Ali stars as Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by 7 wickets

Led by pacer Hasan Ali's career-best 3/23, Pakistan continued their impressive run of form to beat new-look Sri Lanka by seven wickets in the first Twenty20 international on Thursday.

Sri Lanka, which lost the ODI series 5-0 with Ali claiming 14 wickets, were bowled out for 102 in 18.3 overs after Pakistan won the toss. Off-spinner Mohammad Hafeez (2/10) and left-arm fast bowler Usman Shinwari (2/20) were also among Pakistan's wicket-takers.

Shoaib Malik (42 not out) and Mohammad Hafeez (25 not out) comfortably took the home team to 103/3 with 16 balls to spare.

Pakistan lead the three-match series 1-0.

Sri Lanka had to shuffle its Twenty20 squad under new captain Thisara Perera after regular captain Upul Tharanga was among at least four cricketers who pulled out of the third T20 match at Lahore on Sunday.

But Sri Lanka's wretched batting continued after being put into bat, with eight newcomers in the side.

The top order crumbled against pace and spin before Ali recorded his best figures in Twenty20 internationals to bowl out the visitors in the 19th over.

Dilshan Munaweera was clean bowled by left-arm spinner Imad Wasim off the third delivery of the match and Danushka Gunathilaka (18) was caught behind to left-arm fast bowler Usman Shinwari.

Sadeera Samarawickrama (23) was the joint top scorer before falling to seamer Faheem Ashraf before offspinner Mohammad Hafeez bowled a double-wicket maiden over.

Mahela Udawatte, playing his first international match in eight years, was lbw off Hafeez's first ball and two balls later Dasun Shanaka was beaten in the flight and got stumped.

Ali then claimed three of the last four wickets to wrap up the innings with Shinwari returning to have Perera (6) top edge a short delivery.

Seekkuge Prasanna remained unbeaten on 23 with two sixes and his run-a-ball knock enabled Sri Lanka to cross the 100-run mark.

Pakistan had some early jitters at 18/2 when it lost opener Fakhar Zaman (6) and Babar Azam (1). But Malik dominated the spinners and seamers on a slow wicket to hit four boundaries in his 31-ball unbeaten knock as Pakistan won in 17.2 overs.

Sri Lanka

D. Gunathilaka c Ahmed b Shinwari 18

D. Munaweera b Wasim 0

S. Samarawickrama b Ashraf 23

A. Priyanjan c Malik b Shadab 12

M. Udawatte lbw b Hafeez 8

S. Pathirana c and b Hasan 4

D. Shanaka st Ahmed b Hafeez 0

S. Prasanna not out 23

T. Perera c Ahmed b Shinwari 6

I. Udana b Hasan 0

V. Sanjaya c Ashraf b Hasan 4

Extras: (lb 3, w 1) 4

Sri Lanka – (all out in 18.3 Overs) 102

Fall of wickets: 1-1 (Munaweera), 2-29 (Gunathilaka), 3-51 (Samarawickrama), 4-58 (Priyanjan), 5-66 (Udawatte), 6-66 (Shanaka), 7-68 (Pathirana), 8-85 (Perera), 9-87 (Udana), 10-102 (Sanjaya)

Pakistan Bowling: Wasim 4-0-26-1, Shinwari 4-0-20-2, Hasan 3.3-0-23-3 (1w), Ashraf 2-0-6-1, Shadab 3-0-14-1, Hafeez 2-1-10-2

Pakistan

Fakhar Zaman b Sanjaya 6

Ahmed Shehzad c Samarawickrama b Sanjaya 22

Babar Zaman st Samarawickrama b Pathirana 1

Shoaib Malik not out 42

Mohammad Hafeez not out 25

Extras: (lb1, w6) 7

Pakistan – (For three wickets in 17.3 Overs) 103

Did not bat: Sarfraz Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Hasan Ali, Shadab Khan, Faheem Ashraf, Usman Shinwari

Fall of wickets: 1-10 (Zaman), 2-18 (Azam), 3-64 (Shehzad)

Sri Lanka Bowling: Sanjaya 4-0-20-2 (1w), Munaweera 1-0-5-0, Pathirana 4-0-25-1 (5w), Udana 3-0-18-0, Prasanna 3-0-17-0, Perera 2-0-14-0, Shanaka 0.2-0-3-0