Best XI of the Independence Cup

The much-hyped series between Pakistan and World XI is done dusted with 3 T20Is played in 4 days. The hosts marked cricket’s return to their country with a win in the hard-fought series. On Friday, Pakistan defeated the World XI by 33 runs in the decider at the Gaddafi Stadium. Though, they had already won the hearts of the fans around the world with a successful organisation of the series without any hindrance

All the matches of the Independence Cup were fiercely competitive and the players from both the teams strived hard for their team. Pakistan batsmen especially feasted on the batting beauties offered in Lahore and racked up huge scores, more than 170 every time. Their bowling and fielding was below par as they struggled at times.

World XI, on the other hand, was appreciated for the fact that they arrived in the country to play cricket which no nation had done since 2009. They fought gamely in all the games and put the home team under pressure who were playing in front of their crowd for the first time in many years. Here we look at the best XI of the Independence Cup:

Ahmed Shehzad

Ahmed Shehzad was extremely consistent in all the three games for Pakistan at the top and provided the solid platform for the batsmen to come. He struggled to get going in the first two games which attracted a lot of criticism but answered all of them in the last one by playing the match-winning knock of 89 off just 55 deliveries which helped his team end on 183 after 20 overs. He finished the series as the second highest run-getter with 171 runs in 3 matches at a strike rate of 139.02 and an average of 57.

Hashim Amla

Hashim Amla is a class player and he proved his worth once again to everyone in this format. He played superbly and opened in all the matches along with Tamim Iqbal. Amla played a match-winning knock in the second T20I to keep the series alive by scoring 72* off just 55 deliveries. He looked good in the chase on Friday as well but his innings was cut short on 21. He was the top run scorer for World XI with 119 runs at an impressive strike rate of 141.66.

Babar Azam

Undoubtedly, the best player of the series was Babar Azam and deservedly was awarded the Man of the series award. The youngster contributed in every game and looked class apart. All the shots he played were technically sound and he seldom slogged. He kept one end strong always as other batsmen looked for runs. He amassed 179 runs at an average of 59.66 and strike rate of 147.93 in the series. The 22-year-old is enjoying the responsibility at first drop and is one to look out for in the future as well.

Shoaib Malik

The experience of Shoaib Malik, the most senior player of the side, came to the fore in all the games as his blitz at the end always gave Pakistan a cushion of more runs. He thumped World XI bowlers all around the park in the death overs with a series strike rate of a whopping 188. He also became the highest run-getter in T20Is for Pakistan surpassing Umar Akmal. Shoaib would like to continue his golden run of form in longer formats as well.

Thisara Perera

The second best player of the series was Thisara Perera who was poor in the first match but made amends in the remaining games with both bat and ball. His knock of 47* from 19 balls was absolutely brilliant when he bludgeoned the hapless Pakistani bowlers. He almost threatened to take the game way on Friday while chasing a mammoth 183 by scoring 32 off just 13 balls but the home team managed to dismiss him at the right time. The Sri Lankan bowled superbly in the last couple of T20Is and in total picked 6 wickets to go with 96 runs with the bat a jaw-dropping strike rate 223.25.

Imad Wasim

Another all-rounder, young Imad Wasim bowled in power play in all the games and put a lid on the scoring of the opposition. He also picked wickets at crucial junctures and also finished games for his side to boost the total right at the end. The left-hander picked only 2 wickets but his economy of 6.91 was a standout among all the bowlers who played all the 3 matches. Alike Babar Azam, he too is one to look out for Pakistan.

Sarfraz Ahmed (C) (wk)

The captain and the wicketkeeper of the side would be Sarfraz Ahmed. Ideally, both the captains could not much with the bat in any of the games but it was Sarfraz who led the side at home in a better way. Though he has to improve a lot with his tactics and has to learn to keep his cool on the field, he took decisions when it mattered. He would have loved to contribute more with the bat but such is the nature of T20 cricket.

Morne Morkel

The South African pacer Morne Morkel played in all the three games and was the only pace bowler who threatened to take wickets for World XI. He opened the bowling for them and also bowled at the death and was partially successful in controlling the batsmen. He could pick only 1 wicket but was miserly conceding runs only at 7.83 runs per over.

Sohail Khan

Sohail Khan was the best bowler for his team in the series though he took part only in 2 games. He made the lasting impact in the first game by picking key wickets and returned with the best figures of 2/28. He was erratic and was taken for runs in the next game by Thisara Perera and hence was dropped for the decider. Pakistan needs to give more opportunity to him to showcase his talent.

Imran Tahir

The Proteas leggie was once again impressive and tried his level best to keep the batsmen in check. At times, he was wayward but was accurate which helped him scalp a couple of wickets. He conceded runs at 8.9 runs per over in the series but was a go-to bowler for his skipper Faf Du Plessis. Tahir would have loved to pick more wickets but was taken for runs in the final T20I on Friday.

Rumman Raees

The left arm pacer was superb with his variations at the death and most importantly played all the three matches of the series. He was the most economical bowler for Pakistan and also played a key role in the first match by picking 2 wickets in a single over which killed the chase effectively. He also returned with the figures of 1/20 in the decider in which he also bowled a maiden. The series has been a beneficiary one for a youngster and needs to give a long rope at the highest level to sustain.