ICC U19 World Cup: Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by 238 runs to secure fifth place

• Srilankan team won the toss and decided to field first.
• Opener Mohammad Shahzad smashed 73 runs off just 69 deliveries.
• Captain Qasim Akram was also declared the man of the match.

Pakistan's men’s under-19 cricket team thrashed the Sri Lankan side in the ICC U19 World Cup 2022 by a heavy margin of 238 runs and secured the fifth position on Thursday at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, North Sound, Antigua.

The Sri Lankan team won the toss and decided to field first, but could not perform up to the mark as the Pakistan side set a huge target of 366 runs with only three wickets down.

Opener Mohammad Shahzad smashed 73 runs off just 69 deliveries, while Haseebullah Khan also took Sri Lankan bowlers to the cleaners with his outstanding century and scored 136.

Qasim Akram played a captain's knock and scored 135 runs off 80 balls with the help of 13 fours and 6 sixes and remained not out.

On the other hand, Sri Lankan batters could not score more than a mere total of 127, and the half team of the opponent side went back to the pavilion with just a total of 41 runs.

Despite the top order's early collapse, captain Dunith Wellalage struggled to score 40 runs while tail-ender Vinuja Ranpul did his best and scored 53 runs in the hope of winning.

Eight players from the Sri Lankan side were unable to cross a figure of more than five runs as Pakistani bowlers tightened the screw and all the opponents were bowled out for 127 runs.

Captain Qasim Akram first played a magical inning with the bat, then showed his class with the ball as he took a five-wicket haul.

Avais Ali, Zeeshan Zameer, Mehran Mumtaz, and Abbas Ali took one wicket each.

The National Under-19 team skipper, Qasim Akram, was also declared the man of the match.