Pakistan cricket settles for Bronze in the Asian Games
Pakistan men’s cricket team has managed to clinch the bronze medal in the Asian games by defeating Sri Lanka in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/China-c40996.
The Sri Lankans posted a total of 135 runs on the board while batting first. The Pakistani bowlers were a total disappointment and none of them gave the Sri Lankans a tough time. What is ironic is the fact that Pakistan prides
itself of having some of the world’s best pace bowlers, but this young lot lacked the killing instinct, which is required in a formidable pace attack. For almost after a decade Pakistani bowlers seem to be lacking effective pace in their bowling. The only
impressive bowler was the left arm spinner Raza Hassan, who got 2 wickets by giving away just 19 runs in his four overs.
The Sri Lankans must have felt quite comfortable after posting 135 runs, knowing the fact that Pakistan could not chase a target of 125 runs against Afghanistan earlier in the tournament. However, as always Pakistan proved that
they are and always will be an unpredictable side by chasing the target and managing to do it in style as well.
The Pakistani batting was led by the captain http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Khalid-Latif-c71261, who played an unbeaten knock of fifty-three runs off just forty-two balls. Playing aggressively, Latif smashed four sixes and two fours to help his side beat the required
target.
The Pakistani skipper went after the Sri Lankan spinner Malinga Bandara by hitting him for three sixes in one over. Latif kept on playing aggressively even when Pakistan were four wickets down for eighty five runs. Bilawal Bhatti
was another Pakistani batsman who played a fast innings of twenty-four runs off fourteen balls. His innings also included the winning shot off Nuwan Zoysa.
The Sri Lankans were given a fine opening stand of fifty-two runs in eight overs by Nuwan Zoysa (24runs) and Jeevantha Kulatunga (31runs). However, the Sri Lankans failed to capitalize on their solid start and were not able to
put a huge total at the end of their twenty overs.
The Pakistani batsmen looked a revamped outfit as compared to the one who played against Afghanistan, where the green shirts looked riddled against the Afghan bowlers.
Pakistan’s hopes of grabbing a gold medal in the men’s cricket event in the Asian games were shattered by a shocking defeat against Afghanistan in the semi final. Before the tournament, it was being widely speculated that Pakistan
had the best chance of getting their hands on the gold medal because of India’s absence from the cricket event.
The only team that was believed to have the wits to outmatch Pakistan was Sri Lanka, the rest were believed to be meagre teams who were not going to have any impact on the outcome of the tournament. However, this theory was proved
wrong when Afghanistan defeated http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Sri-Lanka-c758. Hence, both the favourite teams were out of the bid for the gold medal.
After this win Pakistan has managed to redeem itself, but certainly has left many wondering how they played remarkably well against a very strong Sri Lankan side, which had eleven international players in their squad, but failed
to beat a meagre team such as http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Afghanistan-c745.
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