Watch: Terrific gesture! Babar Azam gifts Player of the Match award to Khushdil Shah

 By Staff Writer Updated: Jun 9, 2022, 07:17 IST
Babar Azam Khushdil Shah?width=963&height=541&resizemode=4

Babar Azam smashed his third consecutive hundred in ODIs to help Pakistan to a win over West Indies in the first international game in Multan in over 14 years, but chose to give his Player of the Match award to Khushdil Shah, whose cameo helped Pakistan over the line. The skipper was in sublime touch in the run chase of 306 and set the platform for Pakistan before he fell with the game still in the balance. 

Khushdil Shah walked out to bat at the fall of Babar Azam's wicket with Pakistan still needing 69 to win in 8.3 overs. Khushdil, whose power game has come to the fore in recent times, started off slowly, ambling along to 8 off 13 balls before firing three back-to-back sixes off Romario Shepherd to bring the equation down to 24 needed in three overs.

However, a terrific 48th over from Alzarri Joseph brought West Indies back into the game. Joseph sent back Shadab Khan and conceded just three runs in the over to make the equation tough for the hosts. With 21 needed off two overs, Khushdil once again got into the act, slamming Shepherd for 14 runs in a 15-run over. With six needed to win off the last over, Mohammad Nawaz pumped Jayden Seales for a six off the second ball in the over to win the game for Pakistan.

"The way Khushdil finished, it was great. The partnerships are important and that is what we wanted to do, to help the finishers end the game," Babar Azam said at the post-match presentation ceremony. He handed over his Player of the Match award to Khushdil Shah, who remained unbeaten on 41 off 23 balls with 4 huge sixes, each coming off Shepherd.

"My game plan was to take the game deep," Khushdil Shah said. "No matter what happened, I wanted to give my 100% to the team. [On his process]  The last two years I have been working on my power hitting. Earlier, I used to play on the leg stump, now I am working on my off stump game. In the 10-12 days camps we had, the coaches helped me improve my batting. Not just the power-hitting but also accumulating the singles and doubles.  I just wanted to hit the balls in my zone, else accumulate the ones and twos."

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