Lahore - Hashim Amla (72*) and Thisara Perera (47*) steered World XI to 7-wicket victory over Pakistan in the second match of the Independence Cup here at the jam-packed Gaddafi Stadium on Wednesday.

It was superb finish by man-of-the-match Perera, who slammed a smashing six to guide his team to thrilling victory, as the visitors needed six runs to win in last two balls, but Perera held his nerves as hammered an impressive six to finish the match in great style. With this swashbuckling six, Perera collected unbeaten 47 runs off 19 balls hitting towering 5 sixes. Opener Hashim Amla remained cool-minded throughout the innings and scored 72 runs after playing 55 balls and hitting 5 fours and 2 sixes. For the fourth-wicket partnership, Amla and Perera contributed significant 69 runs.

World XI were off to flying start in chasing the target of 175 runs, as openers gathered 47 runs for the first-wicket partnership. Sohail Khan was bowler who broke the opening partnership by bowling out Tamim Iqbal, when he was playing at his individual score of 23 runs. After that, Amla and Tim Paine could add only 24 runs for the second wicket, as Tim was

clean bowled by Imad Wasim. For the third wicket stand, Amla partnering with captain Faf du Plessis added important 35 runs, as the captain gifted his wicket to M Imad.

The best partnership of the match was witnessed between Amla and Perera, who played tremendous innings and finished the match in great style, as they contributed significant 69 runs for the fourth wicket stand. Their impressive batting in the death overs not put tremendous pressure on Pakistani bowlers but also amused the spectators to greater extent.

Earlier, Pakistan posted 174-6 against the World XI. Superb batting display by Shoaib Malik boosted Pakistan total to 176-6 which was quite defendable. It was a collective effort from the Pakistan batting line up which kept the scoreboard ticking but they were not allowed to run away with it in the death overs. Thisara Perera and Samuel Badree bowled brilliantly for World XI as they bagged two wickets each and restricted Pakistan to post a mammoth total.

Pakistan openers Fakhar Zaman and Ahmed Shehzad provided good start to the team as gathered 41 runs for the first-wicket partnership in 4.4 overs in the very next delivery, Samuel Badree took the wicket of Fakhar Zaman, who couldn’t impress the spectators with his bat in the first T20 international against the World XI. But in the second match, he, to some extent, remained successful in amusing the spectators with his classic shots as he played 13 balls to score 23 runs with the help of four fours.

Ahmed Shezad, who was sweating in the first match scoring 39 runs, was looking better and fit in the today’s match as he scored 34-ball 43 hitting five fours and one six. He was ably assisted by hero of the first match Babar Azam, who once again played a sensible innings, and collected 45 runs off 38 balls with the help of five fours.

Shoaib Malik became the all-time highest run scorer for Pakistan in T20Is through the course of his innings. He played 23 balls to score impressive 39 runs laced with one four and three cracking sixes. Imad Wasim was another batsman who contributed significant 15 runs as the Pakistani batsmen failed to hit huge shots and big total.

Both the teams made two changing each in their teams as Pakistan has included M Nawaz and Usman Shinwari in place of Hassan Ali and Fahim Ashraf while the World XI as they brought in Samuel Badree and Paul Collingwood who replaced Darren Sammy and Grant Elliot.

Now the third and final Twenty20 international between the two sides will be played tomorrow (Friday), which will decide the winner of the series. Soon after playing the final match, the World XI team will leave for Dubai in the wee hours of Saturday.

Scoreboard

PAKISTAN:
Fakhar Zaman lbw b Badree 21
Ahmed Shehzad c Miller b Imran Tahir 43
Babar Azam c Miller b Badree 45
Shoaib Malik c Collingwood b Cutting 39
Imad Wasim c Imran Tahir b Perera 15
Sarfraz Ahmed c Imran Tahir b Perera 0
Sohail Khan not out 1
EXTRAS: (lb1, nb1, w8) 10
TOTAL: (6 wkts; 20 overs) 174
Bowling: M Morkel 4-0-20-0, B Cutting 4-0-52-1, S Badree 4-0-31-2, P Collingwood 2.0-0-18-0, T Perera 3.0-0-23-2, Imran Tahir 3.0-0-29-1
WORLD XI:
Tamim Iqbal c Malik b Sohail 23
Hashim Amla not out 72
T. Paine b Wasim 10
Faf du Plessis c Shadab b Nawaz 20
T Perera not out 47
EXTRAS: (lb1, w2) 3
TOTAL: (3 wkts; 19.5 overs) 175
FOW: 1-47, 2-71, 3-106
BOWLING: Imad Wasim 4-0-27-1, Sohail Khan 4-0-44-1 (1w), Usman Shinwari 1-0-10-0, Rumman Raees 3.5-0- 36-0 (1w), M Nawaz 3-0-25-1, Shadab 4-0-32-0
TOSS: Pakistan
UMPIRES: Ahmed Shahab, Shozab Raza
TV UMPIRE: Ahsan Raza
MATCH REFEREE: Sir Richie Richardson