well that didn't work out so well as Maqsood steers this to midwicket for one to seal an eight-wicket victory
Sri Lanka vs Pakistan, 4th ODI at Abu Dhabi, Dec 25 2013 - Ball by Ball Commentary
That is all from the presentation. Just one more game to come on December 27th. Sri Lanka will be playing for pride, while Pakistan will want to close out the series on 4-1. Till then, this is Rohan Sharma, on behalf of the scorer, Gopi, saying good night and good luck!
Misbah-ul-Haq, Pakistan captain: Really pleasing performance by the team. I think Umar Gul is setting the tone right from the start, getting wickets from the new ball, and everyone else is really bowling and batting well. Shehzad has really put in some good efforts at the top, while Hafeez is having an unforgettable series in the way he is playing and finishing games for us, along with Maqsood who is playing well. Every game is important, and we want to win the next game also. We also need to keep our players going, but the main thing is that you really want to win every game, and we will try to do that.
Mohammed Hafeez, Man of the Match: It's a great honour to achieve that for the country and equal the record of one of the great batsmen of Pakistan (3 centuries in a bilateral series, Zaheer Abbas did it in 1982 v India). There was time where I was under pressure, but thanks to the supporters, and the team for supporting me. At the start of the series there was a problem but I was able to work on it. It was something very special for the team to win this series and we want to finish the last match on a high.
Angelo Mathews, Sri Lanka captain: We didn't do very well in all departments. They played good cricket and were far better than us, so they deserved to win. The way Ashan and Vithanage batted was pleasing. They took the challenge on. The Pakistani attack is very good so they played well. We have to play for our pride in the next game, at least try and lose 3-2. We can't let it go 4-1, so we have to play our best team.
We will be back shortly for quotes from the match presentation.
Sohaib Maqsood, Pakistan batsman: It's a great feeling to play the winning shot that won the series. Credit goes to the boys with the way they batted, especially Hafeez. I have been told a lot of things especially after the rash shots I played in the last two innings. Misbah has taught me how to play and keep my wicket in the middle. I just went in there and trying to play the ball. It was not coming on as nicely for me so I had to work for it. It's a great thing for us to have won two series in a row (SA before this). We need to keep playing good cricket and see what happens.
With that single down the leg side Pakistan comfortably win this 4th ODI against Sri Lanka, and take the series 3-1 with one to play on December 27th. Credit has to go to Mohammed Hafeez, who for the third time this series went on to produce an instrumental hundred. The Pakistan bowlers did well to keep Sri Lanka to 225, with special mention going to Saeed Ajmal for his 4 for 39, and Umar Gul for setting it all up with his three early strikes. The platform was laid by Ahmed Shehzad and Hafeez for the chase, with the pair putting on 84 for the third wicket. Then Maqsood took over to take hi side home with almost nine overs to spare.
and despite playing this into the gap at covers, Hafeez still can't buy a run. I think he wants Maqsood to get to his fifty with a six
once again tries to push it past backward point, and looks for the run, but can't seem to find it with the throw returning back to the keeper
steers this one again into the waiting clutches of backward point
this time tries to guide this one past point
defended to the leg side by Hafeez
starts off with a wide down the leg side which evades the keeper as well, with the ball carrying all the way to the boundary to make it five wides. What a turnaround in emotion he must be feeling at the moment, especially after that amazing knock up front
After stroking 74 on debut, Priyanjan comes on to have a bowl, with Pakistan needing just 6 to win.... Strange decision
Azweer: "Professor averages 200+ for this series"
once again on the back foot as this time he is able to pierce the gap to get enough on it to find the extra-cover boundary
rocks on the back foot before cutting this through point, but finds the fielder
on the back foot as Hafeez works this off the pads down to deep midwicket
and with a chip to midwicket, Maqsood brings up the century partnership between these two
goes for the drive through the covers, but misses it, along with the keeper, as the ball goes all the way to the third man boundary to make it four byes
tucks this away to the leg side for one
Dilshan back into the attack
Arslan: "@Ravi.. thats almost as good as most indian bowlers :) just a joke :)"
this one is steered straight to cover to bring an end to the 39th over
this time drives on the up through extra-cover, with the ball carrying just short of Chandimal at silly mid-off
powerfully hits this down the ground. Exquisite shot that from the tall right-hander. Invokes flashes of Inzy there
sticks his bat out in an attempt to run this down to third man, but instead hits it more square off the wicket
on the back foot as Hafeez whisks this off his pads
swivels on the back foot to pull this Lakmal offering down to fine leg