COLOMBO: Some precise bowling from Sri Lanka helped them usher a woeful Pakistan out of the World Twenty20 tournament as the greenshirts could only post 123 for seven in their semi-final match.
Pakistan, who started off slow and steady, trying to keep wickets in hand were left ruing their conservative approach as they sought to score a23 runs off the final six balls.
Sri Lanka will now face either Australia or West Indies in the final on Sunday.
Earlier, Sri Lanka wasted a sound start as Pakistan restricted the hosts to 139-4 in the World Twent20 semi-final in Colombo on Thursday. The score though ultimately proved beyond Pakistan's reach.
Some 35,000 fans at the Premadasa stadium watched Sri Lanka struggle to force the pace after Mahela Jayawardene elected to take first strike on a sluggish pitch that hampered stroke-making.
Sri Lanka plodded to 123-4 in 19 overs when Thisara Perera smashed three boundaries in the final over bowled by seamer Umar Gul which realised 16 runs.
Openers Jayawardene and Tillakaratne Dilshan put on 63 in 10 overs, a slow start by Twenty20 standards but crucial nevertheless for Sri Lanka still had all their wickets in hand.
Jayawardene liberally employed the reverse sweep during his knock of 42 off 36 balls, but was caught at fine-leg while attempting the same shot off leg-spinner Shahid Afridi.
Kumar Sangakkara made a promising 18 from 11 balls when he was snapped up on the long-on fence as he tried to hit Pakistan captain Mohammad Hafeez out of the ground.
Gul was unlucky to see the TV umpire declare a no-ball after he had Jeevan Mendis given out leg-before in the 18th over.
But Gul removed Dilshan two balls later with another leg-before decision that made Sri Lanka 117-3.
Dilshan was unusually subdued during his innings, taking 43 balls to score 35 with the help of three boundaries.
Australia and the West Indies will clash in the second semi-final on Friday. The final is scheduled for Sunday.
Sri Lanka team
DPMD Jayawardene*, TM Dilshan, KC Sangakkara†, AD Mathews, BMAJ Mendis, HDRL Thirimanne, NLTC Perera, KMDN Kulasekara, SL Malinga, HMRKB Herath, BAW Mendis
Pakistan team
Mohammad Hafeez*, Imran Nazir, Nasir Jamshed, Kamran Akmal†, Shoaib Malik, Umar Akmal, Shahid Afridi, Umar Gul, Sohail Tanvir, Saeed Ajmal, Raza Hasan
COMMENTS (93)
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@GrimmJow: You forgot India's famous (equally notorious) 0-8 test defeats?
@Moe cool down bro. You know it's all meaningless.
I think, this is what green shirts can do. this is their capacity. Plan is their but no execution. its a dilama for pakistan in every area.
Very well said pakistani fans,if pakistan team goes for a world cup tournament just to reach semis and then loose in semis without aiming for a world cup then good luck,you do one thing every year you reach semis and then loose semis and then enjoy we r the best but once again you are identified and remembered as 0-8 vs India ha ha ha like it or not.
@What the.........?: and you can't beat India but India did........
I am Afridi. I am Imran. I am Wasim. I am Waqar. I am the Final at Melbourne. I am the Final at Lord's. I am Asian Champion. I am the Last Ball at Sharjah. I am the Inventor of the Doosra. I am inventor of the Reverse Swing. I am the Sultan of Swing. When they wouldn't let me play at home, I drifted wherever I could. I am the Cornered Tiger. I am the Fastest Ball. I am the Quickest Hundred. I am the Biggest Six. I am the Shattered Stumps. I am the Aggression. I am the Passion. I am the Nightmare between wickets. I am the 100 miles/hr Rawalpindi Express. I am the Boom Boom. I am the Bang Bang. I am the Professor. I am the Fauji. I am the Unpredictable. I am the 175 Million Hearts. I AM CRICKET PAKISTAN !
Shireen, What is this 'big-hearts' business about? If you say that Pakistan played better than India to reach the semi-finals-that may be acceptable, but what is this 'big-hearts' business about? Sohail Tanveer is on record for a golden quote about the 'mentality of Hindus' after the first season of his IPL stint. Quote- http://www.cricketnetwork.co.uk/boards/read/s119.htm?118,11218472
Then ,after the 2011 World Cup-This is what Shahid Afridi said-
http://www.24cricket.com/shahid-afridi-comments/3612/
Sohail Tanveer is in International Cricket for 5 years maybe but Lala? Lala has been playing International cricket for 15 years? Kam-s-kam unko toh soch ke muh kholna chahiye tha? Was he,[ the Pakistan Captain for the WC] just being stupid and immature or is this what all/most pakistanis think about India? Is THIS what having a 'big-heart' is about?
Pakistan played well but Lanka played better
@Shireen who writes "let Indians comment against us entire world knows we are better than them and our hearts are bigger than them.. "
You mean, Pakistanis suffer from Cardiomiopathy?
good.
Indian trolls: get over it; you couldnt even make it to the semi-finals. PAKISTAN DID!
Surely some of the players seemed to have been bought midway through Pakistani batting. There is no way any team could lose with so many wickets in hand. May Allah show forgiveness for the genuine players and punishment for the cheats.
Well done Pakistan team. Hafeez and selectors picked the wrong team or use the wrong combination. They needed a bat in the middle which was not there in the whole tournament. Tanvir played well in the final and should have been given extra over instead of saeed who lankans play welll tanvir they don't.Razaq could have been the difference instead of Malik. Malik and Kamran and Afridi has consistency failed to bat when it has mattered. When Nasir and Nazir are out team loses. You can't win matches without having a bat side that can score 150 runs which Pakistan is now. I think time to clean house and bring the youngsters Like Junaid, Hammad and Shahzad, Asad etc. to the t20 team. I think we didn't play malik and Kamran we would have been there all the way. Asad and Razaq would have made the difference. Razaq could have gotten us the 17 runs needed to win this game. Congratulation nonetheless someone had to lose ...you fought hard till the end that is all we ask for...win lose or draw...you can't predict.
I am happy that better team won the game. SL deserves to win!
come back mere sheron next time inshaallah we will beat India and set the record right. let Indians comment against us entire world knows we are better than them and our hearts are bigger than them..
Afridi bats pakistan out of the contest. I think he had contact with PCB that he will play only 5 balls
Pakistan played to a plan against Aussies but they just panicked against Sri Lanka.
Thank you sri lanka.You made my day.Now win the trophy as well.Once again We will enjoy IPL all together keeping believer aside.
Team Pakistan 2007- Final 2009- Winner 2010- Semi Final 2012- Semi Final But couldn’t beat INDIA ever !!!!!!
2nd Version:
INDIA:
Been RANK 1 ODI Team Been RANK 1 Test Team Has won 20-20 World CUP Has won 50-50 World CUP (twice) Beaten Pakistan every single time in WC matches
Is there anything left?
Pakistan has only 1 batsman - Umar Akmal . Rest are just boundary hitters. So its was wrong to expect a worldcup win. Still South Africa, India and SriLanka are better teams.
Happy for Pakistan team to enjoy the islamic republic away from Buddhist Dhimmis.
@sam: Least v make happy to our NEGHIBOR that they WIN against Finalist nd semi finlist team.
Well played Afridi! The great part was that when 17 runs were to be made on last ball and Gul and Akmal walked down to the middle of crease to decide strategy for this ball. I would love to hear what they talked. I hope they were not dicussing the possibility of bowler bowling 3 no balls by the grace of God.
BOOM BOOM................Ha ha
@Jat:
Stop pretending your team can afford plane tickets- keep rowing you should make it to Bombay in 2 weeks!
So Allah is NOT with us.
@Balram: Because Australians were smart, there was nothing for them to achieve by wasting energy.They were already 2.0 and were in the playoff. They want to conserve energy for the next series.
As long as we have sifarshi cartel of administrators in our departments, we will not progress in anything.
Team Pakistan
2007- Final 2009- Winner 2010- Semi Final 2012- Semi Final
But couldn't beat INDIA ever !!!!!!
@Omar: Dude It about winning the event . Please don't empathize your self by counting all these stuff . Yeah I believe in this T20 Pakistan was the strongest team and they kicked out only because they can't handle pressure while chasing . Pakistan rarely won while chasing . WC Cup 2011 lost to India in semis ( High Pressure game ) and here again lost to Lanka while chasing .
Condolences to Pakistanis for the loss. Better luck next time.
On this very day, 15 years back 'Boom Boom' scored the fastest century against Sri Lanka, and tonight......LOL!!!!!!
For every Indian world cup final was over when India beat Pakistan in the super 8 round and this semifinal was a dead rubber and India won this world cup by beating Pakistan. Hurrayyyy India!!!!!!!
Strange but it does not hurt as much at the moment. Pak played well and we must go with younger kids going forward. Afridi, Shoaib Malik and Kamran Akmal should go and retire. Junaid should learn some more as he can't hit in one game and get out quickly in the nxt game.
Oh God ! Another lose while chasing . Come on Pakistan in fact this time I was Praying for Pakistani Team . They had everything …Great Bowling Attack ( Spin) . Great Middle order with Umar And Malik . Great death bowler ( Gul ) . Good calm captain . Then why Pakistanis missed the plot again while Chasing ? I think they can’t handle the pressure cooker situation . Some people are saying Sahid Afridi is bad cricketer but I think they don’t know to respect great players and what they had done in past . Afridi had a X-factor but now hes struggling that don’t mean hes not a great player . . Disappointed Cricket Fan from India
Team Pakistan 2007- Final 2009- Winner 2010- Semi Final 2012- Semi Final
MUCH BETTER THAN INDIA!!
I think abdu Razaq is better then afredi he should give chance . Afredi get retirement
Yes yes, we played badly. And Indians have their freedom to express their glee :p
Well played PAK- still the only team in the world that has made it to the semi-finals of the T-20 WC EVERY TIME- and lifted the trophy in 2009! The nation is proud of you! Pakistan Zindabad!
Hafiz, Afridi, and Gul walk into a bar...... To watch the WC Final!! HeHe!!
Its not about a winning or losing. Its about the effort, and Team Pakistan died trying. We love you. Thank you for an amazing two weeks. Well done Team Srilanka. you deserve to win the world cup in your home ground!
Team Pakistan
2007- Final 2009- Winner 2010- Semi Final 2012- Semi Final
You makes us Proud Pak Team we love you Pakistan Zindabad
Sri Lanka won ....... Pakistan gone. What a show. I am loving it.
Tiny island nation with little resources beat giant nuclear power with big resources. Shame. Tome for Afridi to be going, going, gone. Many undiscovered young players in Pakistan
fixed
hey...come on...be fair...we need our voice to be heard too...freedom of speech!!
Great match... Sri lanka won the match and hafeez won the heart... From india
Bad luck Pakistan and well played Sri Lanka. Good luck in the final with bringing the cup back to South Asia!
Before the Indian trolls comment, Pakistan got further than India ONLY TEAM TO GET TO 4 SEMIFINALS, OF WHICH 2 WERE FINALS!!
LOVE PAKISTAN TEAM PAKISTAN ZINDABAD
No comments yet??? :)
We LOST the SEMI FINAL because of our CAPTIN.MR.HAFEEZ play FOR PAKISTAN not for FRIENDSHIP.
Boom Boom HaHaHaHa!!
I had given advise to block the seats in flight from Colombo to Pakistan on Sunday after India SA game. Not sure whether this has been done. But overall it was very good game today and better side won. All the best to Sri Lanka for T20 worldcup!!!!
Pak got totally watsted in Sahid Afridi.. why is he still with the team
2007- Final 2009- Winner 2010- Semi Final 2012- Semi Final
You makes us Proud Pak Team we love you :* :) ♥
It's disaster with batting again. you cannot win cup with couple of good bowers. So T20 worldcup dream come to an end. I hope no big mouths when the team reaches back to Pakistan but really concentrates on core issues without any reference to match against India or India leaving early before semi final.
Don't be sad guys - there will always be the next (life)time.
Pakistan has been kicked out by Srilanka...... I enjoyed the todays game
Happy boat riding to home Pakistan team!! the luck dried out, finally. Love you SL now thrash Australia as well.
Star of the match.....................Buss.....Buss.....Afridi
pakistan won the return ticket!!!!!!!!! fireworks in India already!! woooohoooooooooooooooooooooo :D
update the story this century?
thanks umer gul........last over your bowling we got 15 runs..........gave us victory.....
That is what happens when you take too much pleasure when other team loses, not to mention by some other team & NOT by you!
Allah is not with Pakistan!
Sri Lanka won!!! I am happy for Sri Lankans. It's the time for them to lift cup this time...
Tiny island nation with little resources beat giant nuclear power with big resources. Shame
Well done Sri Lanka, back you to win it now, Pak did well to get here. Nasir Jamshed..why do you even exist.
Umar gul, you know you messed up that last over. Still, our CLUB batsmen capitulated.
Afridi, just retire now
Lack of intelligence and captaincy... everyone and their mother said to take afridi out... but we played him... this isnt a winning team, just a pure lack of drive... there wasnt anything in the batting that was impressed - we got so high just because of the mis-fielding from SL - if they caugt all the catches we wouldn't even have made 100. Embarrassed!
Congratulation Sril Lanka... Bad luck Pakistan
Match thrown by Pakistan... no way they could lose from this position
Sri Lanka will win.
Pakistan 91/6 now. Looks to be difficult task unless Umar Gul repeats his previous knock. Afridi was in a real hurry to go back to eat his ice-cream which he left half eaten before coming to bat .
Pakistan will reach the finals - Sri Lanka batted poorly.
Sri Lanka made a not dissimilar 138-6 in the final of the 2009 tournament against Pakistan at Lord's. Pakistan won by eight wickets with eight balls to spare.
Really today here Pakistan stop Srilanka to cross 150 marks Now Pakistan will win
FIXED MATCH!!!
Dilshan has taken money to bring the run rate down.
If SL score 150 ...Pakistan gone..