DUBAI: A 170 run opening partnership between Kevin Pietersen and captain Alastair Cook ensured that England would take home the One Day Internationals trophy from a tour where they were whitewashed in the Tests series.
Pietersen made 111, while Cook fell on 80 as England made 226 for the loss of one wicket in 38 overs.
Earlier, Shahid Afridi and Umar Akmal hit soild half-centuries to help Pakistan to a challenging 222 in the third day-night international against England at Dubai Stadium here on Saturday.
Afridi hit a 55-ball 51 while Umar scored a 92-ball 50 during their 79-run sixth wicket stand which lifted Pakistan from a precarious 97-5 after Misbahul Haq won his first toss in the four-match series and chose to bat.
But Pakistan, trailing 2-0 after losing the first two matches in Abu Dhabi, initially failed to improve their fortunes as they lost Azhar Ali (five), Mohammad Hafeez (29) and Misbah (one) in the space of just two runs.
Two of these wickets went to paceman Stuart Broad, who finished with 3-42, while the impressive Steven Finn added one to his early breakthrough of Imran Farhat (nine) in this pacemen domination period.
Finn - who took four wickets apiece in the first two matches after sitting out the test series - finished with 3-24 off ten overs.
Afridi and Umar repaired the innings, with Afridi hitting three boundaries and a six.
Broad returned for his second spell to dismiss Umar, caught by Samit Patel after hitting just one boundary.
Afridi followed four runs later when he failed to connect properly with a big drive off paceman James Anderson who finished with 2-52.
Pakistan were forced to leave out experienced batsman Younis Khan who was suffering from a fever. Left-arm spinner Andul Rehman was also left out from Wednesday's line-up and Asad Shafiq and Adnan Akmal were brought in.
England remained unchanged from the second match.
Shafiq (18) also added 46 for the fifth wicket with Umar before he was run out. Umar Gul made 27 not out to give some late momentum to the innings.
COMMENTS (26)
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@The Flying Object: Yes Sir please check out the record, you will not find any discrepancy. No body is likely to break his record of maximum failures. And Sir we do not need Afridi's bowling. We have other specialist bowlers. We want his batting. If he cannot deliver with the bat he must be made to retired. High time we stopped hero worship. He must deliver with the bat. We have other very good spinners and all-rounders.
Cricket has been reduced to 'noora kushti' by the ICC. Same model followed by WWE. But the ICC model lacks entertainment. ICC should hire someone from the WWE and be done with it!
@Syed Shah
I agree to bring back M. Yousuf, he is no doubt one of the greatest batsmen ever.
But for your comment on Afridi, u should know that he is a bowler not a batsman. He has done wonders with both bat and ball most of the time. Your ratio 290/336 is totally biased my friend. Get ur facts straight...
Please don't be fooled by Umar Akmal and Afridi's 50s yesterday. They played for themselves and not the team, if they were playing for the team then they would have been more responsible and converted their 50s to 70s and 80s, got Pakistan to a respectable 260+ score on this pitch.
I don't understand why Pakistan fans don't protest the inclusion or players like Farhat in the team! We have openers who have failed again and again but we let them play, that's the reason we have the worst batting line-up and have been failing for the last 15 + years. There is nothing special about Hafeez if he cannot convert the 20s and 30s into 50s and 100s, he is probably the most overated player in the team. Our ballers like Umar Gul etc can never take pressure, I saw the no-balls yesterday from Gul and remmembered his balling in the world cup semi-final, it's pathetic!
yes india is still afraid of pak ;)
It is not the captaincy but “nothing can happen to me attitude. Drop repeatedly favored (political clouts) non-performers, induce young and fearless blood.
This is absolute truth that pride has a fall.When Allah Almighty gives us victory then we have to be more and more thankful and grateful to Allah Almighty instead of giving proudly statements.Because when Pakistan won test series then Zaka Ashraf said that India is afraid of playing with Pakistan and Indian team must has to learn the lesson from Pakistan cricket team.Being a muslim we don't have to forget this truth that victory is by Allah Almighty's blessings and proudly statements on that victory is from satan (devil) and Allah Almighty always loves and likes gratefulness and thankfulness and Allah Almighty gives more and more victories to those who always under any circumstances are thankful and grateful to Allah Almighty.
Misbah should start batting and score runs, thats what he can do. And stop recruiting guys like. Azhar Ali for ODIs, Isnt Yunus and himself enough to gulp 30 overs
There seems a protest against expulsion of Mohsin Khan. Nobody seems interested in playing for Pakistan. I think Misbah's inclusion of Shoaib Malik back fired with some players.
Fittay moo! Bad show!
Lets face it guys we don't have any world class players, which is the main reason for such poor showing. In the current team, apart from Aridi and Ajmal, I can't see any other player even getting into Bangladesh's playing 11. We have a diabolical set players. Players like Hafeez, Misbah, Azhar Ali, Shoaib Malik are a disgrace to one day cricket, with a pathetic strike rates even against mediocre teams. The sooner they quit one day cricket the better for the world of cricket. The only way we can become a formidable force again is if we start producing world class players again. But it concerns me that no world class talent is coming through the ranks. The last one that I can remember was Mohammed Amir, and we all know what happened to him. Gone are the days when we would produce fast bowlers and naturally gifted players at will. Now the fast bolwers that come through the ranks are all medium pacers and bring shame to our proud history of fast bowling which saw greats like Imran, Wasim, Waqar etc. Gul is more like a rickshaw bowling at 80mph and Aizaz should retire soon. I don't understand for the life of me why he made his debut at the age of 30. We don't need debutants at 30. Get some young blood in. But then I suppose I can't see anyone talented coming through the ranks. The only solution is to reform the structure of domestic cricket which will hopefully start producing world class players again. But thats unlikely to happen under corrupt governments. For that, we'll have to wait for Imran Khan to come into power. Until then we'll continue to be a laughing stock in world cricket.
I am a big Afridi fan but he is too emotional to be a captain and him being a captain has more negatives than positives...Among the players we have, Misbah is the right option...We don't have good fast bowling and that is the real problem....
Atleast now they should realise how brittle our batting and ineffective or non-existent pace attack is. For God's sake, keep your egos aside and bring back Shoaib Akhtar for Pace bowling, treat him with respect which he deserves, he is the only genuine pace bowler we have. And bring back M.Yousuf one of the greatest batsmen ever. Both have at least 3 years of cricketing life in them. Avail of it. Otherwise keep loosing. And don't be fooled by Afridis 50 today based on which he is likely to play another 50 matches, blocking a batsman position and will keep failing. He already holds the world record of maximum failures. Played 336 failed in 290. Think creatively for the team.
Here you go Misbah, here is your winning eleven - please someone get rid of Imran Farhat or his father-in-law Team should be as follows:
Hafeez (5/6 overs) - if 20-30 runs were given the same importance as 100 centuries, you would probably beat Tendulkar to your 100th 20 odd runs before the great tendulkar reaches his 100th century! Asad Shafiq - waiting to see a century frpm this kid! immensely talented batsman Umar Akmal - this guys needs to come up the order - wasting him at #6! Younis Khan - y.khan we like your batting more than your smile so please show your true class consistently Misbah - bring on junaid and hammad. Need to use your bowlers more effectively.Left / right opening bowling combo may trouble england's opening pair. Hammad Azam (4/5 overs) Afridi (10 overs) - bat sensibly like you did today. No one wants to se how hit you can hit the ball if it ends up well within the boundary and in an englishman's hand! A.Akmal - if i had your LAST name then I would seriously think of quitting the wicket keeping role. Work on your batting...evidently thats where you guys click. Umar Gul (10 overs) - consistency is missing. And please concentrate on line and length Junaid Khan (10 overs) - deserves a chance Ajmal (10 overs) - well done. Keep it up.
and now its pakistan's turn
All series is fixed :p
It had nothing to do with Misbahs defensive approach....only. 2 bats men worked and that only made 50s...bowlers were under pressure from start....nothing Misbah could have done mate...may be batting order...
Misbah should be replaced by Afridi. His defensive approach is excellent for Tests but it does not seem to fit in ODIs. Afridi is always looking to attack and with Misbah as Captain even Umar Akmal is playing 'Tuk Tuk'. Who supports my call for Afridi???
Ah well, every dog has its day ;) good show, English team!
as for our own team, well guys, Break a leg!
NOW INDIA SHOULD NOT AGREE TO PLAY PAKISTAN OTHERWISE ZAKA ASHRAF WILL SAY THEY EXPLOITED OUR WEAK FORM. GOD BLESS US.
Stop listening to witless supporters and change the gutless captain for one dayers PCB!
Too little too late and of no significance. Even after batting first the same result! Let us question the top batting order and the bowlers not bowling out the top Englishmen.
why Imran farhat is favoured in team if he fails to show his form!! wake up Coach it is already too late now..
Seems like the whole test and ODI series is fixed...I heard a rumor at the start of the series that Pak will win 3-0 tests and lose ODIs 3-1....everything seems to be following the trend....and mind you this is not players fixing....this is ICC level fixing to keep game interesting and avoid giving one team too much of advantage....just like Eng thrashed India in England 4-0 in tests and then India clean swept Eng 5-0 in ODI in India....similarly AUS gave 4-0 to Ind and now they are losing to India in tri series.......this is not cricket by chance....this is cricket by design of ICC.... nothing to take away from Eng or Pak...but in UAE conditions Pak spinners should be unplayable and all Eng can achieve here in reality is something like 1 draw or 1 win in tests and 1 win in ODIs at the most....so it is not England winning in ODI it is Pak made to lose...otherwise Zulqarnain or Amer/Asif scenario will creep up... believe me those episodes were only there due to the fact that thos eplayers went against designed results (* zulqarnain winning 4th ODI against SA which was to be lost by Pak and Amer Asif winning test against Eng, which was to be lost........)
Umar akmal today forgot he's playing one day cricket