DUBAI: England beat Pakistan by 14 runs in the first Twenty20 international to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series in Dubai on Thursday.
England made 160-5 in their 20 overs with Sam Billings 51, skipper Eoin Morgan 45 not out and debutant James Vince 41 the main run-getters.
Pakistan were bowled out for 146 in 20 overs with Sohail Tanvir making 25 not out and Sohaib Maqsood 24. Liam Plunkett finished with 3-21.
The second match will be played in Dubai on Friday while the third is scheduled for Monday in Sharjah.
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Comments (35) Closed
Muhammad Saidul Haque
Nov 27, 2015 01:17am
brainless, too much shortages of basic cricket senses about running between the both ends/wickets , improper/inappropriate & immatured team/player selection [ totally unnecessarily taken 4 medium childish pace bowlers and ignoring the spinners !!! ] , conspiracy+jealousy+conflicted+contradiction attitude+lobbing to judge 3rd class players + cartoon type of characterized coach+indisciplined+selfish+ non-unified+unpatriotic+ tartaric+ match fixers ----- these are the noble and antique qualities are acquired by current Pakistan national one-dayer and T20 cricket team and along with the whole cricket management board to team selection officials. Even, Zimbabwean are far far better professional team than miserable Pakistan cricket team !
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INTI
Nov 27, 2015 01:43am
Complete shambles. Dear oh dear opponents 19-3 and you lose grip of the match. I think sometimes skipper it is better to include a spinner who actually takes the pace off the bowl or try and bowl like one. Not sure if this is planning for T20 world cup we are no wiser with our batting, bowling and fielding.At least Mr Waqar Younis is consistent in experimenting with openers in all formats of the game but none the wiser yet for it or having a strategic game plan. Over to the PCB to watch the video of the latest run out and missed catches.
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i
Nov 27, 2015 02:44am
Make use of sending at least one good batsman in the lower order to hit the tired bowlers. What will india do to pakistan in odi's and 20/20s
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Choudhry, Shahid
Nov 27, 2015 03:01am
Thank you Shahid Afridi for your great performance.
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LOUDSPEAKER
Nov 27, 2015 03:27am
Is there any justification for Afridi's inclusion in the team? It's better for
him to retire from International Cricket.
We lost today's T20 due to Sohaib Msqsood's mistake when he ran Umer
Akmal out at a very crucial moment.
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Asgher Ali
Nov 27, 2015 03:55am
I will not waste my precious 3 hours watching any more Pakistani T20s as long as Afridi is playing in it.
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mansoor
Nov 27, 2015 04:29am
Afridi os the biggest liability on pakistam team that has ever played!!! Why are selectors continuing with him? He is useless and do not deserve a place in the team let alone be Captain...
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Karachian
Nov 27, 2015 04:55am
Right on Saidul Haque!
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Dr. Asim Maqbool
Nov 27, 2015 06:11am
Absolutely BRAINLESS (1) selection of team (2) batting display, and (3) demonstration of responsibility particularly by Afridi type senior players - As long as Waqar, Afridi and Co are there expect to see similar fate in future T20s and ODIs.
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vikey malhotra
Nov 27, 2015 06:52am
what Pakistan will do against gaint batting steel of India. Jai Hind
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Hashim
Nov 27, 2015 06:59am
Why is an aged player like Riffatullah selected when you have the highest run-getter in T20s in the world last year in Sami Aslam?? He is an established player and one for the future but for some odd reason, while the management keeps saying that they are building for the future. For me, the team selection is again wrong. They will not have any results unless they select proper players.
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Muslim Medina
Nov 27, 2015 07:37am
It does appear now for Afridi to say good bye and give someone else to
play for Pakistan after this series.
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Xpakistani
Nov 27, 2015 07:48am
Calm down it is just a game. If you guys write bad comments the stress will cascade down to the team. Take it easy and ask them to calm their nerves. This game is more about nerves and stress because all of them are technically sound.
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Old Ravian
Nov 27, 2015 08:48am
Afridi and Waqar Younis need to go.
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zafar
Nov 27, 2015 08:53am
What will it take for Shahid Afridi to get off his high horse and for the Board to realize that as long as he is there, Pakistan stands no chance of winning anything. How many more zeros he has to score before we can get rid of him! It is a mockery of boards category system when he is classified in category 1. He needs to be kicked out and the place should be given to someone deserving.
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Emad
Nov 27, 2015 09:34am
Well played England. Better luck next time team Pak
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Hitesh
Nov 27, 2015 09:49am
England was better team today (just like in ODIs)
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Mehroz Munir
Nov 27, 2015 10:11am
Hope they will perform better in today's match.
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gayaz
Nov 27, 2015 10:16am
Afridi do not perform. He shouldn't be in team
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Ahmed
Nov 27, 2015 11:12am
It is AFRIDI who can no longer bowl or bat. He has no place in team. Just count how many runs & wickets he has taken this year & in how many matches he has played. Get rid of him NOW & team will be balanced with another batsman / bowler or all rounder.
AFRIDI 's mind is on next TV Ad.
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Talha
Nov 27, 2015 11:23am
WC is near and our captain and coach are happily "experimenting". The playing 11 should settle now. Not only we need to focus on 11 who would play consistently but their batting numbers need to be fixed. Sarfraz has become arrogant with his batting, always challenging the fielder instead of hitting in gaps which he previously did. Sadly, Rafat didn't look good and had very slow reflexes. Hafeez relies too much on timing alone, Maqsood has fitness issues and he lacks game awareness along with Rizwan, Akmal is just very Akmal, Afridi should either play grounded shots or should hit with full power if he wants to loft it. Tanvir is mentally weak as proved by the dropped catch, Wahab only likes to do well when others aren't, Anwar was alright but Imran Khan JR at least needs a full domestic season to be even considered again. For Friday's match drop Imran and bring Yameen, drop Tanvir and bring Irfan and give one final chance to Rafat otherwise bring Shahzad in his place.
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S.H.Moulana
Nov 27, 2015 11:30am
@i Do you expect any bowler from any side to be tired just to bowl 4 overs (24 balls) The failure of the top order batsmen is the cause of Pakistani defeat. You can't expect your bowlers to bowl bat and field - a three one job! No way! Boom Boom is now just history. Try the youngsters they will turn the table on others very soon. Sea the English side.........where are the old timers?
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Rashid Ishaq
Nov 27, 2015 11:42am
Belling and Vince were the difference. I wish Umar Akmal could save his wicket
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FirstLast2016
Nov 27, 2015 01:15pm
Yet again. Zero. Zilch. Naught.Runs by ballooned Afridi.
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saad
Nov 27, 2015 02:22pm
@Muhammad Saidul Haque I can not beleive players like Riffatullah get selected. Watching him play was an utter embarrasement. Sohaib Maqsood looked like a dummy with no brain. Rizwan looked like a 5 year old who knows nothing in life. Yesterday I think Pakistan was playing a prank of mediocrity on the cricket world
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saad
Nov 27, 2015 02:23pm
@LOUDSPEAKER do you think if akmal was not gotten out, he would have won the game.... no it would be another cartoon style dissmissal for him later on like others
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Naxalite
Nov 27, 2015 02:32pm
Mr.Captian on Duck.
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Naxalite
Nov 27, 2015 02:36pm
Afridi...Why you no retire?
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Saeed Masood
Nov 27, 2015 02:52pm
Will Inzimam answer this now...he said recently that if Aamir will play there will be disturbance in Pakistan Dressing Room...What is this sir..disturbance everywhere ..we the FANS are the most disturbed...Aamir must play and get rid of this gang
Waqar Younis, Intikhab Alam, Afridi,..this manager, coach and captain are useless they cannot give confidence to their team...Look at Yasir Shah he was unfit to play but he is fit to playing BPL and others will also follow... What is going on...
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Akber Khan
Nov 27, 2015 03:49pm
it was shocking to see Maqsood and Umar Akmal running to the same crease to reach it first. That ensured one of them will be out instead of continuing to run to the other crease where maybe there was a chance. Is it zero IQ or makes someone do something like this. Afridi performed as expected. One moment he was there and next we was gone. Why does not not just stay away and give someone else a chance.
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Divergence
Nov 27, 2015 03:50pm
Overall it was a pathetic team performance, through and through. Afridi just added his share to the overall failed effort. Pakistanis seemed to have lacked any plan whatsoever. About Akmal's run out, the player at the other end should have sacrificed his wicket since it was in team's collective interest since akmal was looking good on crease and he was playing some good shots. It all looked like a failed attempt to chase, a very organized one. Afridi should not be the one to be blamed, i think the major blame should be put on the player whose selfishness caused Akmal's run out.
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Shahid
Nov 27, 2015 04:35pm
Why is Afridi in the team when his time is up? The worst thing is the example he is setting by not playing any domestic cricket, its unbelievable. He is making fun of the entire system.
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Abdul Karim
Nov 27, 2015 06:28pm
I supported England in this match.
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Ebrahim
Nov 27, 2015 07:32pm
@Choudhry, Shahid - The PCB do not have guts to tell Afridi "enough is enough" now you better announce unfit or else ultimate action of replacing the Captain. Some of our Sportsmen do not want to leave with respect and Afridi is one of them. PCB, please do something before T20 world cup. Based on performance Afridi do not deserve in the playing eleven. Another aspect that will come out sooner will be this match was fixed based oon a couple of batsman getting out unnecessarily.
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Ebrahim
Nov 27, 2015 07:36pm
@Shahid If he plays domestic cricket he will be more exposed in both bowling and batting. Is this not enough that in 2015 he has taken only 2 wickets - maybe a world record!
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