Hafeez, Akmal guide Pakistan to win

KARACHI – Mohammad Hafeez missed out on his maiden hundred by eight runs and Kamran Akmal scored a blistering 56 to guide Pakistan to a seven-wicket win over West Indies in the fifth and final one-day international on Saturday.

Pakistan swept to a 3-1 series win after reaching 239 for three in 46.5 overs in reply to the tourists’ score of 238 for seven. Opener Hafeez smashed 92 from 111 balls with five fours and two sixes.Shoaib Malik remained unbeaten on 34 and Abdul Razzaq seven.Shivnarine Chanderpaul had led the West Indian innings by scoring his fourth hundred in 205 one-day internationals, while skipper Brian Lara (44) crossed the 10,000-run mark in one-dayers.Although Lara became the fifth batsman – after Sachin Tendulkar, Saurav Ganguly, Sanath Jayasuriya and Inzamam-ul-Haq – to reach the milestone when he made 25 runs in his 287th game, he could not prevent Pakistan’s victory charge.”We just didn’t get necessary runs on the board.But the team must be given credit for playing good cricket in the last three and half months,” Lara said.”We have got a good team and we are trying to mould it into a winning team.”Pace bowler Rana Naved, named man of the series for his total haul of 11 wickets, restricted the tourists on the flat track by claiming 4-43 and completed a successful comeback from a groin injury.”Wicket was very good for batting and it was important to try out variations in the bowling,” Naved said.West Indies were hoping to carry on the momentum after winning the last match in Multan but were foiled when wicketkeeper Akmal exploited the powerplay overs effectively.Hafeez and Akmal put Pakistan in control with an 87-run first-wicket partnership in 17 overs.Nampa-ReutersOpener Hafeez smashed 92 from 111 balls with five fours and two sixes.Shoaib Malik remained unbeaten on 34 and Abdul Razzaq seven.Shivnarine Chanderpaul had led the West Indian innings by scoring his fourth hundred in 205 one-day internationals, while skipper Brian Lara (44) crossed the 10,000-run mark in one-dayers.Although Lara became the fifth batsman – after Sachin Tendulkar, Saurav Ganguly, Sanath Jayasuriya and Inzamam-ul-Haq – to reach the milestone when he made 25 runs in his 287th game, he could not prevent Pakistan’s victory charge.”We just didn’t get necessary runs on the board.But the team must be given credit for playing good cricket in the last three and half months,” Lara said.”We have got a good team and we are trying to mould it into a winning team.”Pace bowler Rana Naved, named man of the series for his total haul of 11 wickets, restricted the tourists on the flat track by claiming 4-43 and completed a successful comeback from a groin injury.”Wicket was very good for batting and it was important to try out variations in the bowling,” Naved said.West Indies were hoping to carry on the momentum after winning the last match in Multan but were foiled when wicketkeeper Akmal exploited the powerplay overs effectively.Hafeez and Akmal put Pakistan in control with an 87-run first-wicket partnership in 17 overs.Nampa-Reuters