In the clash with the UAE, Ali took four wickets for just 11 runs in three overs – an impressive haul.
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Wickets kept tumbling at regular intervals, and Pakistan looked dead and buried before Shahid Afridi came to the party.
England, nevertheless, managed to show off the faucets and restricted Tanvir and Anwar Ali to only three runs from the ultimate 4 balls, leaving them in need of their goal on 169-8.
“These guys who have been run out have been involved in this game -and been part of the Pakistan team – for a long time now, so they have to really put their heads together and start thinking about what is happening”. While Roy scored more points in that particular clash, Hales has the greater upside and is brilliant value to finish as the top scorer in the opening match of the series at 3/1.
England made four changes as well as a positional one – with Jos Buttler back in the team and behind the stumps Sam Billings was sent out into the outfield.
A lovely wrong’un from Adil Rashid (2-18) flummoxed Sohaib Maqsood (2) who was bowled through his defences. The final match is in Sharjah on Monday. It’s a little bit more stressful and emotional. We didn’t win as fluently as we would have liked. Staying calm is key with the nature of Twenty20 cricket and you have to give the bowlers the ownership of what they want to do and trust them. But we batted very poorly. The table is notoriously volatile, however, in a format played so infrequently between global tournaments – and Afridi is not about to dismiss the challenge posed by England.
Pakistan’s success against Zimbabwe has contributed to their recent record, one of which Afridi is proud – albeit in the knowledge more finetuning is needed ahead of the World Twenty20 in India next year.
“I had a good opportunity to win the game but I missed it”.
England skipper Eoin Morgan praised his side’s batting recovery after losing three early wickets.
Root (20) and James Vince (38) took England to 68 for two at the half-way mark.
Vince was dropped by Sohail Tanvir on 15, getting a six off that shot, and he ended up scoring 20 off four balls against Wahab Riaz and Shoaib – but he got under another sweep to become Afridi’s third victim.
Pakistan will seek to bounce back and level the T20 series against England in the second match at the Dubai International Stadium on Friday.
Buttler (33) hit a couple of sixes as 16 runs came from the 16th over for England.
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England survived a spirited rearguard effort led by Shahid Afridi to claim a narrow three-run victory over Pakistan in Dubai and complete a 2-0 series victory.
