Shoaib Malik's cameo and other takeaways as Pakistan sweep T20I series against Scotland

Waseem Ahmed 22:30 13/06/2018
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  • Malik struck five sixes at the death to to revive Paistan's innings.

    Pakistan sealed a 2-0 series win over Scotland with a thumping 84-run win in the second and final T20I at Edinburgh on Wednesday.

    Having won the first match by 48 runs, Pakistan skipper Sarfraz Ahmed won the toss and elected to bat first again. His side managed to put up a challenging 166-6 on board after 20 overs before his bowlers ran through Scotland’s batting-order in no time to bowl them out for just 82 runs.

    Here, we look at the key talking points from Pakistan’s comprehensive victory.

    PAKISTAN OPENERS CASH IN

    Pakistan would have got off to a disastrous start had Calum Macleod not dropped a straightforward chance off the third delivery of the match. Scotland pacer had the dangerous Fakhar Zaman edging to MacLeod at second slip but the hero of the hosts’ win over England let the ball slip through his hand for a boundary.

    That was all Zaman and Ahmed Shehzad needed as they went after the bowlers in the powerplay. While the former was his usual belligerent self, cutting and hooking with will, the latter soon found his groove and hit two big sixes.

    By the end of six overs, the visitors had raced to 54-0 to put themselves in control.

    Fakhar Zaman made the most of his reprieve.

    Fakhar Zaman made the most of his reprieve.

    LEASK TRIGGERS MIDDLE-ORDER COLLAPSE

    With Pakistan’s openers going great guns, another daunting chase seemed to be on the cards for the hosts. That was until left-arm spinner Mark Watt got the breakthrough with the dismissal of Zaman in the eighth over. In the very next over, off-spinner Michael Leask had the well set Shehzad caught on the boundary ropes.

    Soon, it became a procession of batsmen returning to the dressing room with Leask calling the shots. Pakistan skipper Sarfraz Ahmed was unable to continue his fine form as he was caught following a combined effort from Dylan Budge and Watt at the edge of the boundary.

    Youngsters Hussain Talat and Asif Ali perished within the space of three deliveries to the off-spin of Leask with both the batsmen getting dismissed while attempting a big stroke. With the fall of Asif, Pakistan had gone from 60-0 to 98-5 as Scotland came roaring back into the tie.

    Watt and Budge celebrate after combining for an excellent catch.

    Watt and Budge celebrate after combining for an excellent catch.

    SHOAIB MALIK CAMEO REVIVES PAKISTAN

    After the middle-order collapse, Pakistan looked destined for an under-par score before veteran Shoaib Malik took control of the innings. Just like he had done on Tuesday, the 37-year-old dealt mostly in sixes to make the most of the short boundaries at the Grange Cricket Club.

    The right-hander was batting on 17 with two overs to go and then went on a rampage against pacer Safiyaan Sharif in the penultimate over. He struck the bowler for two sixes and a boundary before being dropped by Leask at long-off on the final delivery. That drop would come back to haunt Scotland as Malik struck two more sixes to remain unbeaten on 49 from just 22 deliveries.

    The right-handed batsman ensured Pakistan posted a challenging total of 166-6 as 34 runs came off the final two overs.

    Malik was in imperious hitting form once again.

    Malik was in imperious hitting form once again.

    SCOTLAND FAIL MISERABLY WITH THE BAT

    A chase of 167 was always going to be tricky for the Scots but they made a hash of it by collapsing in the powerplay itself. First, Geroge Munsey fell for a duck in the very third delivery of the innings after chipping a tame drive off Usman Khan Shinwari straight into hands of Zaman. Then, Usman struck again by shattering the stumps of Scotland skipper Kyle Coetzer in his next over before Faheem Ashraf had Richie Berrington caught at mid-on six deliveries later.

    None of Scotland’s batsmen delivered with MacLeod being the only one to cross the 25-run mark. They were suspect against both pace and spin. Once their top-order was back in the pavilion within the powerplay overs, the hosts never got an opportunity to recover.

    Coetzer is clean bowled by Usman Khan.

    Coetzer is clean bowled by Usman Khan.

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