Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi scores century against Sri Lanka
Shahid Afridi has blasted a 68-ball century in the opening match of the Asia Cup.
With his side chasing down a target of 243 for victory, the Pakistan skipper chose this match to post his first One-Day International ton since April 2005, before he was finally dismissed for 109.
Afridi came to the crease in the 14th over after his side had slumped to 4-32, with Sri Lanka’s Angelo Mathews and Lasith Malinga ripping through the Pakistani top order.
A captain’s knock was required, and the mercurial Afridi delivered, finding the boundary on eight occasions and clearing it seven times to post his highest score in ODI cricket.
Earlier in the day, Mathews and Mahela Jayawardene had each posted half-centuries for Sri Lanka, with captain Kumar Sangakkara also contributing 42 runs, as the team finished with a total of 242-9.
Shaoib Akhtar, the injury-prone paceman who played his first ODI for Pakistan in more than a year in this match, was the best of the side’s bowlers, finishing with figures of 3-43 off his 10 overs.
Despite the personal milestones of Afridi’s century and Akhtar’s impressive international return, Pakistan was unable to get off to a winning start in the tournament, with Sri Lanka claiming a 16-run victory with three overs to spare.
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