COLOMBO: Pakistan rose to the top of the One-day International rankings with a 59-run win against Afghanistan in the third and final match in Colombo on Saturday, claiming a 3-0 series whitewash.

Pakistan were helped to 268-8 in 50 overs by a solid 79-ball 67 from Mohammad Rizwan and an 86-ball innings of 60 from skipper Babar Azam.

They then dismissed their opponents for 209 in 48.4 overs with number nine Mujeeb Ur Rahman top-scoring for Afghanistan with a 37-ball 64 for his maiden half century.

Mujeeb smashed five sixes and as many boundaries, racing to a new Afghan record for the fastest ODI fifty off just 26 balls before he stepped on to his stump and was out hit wicket off Shaheen Shah Afridi.

Rashid Khan was the previous record holder for Afghanistan with a 27-ball fifty against Ireland in Abu Dhabi last year.

Rahman and Shahidullah Kamal (37 off 65 balls) shared a valiant stand of 57 for the eighth wicket to give some respectability to the total after their team were reeling at 97-7.

Rahman also added 45 for the ninth wicket with Fareed Ahmad Malik who scored 17.

Pakistan won the first match by 142 runs and by one wicket in the second -- both games played in Hambantota.

Pakistan had been at number two in the International Cricket Council ODI rankings before the series but the 3-0 triumph lifted them above Australia.

Pakistan were briefly number one earlier this year.

Pakistan medium pacer Faheem Ashraf removed Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who made a century in the last game, for five and Ibrahim Zadran for an 11-ball duck to finish with 2-43.

Pakistan rested frontline bowlers Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah in four changes but they were still good enough with the ball as spinners Shadab Khan (3-42) and Mohammad Nawaz (2-45) shared five wickets.

It was Rizwan and Babar who anchored Pakistan’s innings after they won the toss and batted.

Rizwan hit six boundaries and a six while Azam knocked four boundaries and a six to help Pakistan to a fighting total.

The Rizwan-Babar pair added 110 runs for the third wicket to steady the innings after pacer Gulbadin Naib removed openers Fakhar Zaman (27) and Imam-ul-Haq (13).

Pakistan stuttered in the middle overs with four wickets lost for the addition of just 27 runs, including Babar’s wicket who scored his 28th half century.

Saud Shakeel was run out for nine and Shadab for just three as Pakistan were struggling at 189-6.

Salman Ali Agha (38 not out) and Nawaz (30) added 61 for the seventh wicket as Pakistan added 80 in the last ten overs.

Salman hit four boundaries and a six in his 31-ball quickfire knock.

Naib was the pick of Afghanistan bowlers with 2-36.

The two teams will now feature in the six-nation Asia Cup starting in Multan from August 30.

SCOREBOARD

PAKISTAN:

Fakhar Zaman c Riaz b Gulbadin 27

Imam-ul-Haq c Gurbaz b Gulbadin 13

Babar Azam c Gurbaz b Rashid 60

Mohammad Rizwan lbw b Fareed 67

Saud Shakeel run out (Gurbaz) 9

Salman Ali Agha not out 38

Shadab Khan b Mujeeb 3

Mohammad Nawaz c Riaz b Farooqi 30

Faheem Ashraf c Gurbaz b Fareed 2

Shaheen Shah Afridi not out 2

EXTRAS (B-5, LB-2, NB-1, W-9) 17

TOTAL (for eight wkts, 50 overs) 268

DID NOT BAT: Mohammad Wasim.

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-36 (Fakhar), 2-52 (Imam), 3-162 (Babar), 4-180 (Saud), 5-184 (Rizwan), 6-189 (Shadab), 7-250 (Nawaz), 8-266 (Faheem)

BOWLING: Farooqi 7-0-45-1 (1w), Mujeeb 10-2-50-1 (2w, 1nb), Gulbadin 9-1-36-2 (1w), Rashid 10-1-42-1, Fareed 10-0-70-2 (4w), Nabi 4-0-18-0 (1w).

AFGHANISTAN:

Rahmanullah Gurbaz lbw b Faheem 5

Riaz Hassan c Fakhar b Shadab 34

Ibrahim Zadran c Rizwan b Faheem 0

Hashmatullah Shahidi c Imam b Shadab 13

Shahidullah lbw b Shadab 37

Gulbadin Naib c Rizwan b Salman 0

Mohammad Nabi c Imam b Nawaz 3

Rashid Khan c Shaheen b Nawaz 16

Mujeeb ur Rehman hit wicket b Shaheen 64

Fareed Ahmed b Shaheen 17

Fazalhaq Farooqi not out 6

EXTRAS (B-5, LB-5, W-4) 14

TOTAL (all out, 48.4 overs) 209

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-17 (Gurbaz), 2-30 (Ibrahim), 3-60 (Riaz), 4-61 (Shahidi), 5-62 (Gulbadin), 6-75 (Nabi), 7-97 (Rashid), 8-154 (Shahidullah), 9-199 (Mujeeb).

BOWLING: Shaheen 9.4-0-31-2 (2w), Faheem 8-1-43-2 (1w), Wasim 10-0-35-0 (1w), Shadab 10-1-42-3, Salman 2-0-3-1, Nawaz 9-0-45-2.

RESULT: Pakistan won by 59 runs.

SERIES: Pakistan won 3-0.

Published in Dawn, August 27th, 2023