Pakistan were staring at a heavy defeat in Lahore when Shadab Khan produced the innings of his one day career and carried his team into the tri-series final. The hosts were nine wickets down and still needed a large number of runs, yet Shadab refused to change his approach. He protected his partner, waited for the right deliveries, and then attacked when England offered him room.
England had earlier posted 241 all out in 46.4 overs at Gaddafi Stadium. Ben Duckett held the innings together with 105 from 111 balls, while Sam Curran added 42 from 52 balls and Gus Atkinson finished unbeaten on 36 from 28 balls. Shaheen Shah Afridi led the Pakistan bowling attack with four wickets for 46 runs and removed England’s early batters before they could settle. England slipped to 19 for three inside five overs, and their recovery depended almost entirely on Duckett and the middle order support around him.
Pakistan’s chase began badly and never found a steady rhythm in the early overs. Fakhar Zaman made 10, Saim Ayub made six, and Babar Azam made 10, which left the home side in trouble inside the first seven overs. Saad Baig gave the innings a short burst of energy with 32 from 22 balls, but his dismissal at 74 for four kept England firmly in control. Hasan Nawaz made 15, Arafat Minhas made one, and Pakistan were 103 for five when Shadab walked to the crease.
The situation became even more difficult when Salman Ali Agha, who had made 26 from 49 balls, was caught at 121 for six. Shaheen Shah Afridi and Razaullah then fell as well, and Pakistan were 154 for nine after 33.5 overs with 88 runs still required. At that stage, England needed only one more wicket, and most teams would have accepted that the match was lost. Shadab, however, treated the remaining overs as a fresh challenge and began to build a partnership with Haris Rauf at the other end.
Shadab had reached 32 before Haris arrived, and he soon moved through the gears. He reached his fifty from 49 balls and used a mix of strong drives, sweeps, and well timed pulls to keep the required rate within reach. He often declined singles late in an over so that he could face the next bowler himself, a decision that showed how much responsibility he was willing to take. Haris gave him valuable support by defending solidly and rotating the strike when the chance came, even though most of the scoring had to come from Shadab.
The most dramatic moment arrived when Shadab was given out leg before wicket. He reviewed the decision, and the replay showed a spike on UltraEdge as the ball passed the bat. The decision was overturned, and Shadab returned to the crease with a smile. He soon reached his maiden one day century from 91 balls, and the mood in the stadium changed completely. England, who had been close to celebrating, suddenly had to find a way to stop a player who was growing more confident with every over.
Shadab finished unbeaten on 113 from 96 balls, with 13 fours and five sixes. His unbroken 89 run stand with Haris set a record for the highest tenth wicket partnership in a successful one day chase, passing the previous mark of 64. Pakistan reached 243 for nine in 47.1 overs to win by one wicket and secure a place in the final on October 31. The victory also left England facing another painful defeat after a match they had controlled for long periods.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif praised the team after the win and singled out the final wicket partnership and Shadab’s century. For Pakistan, the win showed character under pressure and belief in the lower order.
