Malik slams ton as Pakistan down Windies to win series
Malik scored an unbeaten century as Pakistan defeated West Indies by six wickets to clinch a 2-1 victory in their three-match one-day international (ODI) series in Guyana on Tuesday.
Malik sealed the win in spectacular fashion, smashing a six off West Indies captain Jason Holder to wrap up victory with nearly seven overs to spare.
Malik’s 101, which included two sixes and ten boundaries, was matched by an assured 81-run knock from Mohammad Hafeez as Pakistan finished on 236 for four in reply to the home side’s 233 for nine.
“I can’t thank Hafeez enough for the way he played because he took all the pressure off me,” said Malik after collecting both the “Man of the Match” and “Man of the Series” awards.
“West Indies fought hard and credit to them but this really gives us encouragement going into the Champions Trophy.”
Hafeez completely dominated their partnership, his innings coming off 86 balls with two sixes and eight fours before a miscued sweep off Ashley Nurse found Veerasammy Permaul on the backward square-leg boundary.
Permaul proved expensive while leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo also lacked potency in helpful conditions.
‘TOP BOARD CHIEFS DISCUSSED REVENUE’
The head of the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (COA) Vinod Rai expressed confidence that BCCI has reached consensus after almost all the top cricket board chiefs came to India in the last two weeks to discuss the proposed revenue model of ICC.
While Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) chief Nazmul Hasan Papon’s visit was known but the COA chief’s information made it clear that BCCI has quietly worked about its proposal with various cricket boards.
According to Rai, heads of governing bodies of Australia, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka, West Indies and Singapore came to India to discuss the revenue model. Rai said they also met ICC chief Shashank Manohar. The only person who couldn’t make it was England and Wales Cricket Board chairman Giles Clarke.
“I am very confident as we have proposed a formula that will be acceptable to everyone. It is a win-win situation where Indian Cricket Board will not lose out on anything and every other board will benefit from the model,” said Rai.
Batting legend Sachin Tendulkar has revealed that the Mumbai Indians’ ‘Born To Win’ camp in 2010 was a driving factor behind boosting the team’s morale and understanding between the players, something that has helped the franchise produce quality cricket over the years.
“That camp had nothing to do with cricket. No cricket practice… We played badminton, table tennis, swam together, even played paintball and those kind of things. This initiative was taken by (Nita Ambani) and she said that we are a family and we need to be like a family whether we win or lose and the whole idea was that,” Tendulkar said during a talk show hosted by the franchise as part of its 10-year celebrations.
“You know that is how good teams are built and whether the senior most person; if you want to pull his leg, the junior most person should be able to do that. That was the kind of atmosphere we created in the dressing room and even at the meetings.”
Apart from Tendulkar, Harbhajan Singh and Lasith Malinga were among the cricketers present. Hailing the trio as Mumbai Indians’ three pillars, Nita Ambani, who was also present along with her son Akash, said that they were the soul, spirit and strength for the franchise.
“Ten is a very auspicious number. Ten is associated with 10 avatars, 10 commandments, 10 gurus of Sikhism, 10 card of tarot that stands for the wheel of fortune and for Indians, 10 means Sachin Tendulkar. From the beginning Sachin is an inseparable part of Mumbai Indians, for ten years, now and forever,” she added.
“I have to congratulate Nita,” said Mukesh Ambani, the chairman and managing director of Reliance Industries Limited, at the event.
“A lot of us at Reliance say that we are very proud of what Reliance has done over the years, but I think what Nita has done with both her school (Dhirubhai Ambani International School) and cricket (Mumbai Indians) has built a bigger brand