Qasim Akram makes history as Pakistan take fifth place at Under-19 World Cup
Captain becomes first player in 45 years of Youth ODIs to hit a century and take a five-for in the same game
ESPNcricinfo staff
04-Feb-2022
Qasim Akram will now join the Babar Azam-led Karachi Kings in the PSL • ICC via Getty Images
Pakistan 365 for 3 (Qasim 135*, Haseebullah 136) beat Sri Lanka 127 (Qasim 5-37) by 238 runs
Riding on captain Qasim Akram's all-round heroics, Pakistan thrashed Sri Lanka by 238 runs to win fifth place at the Under-19 World Cup. The 19-year old became the first player in the 45-year history of Youth ODIs to hit a century and pick up a five-wicket haul in the same game
Pakistan posted a massive 365 for 3, courtesy Qasim's 80-ball 135, opener Haseebullah Khan's 151-ball 136 and Muhammad Shehzad's 69-ball 73.
Coming in at No. 3, the captain shared a 229-run stand with Haseebullah after the 134-run opening stand was broken by Raveen de Silva.
With his offspin, Qasim (5 for 37) broke through the Sri Lanka line-up to leave them reeling at 41 for 5 and they never recovered. Sri Lanka were eventually bowled out for 127 with No. 9 Vinuja Ranpul top-scoring with an unbeaten 53 off 58 balls.
Qasim's talent is well known in Pakistan circles. The teenager generated a lot of interest among not one but two champion teams at the PSL. Islamabad United had him on their wish list but in the end, he went to Karachi Kings, where he will be joining the senior national captain Babar Azam.
Brevis ton powers SA to win
South Africa 298 for 8 (Brevis 132, Meherob 2-48, Musfik 2-52, Mondol 2-62) beat Bangladesh 293 for 8 (Ariful 102, Maphaka 3-55) by 2 wickets
In the other match of the day, Dewald Brevis continued his fine form to help South Africa chase down Bangladesh's 293 for 8 with two wickets in hand in the seventh-place Playoff in Coolidge.
With a tally of 506 in six matches, Brevis now holds the record for most runs scored in an Under-19 World Cup, overtaking India's Shikhar Dhawan. His 130-ball 138 was instrumental in South Africa pulling off the second-highest chase in Youth World Cup history. The innings consisted of 11 fours and seven sixes. South Africa still needed a little help from somewhere else to get across the line and that came from Matthew Boast as he hit 41 off 22 to seal a narrow win.
Meanwhile, batting first, Ariful Islam notched up his second straight ton for Bangladesh, scoring an almost run-a-ball 102 to propel Bangladesh to a competitive total. As was the case in their last match too, Ariful's ton went in vain. For South Africa, left-arm pacer Kwena Maphaka took 3 for 55 while left-arm spinner Liam Alder took 2 for 46.