Shaheen Shah Afridi delivered a decisive and controversial spell as Pakistan beat Sri Lanka to clinch the tri-series title on Friday. The turning point came in the 19th over when a call from the third umpire sparked visible frustration in the Pakistani camp. With Sri Lanka in trouble, Dasun Shanaka missed a slower delivery towards short third, where Fakhar Zaman completed what appeared to be a clean catch. Although the on-field decision was overturned, the third official overturned it after ruling that the ball had hit the turf on landing. The turnaround left Pakistan visibly stunned, with Fakhar and Shaheen expressing disbelief as the decision not to go out was confirmed.
On the next ball, Shaheen hit back. He bowled Shanaka with another slower delivery, sending leg stump crashing. Shaheen then turned to the referee with his arms raised, a call that was also a pointed response to the previous decision. Fakhar also gestured towards the television umpire as Pakistan channeled their frustration into celebration.Watch the tense moment and celebration here Shaheen struck again two balls later, removing Maheesh Theekshana for 1, caught by Usman Khan on a top edge as he attempted a fine scoop. The quick double hit helped Sri Lanka collapse to 114 in 19.1 overs.Watch the sequence of events unfold here Pakistan’s pursuit was measured and controlled. Babar Azam sealed the result in the 18th over with a boundary off Dushmantha Chameera, cutting a delivery short and wide towards backward point. Pakistan finished at 118 for 4 in 18.4 overs to claim a comfortable victory and secure the title. Shaheen’s two-ball intervention, which came immediately after the overthrow catch, became the defining moment of a match that Pakistan controlled throughout.
