodge 6-1-19-3; Maddy 1-0-11-0.