Shadab century carries Pakistan past England into final

LAHORE: Pakistan beat England by one wicket at Gaddafi Stadium on Sunday to reach the final of the tri-nation one-day series, after Shadab Khan's maiden international century pulled them out of a collapse at 154 for nine chasing 242.

Shadab, batting at number eight, was unbeaten on 113 from 96 balls with five sixes and 13 fours and was named player of the match. Haris Rauf survived 19 balls for 7 not out, and the pair added an unbroken 89 for the last wicket. Pakistan finished on 242 for nine in 47.1 overs, Haris striking the four that completed the chase off the first ball of the 47th over.

Two overs earlier the match looked lost. Umpire Rashid Riaz gave Shadab out leg before wicket to Gus Atkinson, and the batter reviewed; replays showed the ball had brushed his bat first. According to BBC Urdu, Waqar Younis said on commentary that it looked like Shadab's day.

England, put in by Shaheen Shah Afridi, were bowled out for 241 in 46.4 overs. Ben Duckett made 105 off 111 balls, and Gus Atkinson's unbeaten 36 off 28 lifted the total after England had slipped to 19 for three and 52 for four. Shaheen took four for 46 in 8.4 overs and completed 150 one-day international wickets in his 80th match; Express News reported he reached the mark in 3,966 deliveries, the second-fastest by that measure.

Express News also reported that Shadab's 113 not out was the highest individual score by a batter at number eight or lower in ODI cricket, and that the 89-run tenth-wicket stand was the largest in a successful ODI chase, beating the 64 added by Derek Murray and Andy Roberts for West Indies against Pakistan at the 1975 World Cup. The tenth-wicket partnerships in the match totalled 129, a new ODI record, the outlet said. It put Pakistan's total at 243; BBC Urdu and Aaj News reported that the 242 target was reached.

Aaj News reported that Arafat Minhas and Razaullah took two wickets each, and that Razaullah debuted after Naseem Shah and Fahim Ashraf were dropped.

"More credit goes to Haris Rauf than to me," Shadab said afterwards, according to BBC Urdu. "We were talking about things other than cricket at the crease. Haris was guiding me."

Shaheen said he had not seen such an innings in his life, BBC Urdu reported. England captain Harry Brook said his side had bowled and fielded well and praised Duckett's century, and said England hoped Pakistan would beat Sri Lanka and that they could then beat Sri Lanka by a big margin to reach the final.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, writing on X, said the last-wicket partnership had turned the game and called Shadab's century outstanding. England had earlier lost to Sri Lanka and to Pakistan in Rawalpindi. Aaj News noted that the two sides were playing a one-day international at Gaddafi Stadium after 21 years.