Pakistan won by 8 wickets (with 8 balls remaining)
Pakistan are the ICC T20 World Cup 2009 winners. The team beat Sri Lanka by 8 wickets with 8 balls remaining.Shahid Afridi and Shoaib Malik steer the team to victory with 8 balls remaining. Earlier Sri Lanka made 138/6 thanks to some wonderful batting by Kumara Sangakkara after the top guns failed to fire. Much hyped Tilshan went out for a duck and so Jayawardene after scoring 1.
Although Jayasuriya scored 17, he looked uncomfortable against Pakistani attack and all credit to Abdul Razzak who took 3 wickets in a match that is so important.
As Pakistan started to chase things never looked good for Sri Lanka. Kamran Akmal went firing and scored quick fire 30+ and he laid the pillars for Shoaib Malik and Shahid Afridi to take forward. Afridi scored a 54 from 40 deliveries 2 fours and 2 sixes in his score.
At no point in their innings the two batsmen looked defocused and they went on to give victory for the team. Afridi scores the winning shot and sported we-done-it-this-time expression.
Pakistan won an international cricket tournament after 17 years when they outplayed Sri Lanka by eight wickets to become World Twenty20 champions at the Lord's here Sunday.
It was way back in 1992 when charismatic Imran Khan came back from retirement to lead Pakistan to ODI World Cup victory Down Under. Younis Khan Sunday made sure that his name will be taken in the same breath as Imran, leading the underdogs to title triumph.
There was not even synthetic excitement as Pakistan planned the downfall of Sri Lanka and executed it brilliantly, chasing down 139-run target coolly with eight balls to spare.
The victory will give the strife-torn nation something to cheer and a heart to get back into the mainstream of international cricket in a big way, though they may not be able to host international teams in the near future. The jubilant scenes at the home of cricket, Lord's, clearly exemplified the spirit of the Pakistanis who have not played any worthwhile cricket for over a year with a majority of nations refusing to visit them.
Sri Lankans were up against a gritty Pakistan who did not want to let go winning the second Twenty20 final, having narrowly lost the first two years ago against India in South Africa.
Shahid Afridi was the man of the moment for Pakistan. The maverick all-rounder first produced four tight overs, taking his only wicket off his last delivery, and then paced his knock of 40-ball 54 (two sixes and two fours) to see the side through.
Afridi then struck a match-winning unbroken 79-run partnership with former captain Shoaib Malik (24, 22balls, 2x4) for the third wicket.
Kumar Sangakkara decided to set the target on winning the toss, but their innings was soon in disarray, losing their top four batsmen in the first six overs, Andul Razzaq claiming three of the wickets.
The rot set in the moment in-form Tillakaratne Dilshan was surprised by a well-directed bouncer as his mistimed pull ended in an easy catch behind the square.
It was eventually left to Sangakkara's well compiled unbeaten 64 and his seventh-wicket 68-run partnership with Angelo Mathews gave their team a fighting score.
Kamran Akmal (37) and teenager Shahzaid Hasan (19) gave Pakistan a rollicking start while Afridi's blitzkrieg, and Malik's 24 not out took them home.
Obliterated Scotland and West Indies by posting huge totals – 211 and 183 – after being put into bat. When they did misfire in the first innings, struggling to a meagre 128 against New Zealand, they then strangled the opposition in the field to win by a single run. They did the same thing to England in the first innings two days later, and then made a mockery of chasing down the target of 112. They’ve won every which way but lose.
Younis Khan’s press conferences have been one of the delights of the tournament. No one has enjoyed the cup more, it seems, than the relentlessly chipper Pakistan captain, every bit as cheery in defeat against England and Sri Lanka as he was in victory against New Zealand, Ireland and the Netherlands.
The other unbeaten side. They have eased through every match so far, the closest they have come to defeat was when underestimating Ireland, but even then they won by nine runs.
