Umar Akmal trending on Twitter as Sri Lanka achieved their biggest T20 win over world number one Pakistan by 64 runs on the back of some brilliant batting and bowling in Lahore on Saturday.
Opener Danushka Gunathilaka scored a career best 57 and despite a hat-trick by teenage Pakistan Fast Bolwer Mohammad Hasnain.
Sri Lanka posted a challenging 165-5 in their 20 overs.
Fast bowlers Isuru Udana (3-11) and Nuwan Pradeep (3-21) then dismantled Pakistan for 101 in 17.4 overs to give Sri Lanka a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Pradeep had world number one T20 batsman Babar Azam in the second over to set the platform for their biggest win against Pakistan in 19 matches.
Pakistan needed a big innings from Azam who promised much with two boundaries but was caught behind off Pradeep.
After an absence of over three years,
Umar Akmal has made a comeback in T20I cricket…with a golden duck!
Playing against Sri Lanka at the Gaddafi stadium in Lahore on Saturday,
Akmal left his fans disappointed once again and they witnessed him being dismissed off the very first ball coming to the crease one wicket down.
his was the ninth time that Akmal was dismissed for naught in Twenty20 internationals—the most ducks by any Pakistani in the format.
Akmal beat former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi’s previous record of eight ducks in T20is.
Umar Akmal, who has an experience of playing 83 T20I matches, played his last T20I game against West Indies at Abu Dhabi on September 27, 2016.
The ‘bad boy’ of Pakistan cricket, who was delighted to be included in the national team for today’s T20I, had said three days ago that he would perform well in the match.
But Akmal wasn’t the only Pakistani to disappoint tonight.
Ahmed Shahzad, who also returned to the national team tonight following an absence of over a year, was dismissed for a paltry 4 runs after facing just 9 deliveries at the crease.
Shehzad was bowled out on an inside edge facing Sri Lanka’s Isuru Udana.