Colombo, August 13: Shahid Afridi shone with bat and ball on his debut as Pakistan’s Twenty20 captain to steer the world champions to an emphatic 52-run win over Sri Lanka here on Wednesday.
Afridi smashed 50 off 37 balls in Pakistan’s 172-5, then claimed 1-21 in four economical overs and affected a run out with a direct throw as Sri Lanka were shot out for 120 with 11 balls to spare.
A sell-out crowd of 35,000 at the overflowing Premadasa Stadium in Colombo watched the first T20 match between the two teams since the World Twenty20 final in England in June, when Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by eight wickets.
The result was the same as seamer Rana Naved and off-spinner Saeed Ajmal picked up three wickets each to stun the hosts.
Sri Lanka lost wickets at regular intervals with skipper Kumar Sangakkara the only batsman to offer resistance against the fired-up Pakistanis with 38 off 31 balls. But his effort was too little, too late.
Afridi, who was man of the match in both the semi-final and final at the Worlds, once again won the award as Pakistan ended an otherwise dismal tour of Sri Lanka on a winning note.
Brief scores: Pakistan 172-5 in 20 overs (Shahid Afridi 50; Thilan Thushara 2/37) bt Sri Lanka 120 all out in 18.1 overs (Kumar Sangakkara 38; Saeed Ajmal 3/18).
–Agencies