STATS CORNER – Kumar Sangakkara scored the highest number of runs while Shahid Afridi claimed the highest number of wickets in the just concluded five match series between Pakistan and Sri Lanka in the UAE which former win 4-1. The Sri Lankan batsman scored 191 runs at an average of 38.20 and a strike rate of 61.41 with two fifties in five innings of as many matches. He hit 18 fours in this series.
Umar Akmal took the number one position for Pakistan. The right hand middle order batsman, scored 161 runs at 53.66 and a strike rate of 92.52 with two fifties in four innings of five matches. He hit 17 fours and one six in four innings. Shahid Afridi took the first spot among the bowlers. The Pakistani off-break bowler claimed 13 wickets at an average of 15.30 and an economy rate of 4.07 in five matches.
Lasith Malinga and Dilhara Fernando were the most successful bowler for the Islanders. The two bowlers claimed seven wickets each at an average of 27.71 and 31.57 respectively in five matches each. No batsman on either side scored century in this series but 15 fifties were scored, eight from Pakistan and seven from Sri Lanka. Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Umar Akmal and Imran Farhat scored two half centuries each. Two bowlers, both from Pakistan side, claimed a four-wicket haul in this series. Shahid Afridi took five wickets for 35 runs at Sharjah while Sohail Tanvir claimed four wickets for 34 runs at Abu Dhabi. It was only third time when Pakistan have won four matches in a limited overs international seires against Sri Lanka. Their previous 4-1 wins came in Pakistan in 1991-92 and in Sri Lanka in 1994.
TOP SIX BATSMEN IN THE SERIES
Batsman M IN O Runs AVG HS S/R 100 50
Kumar Sangakkara (SL) 5 5 – 191 38.20 78 62.41 – 2
Umar Akmal (Pakistan) 5 4 1 161 53.66 91 92.52 – 2
Younus Khan (Pakistan) 5 5 1 150 37.50 56* 80.64 – 1
Mahela Jayawardene (SL) 4 4 – 146 36.50 55 64.31 – 2
Imran Farhat (Pak) 4 4 – 133 33.25 70 76.43 – 2
M Hafeez (Pak) 5 5 – 133 26.60 83 70.37 – 1
TOP SIX BOWLERS IN SERIES
Bowler M Overs Runs Wkts AVG R/O 4WI Best
Shahid Afridi (Pak) 5 48.5 199 13 15.30 4.07 1 5-35
Saeed Ajmal (Pak) 5 45 179 11 16.27 3.97 – 3-42
Lasith Malinga (SL) 5 42.3 194 7 27.71 4.56 – 3-36
Dilhara Fernando (SL) 5 44.1 221 7 31.57 5.00 – 3-26
Mohd Hafeez (Pak) 5 43 127 5 25.40 2.95 – 2-24
Jeevan Mendis (SL) 4 28 134 5 26.80 4.78 – 3-36
