ISLAMABAD: As Pakistan lost to England 4-3 in the finale at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium on Sunday, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Ramiz Raja hailed the Green Shirts, saying the team fought till the last ball of the game.
Appreciating the Pakistan team’s unity and combination, Raja, in a video message, said that the team has won 80% of its matches in the last 12 months.
“Fans have taken ownership of this team,” the PCB chairman said, adding that stadiums were full during the clashes against England even on working days.
He also regretted the inconvenience fans faced due to the high security.
A day earlier, a sublime fifty from Dawid Malan and three wickets for Chris Woakes guided England to a thumping 67-run win over Pakistan in the seventh Twenty20 in Lahore as they clinched the series 4-3 in a major boost ahead of the World Cup.
Chasing 210, Pakistan suffered a double blow when captain Babar Azam (4) and Mohammad Rizwan (1) departed in quick succession as England's pace attack made early inroads and reduced the hosts to 33-3 under the lights at Gaddafi Stadium.
Shan Masood put up some resistance with a fighting 56 but England, led by Woakes (3-26), kept chipping away with regular wickets. David Willey returned figures of 2-22 while Reece Topley, Adil Rashid and Sam Curran picked up a wicket each.
Mohammad Wasim (0-61) and Shadab Khan (0-39) bore the brunt of their assault as Malan and Brook made the most of Pakistan's sloppiness in the field, with Babar guilty of offering reprieves to both batsmen.
England continue their preparations for the World Cup with a three-match series against Australia starting next Sunday, while Pakistan face Bangladesh and New Zealand in a tri-series from Friday. The World Cup in Australia gets underway on October 16.
Additional input from AFP