Watch: A special, three-wicket over from Shaheen Afridi tilted a close contest against West Indies the way of Pakistan, giving the hosts a T20I series victory, leading 2-0 with one game to play.
The first game was a blowout, with Pakistan racking up 200 and bowling out the tourists for 137. The second was much closer, with West Indies limiting the Pakistan top-order well – no one managed above 40 – and needing a rapid cameo of 28 not out of 12 balls from Shadab Khan to supercharge the innings past 170.
In reply, Brandon King smashed 67 off 43 to keep West Indies in the hunt, and though he fell in the 15th over, the equation read 46 needed from four overs heading into the 17th over – tough, but not impossible.
Shaheen, as he so often does, made the decisive breakthroughs. There was a hint of fortune about the first, with Odean Smith holing out to Asif Ali on the rope, the Pakistan fielder just keeping his feet in the field of play to complete the catch, but the last two were all class. Dominic Drakes edged a full, fast delivery in the channel outside off behind, and Hayden Walsh copped a Shaheen special, the stumps smashed to leave the left-armer on a hat-trick.
While he couldn’t get three in three, the pendulum had swung. Some late hitting from Romario Shepherd took West Indies close, but the hosts prevailed by nine runs.
Watch the three Shaheen wickets below:
New ball or old, name a better T20 fast bowler – we will wait!@iShaheenAfridi takes three in the 17th over 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/DMOzQxNB7v
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) December 14, 2021
