Pakistan whitewash Sri Lanka after Usman Shinwari 5 Wickets Haul

Pakistan on Monday whitewashed Sri Lanka courtesy a nine-wicket victory in the final ODI of the five-match series in Sharjah.

Pakistan were asked to chase a paltry total of 104 runs after Usman Khan Shinwari, playing just his second ODI, destroyed the Sri Lankan top-order with five wickets in his first 3.3 overs.

“The team environment is great, which helps us youngsters,” said man-of-the-match Shinwari.
Openers Fakhar Zaman (48) and Imamul Haq (45 not out) guided Pakistan with a 84-run partnership.
Fakhar was caught behind while trying a late cut off Jeffrey Vandersay just two short of his half-century.

Earlier, after opting to bat first, Sri Lanka collapsed in 26.2 overs as Thisara Perera was the only player to show any resistance with a 25-run innings.

Hasan Ali and Shadab Khan bagged two wickets apiece for Pakistan.

This was Pakistan’s first-ever ODI whitewash in the UAE and their first against Sri Lanka. However, this was the sixth time Pakistan have won a series 5-0, with the last one coming nearly a decade ago against Bangladesh in 2008.

Pakistan bagged their ninth consecutive win in ODIs, following on from their successful Champions Trophy campaign.

“You feel ecstatic when a player (Shinwari) comes from the bench and performs so well,” said Sarfraz. “I can’t praise his bowling performance enough. He ended the match in his first four overs, and then Shadab and Hasan finished the job.”

Sarfraz though urged the batsmen to up the ante. “Everything is going right for the team, but I would like our batting to improve a little,” he said. “Credit for the series victory goes to the players, the team management which supports us well, the selection committee and everyone else involved with us.”

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka became the first-ever team to be whitewashed thrice in a year, with this 5-0 loss following defeats by similar scorelines to South Africa and India.

“We all know we are not playing to the best of our capabilities,” said Sri Lanka captain Tharanga. “We are very disappointed. We couldn’t handle the pressure. Usman bowled really well. We had no answer for him. They are always trying to get a wicket. We keep repeating our mistakes. We can do much better.”

Hasan Ali was awarded the man-of-the-series award for his bowling performances. “It feels good to be called the best in the world,” he said.

The 23-year-old revealed just why he excels in unfriendly bowling conditions such as the UAE. “All I do is work on my basics — my body language and my attitude — and I have a plan for the batsmen,” he said. “Conditions are tough for bowlers in the UAE, but I try as much as I can to take wickets.”

The series was also only the fourth time that no no-balls were bowled in a five-match series