World Championship of Legends: Pakistan wins for second time

BIRMINGHAM: Pakistan Champions continued with their winning streak in the World Championship of Legends 2024 tournament with a second victory over West Indies Champions by 29 runs in Birmingham.

Opting to bat first, Pakistan set a target of 194 runs at a loss of 8 wickets. Shoaib Malik was the man of the hour, scoring half-century (54). Meanwhile, Sharjeel Khan scored 35 runs, Aamer Yamin netted 29 while not-out. Shahid Afridi managed a modest 16 before he losing steam.

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In response, West Indies Champions were unable to chase the target of almost double-century. The Caribbean team led by legend Brian Lara scrapped together only 165 runs at a loss of 9 wickets.

Dwayne Smith played really well, scoring 65 runs off 46 balls, while Jonathan Carter contributed 34 runs. However, Pakistani bowlers led by Sohail Tanvir’s four-wicket haul, Shahid Afridi’s three wickets, and two wickets from Wahab Riaz, kept the West Indies batsmen in check.

The victory marked Pakistan’s second consecutive win in the tournament, following their earlier victory against Australia. Pakistan Champions solidified their position at the top of the leaderboard with a net run rate of +0.856.

Meanwhile, in other matches of the tournament on Thursday, England Champions secured their first win by defeating South Africa Champions by 9 wickets.

After suffering a narrow defeat against England in their previous match, India now holds the third position in the points table.

Meanwhile, Australia moved up to fourth place, while West Indies and South Africa find themselves at the bottom after their respective losses.

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The World Championship of Legends is a T20 cricket tournament featuring retired international cricketers from Australia, England, India, Pakistan, South Africa, and the West Indies. It was approved by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).

Notable players include Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Malik, and Misbah-ul-Haq from Pakistan. Other cricketing legends include Brett Lee, Aaron Finch, and Chris Gayle.

The 2024 iteration includes teams such as Australia Champions, England Champions, India Champions, Pakistan Champions, South Africa Champions, and West Indies Champions. Teams compete for titles – champions, runners-up, semi-finalists, and participants in the league stage.