Shaheen Shah Afridi's remarkable bowling performance halted the hosts' momentum following their strong start, while half-centuries from Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan guided the visitors to chase down the target of 179 runs comfortably within the 17th over, marking Pakistan's first bilateral T20 series victory in more than 2 years.

By PakPassion Staff (14th May 2024)

Ireland Men faced a 2-1 series loss against Pakistan, who secured a six-wicket victory in the final match of their three-game T20I series at Clontarf on Tuesday.

Chasing a target of 179 runs, the formidable Pakistani duo of Babar Azam (75) and Mohammad Rizwan (56) showcased their batting prowess by forming a commanding 139-run partnership for the second wicket, steering their team to victory with 18 balls to spare.

Although Ireland suffered defeat in the series, there were significant positives to take away, notably their historic win over Pakistan in the series opener. Stand-in captain Lorcan Tucker provided a bright moment with his outstanding knock of 73 runs from just 41 deliveries after Ireland opted to bat first.

Both teams made changes at the toss, with Tucker leading Ireland in place of the rested Paul Stirling. Ross Adair and Neil Rock came in for Stirling and Gareth Delany, respectively, while Hasan Ali replaced Naseem Shah for Pakistan.

Despite Adair's promising start, hitting a massive six off Mohammad Amir, he was soon dismissed by Shaheen Shah Afridi. Tucker then joined former captain Andrew Balbirnie at the crease, and their aggressive approach propelled Ireland to 50-1 by the end of the powerplay.

Tucker continued his fine form, registering his second consecutive half-century in T20Is and guiding Ireland past the 100-run mark by the 11th over. However, his quest for a century was cut short when he was caught at long-on, concluding an innings highlighted by 13 fours and a six.

Harry Tector contributed a valuable unbeaten 30 off 20 balls towards the end of the innings as Ireland set a target of 179 for Pakistan to win the series.

In their chase, Ireland sought early breakthroughs, with Mark Adair delivering by dismissing opener Saim Ayub in the third over. Although Adair claimed two more wickets later on, Pakistan displayed their dominance to secure the series victory.

Despite offering opportunities, Pakistan's overall quality shone through as they clinched the Floki trophy with a 2-1 series win in the T20I contest.