Pakistan become number one ODI team after clean sweep over Afghanistan

Pakistan defeated Afghanistan by 59 runs on Saturday to complete a clean sweep and also secure top spot in the ICC ODI rankings.  

Chasing a target of 269 runs, Afghanistan were dismissed for 209 runs in 48.4 overs.

Leg-spinner Shadab Khan was the pick of the Pakistan bowlers with figures of 3-42 in 10 overs.

Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf and Shaheen Afridi claimed two wickets each.

It was a sorry batting display by Afghanistan as the highest scorer in their innings was tailender Mujeeb Ur Rahman, who scored a career-best 64 runs in 37 balls. His explosive knock, which was only able to delay the inevitable, included five fours and as many maximums. 

Shahidullah scored 37 runs, meanwhile Riaz Hassan scored 34 runs. 

Earlier, Pakistan had set a target of 269 runs after winning the toss and deciding to bat first in the third and final ODI of the series against Afghanistan in Colombo, Sri Lanka. 

Pakistan finished at 268-8 in 50 overs after Mohammad Rizwan (67) and Babar Azam (60) scored fifties.  

Azam and Rizwan added 110 runs in 145 balls for the third wicket.  

Meanwhile, Mohammad Nawaz (30 off 25) and Agha Salman (38 not out in 31) provided impetus at the backend of the innings with 61 runs in 47 balls for the seventh wicket.  

Gulbadin Naib and Fareed Ahmad claimed two wickets each for Afghanistan. 

Pakistan made four changes for the match as Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf and Mohammad Wasim Jr replaced Usama Mir, Iftikhar Ahmed, Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf. 

Two changes were made by Afghanistan as Gulbadin Naib and Fareed Ahmad replaced Abdul Rahman and Ikram Alikhil.

Pakistan won the first ODI by a massive margin of 142 runs. However, the second match went down to the wire and it was Naseem Shah who helped Pakistan register victory by just one wicket. 

Lineups:

Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Gulbadin Naib, Riaz Hassan, Shahidullah Kamal, Mohammad Nabi, Fareed Ahmad Malik, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi

Pakistan: Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Saud Shakeel, Agha Salman, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Wasim Jr

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