Fakhar Zaman smashed a blistering century as Pakistan overcame a top-order collapse to beat Sri Lanka by three wickets and win the ODI tri-series final at Gaddafi Stadium on Saturday.
Fakhar’s 127, backed by half-centuries from Saad Baig and Arafat Minhas, helped Pakistan chase down Sri Lanka’s 326-run target with three wickets to spare in 48.3 overs.
Pakistan made a disastrous start when Dilshan Madushanka dismissed Maaz Sadaqat for five and Babar Azam for a duck in successive overs, leaving the hosts at 14-2.
Fakhar and 19-year-old wicketkeeper Saad then revived the chase with a 149-run partnership for the third wicket.
Baig struck 74 off 75 balls, including 11 boundaries, before Maheesh Theekshana caught him off his own bowling in the 27th over.
Fakhar continued the recovery with Salman Ali Agha, adding 57 for the fourth wicket and reaching his 12th ODI century.
Madushanka eventually bowled Fakhar in the 34th over, ending an innings of 127 from 99 deliveries, featuring 11 fours and six sixes.
Agha made 17 before falling two overs later, leaving Pakistan at 230-5 and the final finely poised.
Hasan Nawaz and Minhas then swung the match back Pakistan’s way with a crucial 94-run partnership. Minhas was particularly aggressive, scoring 61 off 31 balls, including four sixes and three fours.
Asitha Fernando dismissed Minhas and Faheem Ashraf in the 48th over to briefly raise Sri Lankan hopes, but captain Shaheen Shah Afridi sealed the victory with a six off Madushanka in the penultimate over.
Madushanka finished with 3-63, while Fernando took two wickets. Theekshana and Dunith Wellalage claimed one each.
Earlier, Kamindu Mendis hit a maiden ODI century and in-form Pavan Rathnayake scored 77 to guide Sri Lanka to 325-8 after being asked to bat first.
Kamindu scored 131 off 128 balls and was ably supported by Rathnayake after Pakistan won the toss and sent the tourists in to bat on a slow-paced Gaddafi Stadium pitch.
The pair added 146 runs for the third wicket before Pakistan skipper Shaheen Shah Afridi dismissed Kamindu and Dasun Shanaka (17) in the space of two overs.
Kamindu and Avishka Fernando (38) helped set Sri Lanka up for a big total as they shared an opening stand of 87 inside 18 overs.
Spinner Salman Agha, who took 2-44, provided Pakistan with a double breakthrough, getting rid of Fernando and Kusal Mendis (8).
But Kamindu anchored the innings, hitting 12 fours and two sixes, improving on his previous highest ODI score of 64.
Pakistan pulled it back in the last five overs, taking three wickets for just 38 runs to stop Sri Lanka from posting a larger total.
Shaheen finished with 2-50 while Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah also took two wickets each.
