CT 2017: Match 12, Who Said What: Sri Lanka vs Pakistan

The match between the two Asian cricketing giants by the names of Pakistan and Sri Lanka treated us with an enthralling contest as both sides fought it out for a place in the semi-finals. Many viewed the match as a virtual quarter-final of the tournament and it was Pakistan who held their nerves and booked their ticket to the first semifinals.

Pakistan won the toss and elected to bowl first and Sri Lankan had no answer to the three-pronged attack of Hassan Ali, Mohammad Amir, and Junaid Khan. Angelo Matthews and Niroshan Dickwella’s respective innings powered Sri Lankan score towards 236.

Pakistan almost made a meal of the chase after the brilliant start provided by Fakhar Zaman. Sarfraz Ahmed, in the end, held his nerve and took his side to victory, playing a typical captain innings, from a position of possible defeat. He was adjudged as the man of the match for the crucial 61 he made under pressure.

Sarfraz Ahmed

Man of the match, Sarfaraz Ahmed who played a typical captain’s innings couldn’t believe what happened to his side as they snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. Ahmed lauded the efforts of Mohammad Amir who played vital role in the batting as well as bowling effort

I can’t believe it. Unbelievable feeling. Thanks to Amir, he played really well. I told him to play his game and not to worry about the scoreboard. Even if we go 3-4 runs per over, if we go close to 30 runs, we will win. I think it was a tough chase. Amir was playing confidently, but I was feeling the pressure. It (drop catches) is part of the game.

Angelo Matthews

The losing captain acknowledged the see-saw nature of the match and credited Pakistan for holding their nerves and coming out triumphant in the process. He admitted that dropping the two important catches were crucial which let down the entire team’s good work.

Bit of a see-saw game. Credit to Pakistan. They held their nerves. It was bit of a funny wicket. Was stopping a bit. We thought we could bowl well and restrict them. Unfortunately we dropped a few catches. Proud of the guys, of the bowlers. The tournament was quite good. Even in the first game , we had our chance. In a big tournament like this, the boys held it well.

With this win, Pakistan becomes the last team to enter the semi-finals and would be ready to face England on 14th June.