Malik, Mushtaq excel in practice match (11 October 1998)

11 October 1998

Malik, Mushtaq excel in practice match

The Dawn

Salim Malik hit an unbeaten century (123 not out) while the right-arm leg-spinner Mushtaq Ahmad took five for 44 in the cricket match against Pakistan "A" side which was abandoned as a draw on second day at the Qadhafi Stadium on Saturday.

The Pakistan senior side had declared its first innings at 329 for five on Saturday.

Resuming its first innings at 40 for two, the Pakistan "A" team declared it at 99 for nine at the luncheon interval. The overnight not out batsman Sohail Jafar top-scored with 37 before being stumped by Moin Khan off Mushtaq Ahmad.

The diminutive Test leg-spinner finished with a haul of five wickets. Wasim Akram, Shoaib Akhtar and Arshad Khan claimed one wicket each. Aqib Javed did not bat.

Shahid Afridi was given three opportunities of batting during this match. After being bowled on Friday by Shoaib Akhtar, Afridi was sent into bat again at No 5 but was caught by Salim Malik off Mushtaq Ahmad for a duck.

Afridi was sent for the third time in which he remained not out at 40. He hit four fours and two sixes in his 63-minute stay at the crease in which he faced 53 balls.

For the unbroken fourth wicket partnership Shahid Afridi and Salim Malik added 113 runs in 63 minutes.

The most enterprising knock of the day came from Salim Malik. The experienced stroke-player hit two sixes and 16 boundaries in his 197-minute stay at the pitch in which he faced 132 balls and scored 123.

The team management has decided to resume training of the Pakistan senior side on Sunday morning.

Source :: The Dawn (www.dawn.com)