LAHORE: Sri Lanka all-rounder Thisara Perera hit a towering six off the penultimate ball to steer the World XI to a thrilling seven-wicket win over Pakistan in the second Twenty20 Wednesday.

Perera made a whirlwind 19-ball 47 not out with five sixes, while Hashim Amla finished not out 72 off 55 balls to help the World XI overhaul a 175-run target and level the three-match series 1-1 before a packed Gaddafi stadium in Lahore.

That left the series intriguingly placed with the final match on Friday, also in Lahore.

Highlights of second innings:

Pakistan had registered a 20-run win in Tuesday’s first match, which marked the return of international cricket to Pakistan.

A wonderful match-winning 47 from 19 nets @PereraThisara the Player of the Match award in the second #PAKvWXI T20I! pic.twitter.com/Rprknl9GPf

— ICC (@ICC) September 13, 2017

Left-hander Perera went on a rampage as the visitors needed 33 off the last two overs, smashing two sixes off the 19th over bowled by Sohail Khan before sealing the match in the last over.

Amla, who scored his seventh international Twenty20 half-century, was the steadier of the two, with two sixes and five fours as he helped Perera add 69 runs for the fourth wicket off just 35 balls.

That partnership lifted the World XI after they lost Tamim Iqbal (23), Tim Paine (10) and skipper Faf du Plessis (20).

“It was a very happy day,” said Perera. “Hash (Amla) told me to stay till the last moment because we can catch up. I listened to him and we did really well.

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It’s a habit for me to be in the situation like this. This is a dream come true for me playing in this World XI. Thanks to Pakistan’s fans for coming out in good numbers.”

Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed gave credit to the visitors.

“World XI deserves the credit,” said Ahmed. “Amla and Perera kept it till late and did it. Our bowlers are young and this is an occasion for them to learn how to bowl in such situations.

“We were also a little sloppy in the field. The score was good enough but if the execution was better in defending, we would have pulled it off.”

Pakistan had scored 174-6 in their 20 overs.

Babar Azam (45), Ahmed Shehzad (43) and Shoaib Malik (39) had good starts but none of them went on to score big, as Pakistan found it tough going on a slow and low pitch after winning the toss.

Opener Fakhar Zaman fell for 21 in the fifth over before Shehzad and Azam steadied the innings with a 59-run stand for the second wicket.

Malik hit two sixes in the last over before holing out off the last delivery of the innings.

During his 23-ball knock Malik became the leading run scorer for Pakistan in Twenty20 international cricket, overhauling Umar Akmal’s aggregate of 1,690 runs in 88 matches by two runs.

He now has 1,692 in 88 matches.

Perera (2-23) and West Indian spinner Badree (2-31) were the main wicket takers for the visitors.

Well done #WorldXl to level the series. #TeamPakistan will have to bounce back in final to win the cup! #CricketComesHome #worldXIvsPak

— Shoaib Akhtar (@shoaib100mph) September 13, 2017

@PereraThisara and @amlahash 💪💪👏👏
Brilliant game to watch again #PAKvsWorldXI

— Atiq-uz-Zaman (@Atiq160Test) September 13, 2017

The beauty of #T20 @amlahash anchoring the innings with @PereraThisara playing the enforcer superbly well, #WorldXI striking back! #PAKvWXI

— Tom Moody (@TomMoodyCricket) September 13, 2017

Congratulations #WorldXI
Wonderfully played @amlahash and a great allround performance by Parera. Hard luck #teampak
Decider still remains.

— Junaid khan 83 (@JunaidkhanREAL) September 13, 2017

Well played world 11 👍,What an exciting finish by @PereraThisara & @amlahash well fought by team Pakistan 👍,never mind & come hard on Friday

— Mohammad Hafeez (@MHafeez22) September 13, 2017

Mohammad Nawaz and Usman Khan Shinwari  replaced Hasan Ali and Faheem Ashraf respectively. Hasan Ali is suffering from back injury.

Samuel Badree and Paul Collingwood come in for Darren Sammy and Grant Elliott in World XI.

 

 

Shoaib Malik becomes Pakistan’s top T20I run scorer as they reach 174/6 in the 2nd #PAKvWXI T20I in Lahore.https://t.co/9z61ZYmxUt pic.twitter.com/R0dI9pzHAv

— ICC (@ICC) September 13, 2017

The home side won the first match against star-studded World XI team yesterday with local boy Babar Azam hitting a rapid 52-ball 86 to drive Pakistan to a good score of 197-5.

After eight years of isolation, Pakistan cricket team is playing against star-studded World XI team featuring international players before home crowd at Gaddafi Stadium.

A three-match Twenty20 (T20) series, titled Independence Cup, being viewed as beginning of the revival of international cricket in Pakistan.

A 13-member World XI squad led by South Africa’s Faf du Plessis, featuring five players from South Africa, three from Australia, two cricketers from West Indies and one each from New Zealand, England, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

The Twenty20 matches series has been accorded international status by the International Cricket Council (ICC).

And here’s today World XI, with Samuel Badree and Paul Collingwood coming in for Darren Sammy and Grant Elliott #PAKvWXI pic.twitter.com/1yCtJeJMdD

— ICC (@ICC) September 13, 2017

Pakistan, suffered a huge setback after March 2009 terrorist attack on visiting Sri Lankan team in Lahore that left seven players and staff members injured apart of killing of eight other people in the incident. The incident effectively closed the visits of international cricket and other sports teams in the country.

LIVE UPDATES

World XI: 175/3

OVER 19: Rumman Raees (1-2-1-2-1-6)

Hashim Amla  72 (55)

Thisara Perera: 47 (19)

OVER 19: Sohail Khan (6-2-1-2-2-6-1)

Hashim Amla  69 (53)

Thisara Perera: 37 (16)

SIX! 18.5 Sohail Khan to Thisara Perera
Watch the match at https://t.co/ssrhnqqgQA#CricketKiHalalala #PAKvWXI pic.twitter.com/foRSvojrAS

— PCB Official (@TheRealPCB) September 13, 2017

SIX! 18.1 Sohail Khan to Thisara Perera
Watch the match at https://t.co/ssrhnqqgQA#CricketKiHalalala #PAKvWXI pic.twitter.com/5JVBaDClZO

— PCB Official (@TheRealPCB) September 13, 2017

OVER 18: Rumman Raees (0-1-6-1-0-0)

Hashim Amla  69 (53)

Thisara Perera: 18 (10)

SIX! 17.3 Raees to Thisara Perera
Watch the match at https://t.co/ssrhnqqgQA#CricketKiHalalala #PAKvWXI pic.twitter.com/3beZpd7uvx

— PCB Official (@TheRealPCB) September 13, 2017

OVER 17: Sohail Khan (0-1-1-6-1-1)

Hashim Amla  68 (49)

Thisara Perera: 11 (8)

SIX! 16.4 Sohail Khan to Thisara Perera
Watch the match at https://t.co/ssrhnqqgQA#CricketKiHalalala #PAKvWXI pic.twitter.com/Hax01sakij

— PCB Official (@TheRealPCB) September 13, 2017

OVER 16: Rumman Raees (2-1-1-4-0-4)

Hashim Amla  66 (47)

Thisara Perera: 4 (4)

OVER 15: Shadab Khan (1-1-1-1-1-1)

Hashim Amla  55 (42)

Thisara Perera: 3 (3)

OVER 14: Mohammad Nawaz (1-1-1-1-6-wk)

Hashim Amla  52 (39)

Faf du Plessis 20 (14)

OUT! 13.6 Mohammad Nawaz to du Plessis
Watch the match at https://t.co/ssrhnqqgQA#CricketKiHalalala #PAKvWXI pic.twitter.com/6oXMdtyDBF

— PCB Official (@TheRealPCB) September 13, 2017

SIX! 13.5 Mohammad Nawaz to du Plessis
Watch the match at https://t.co/ssrhnqqgQA#CricketKiHalalala #PAKvWXI pic.twitter.com/WrpH6akvRN

— PCB Official (@TheRealPCB) September 13, 2017

OVER 13: Shadab Khan (1-0-1-6-1-1)

Hashim Amla  49 (36)

Faf du Plessis 13 (11)

Not just a usual evening at Gaddafi Stadium #PAKvWXI #CricketKiHalaLala pic.twitter.com/I3xWi3BHm2

— PCB Official (@TheRealPCB) September 13, 2017

OVER 12: Mohammad Nawaz (1-0-1-0-6-0)

Hashim Amla  47 (33)

Faf du Plessis 5 (8)

SIX! 11.5 Mohammad Nawaz to Amla
Watch the match at https://t.co/ssrhnqqgQA#CricketKiHalalala #PAKvWXI pic.twitter.com/PhoK2nnXpr

— PCB Official (@TheRealPCB) September 13, 2017

All evenly poised at the half way stage. Can the World XI pull this one off? #PAKvWXI #CricketKiHalalala pic.twitter.com/tYk3A61RB6

— PCB Official (@TheRealPCB) September 13, 2017

OVER 11: Shadab Khan (1-1-1-1-1-1)

Hashim Amla  40 (29)

Faf du Plessis 4 (6)

OVER 10: Imad Wasim (1-wk-0-0-1-0)

Hashim Amla  37 (26)

Faf du Plessis 1 (3)

Tim Paine: 10 (12)

OUT! 9.2 Imad Wasim to Paine
Watch the match at https://t.co/ssrhnqqgQA#CricketKiHalalala #PAKvWXI pic.twitter.com/QhWKu6OVjQ

— PCB Official (@TheRealPCB) September 13, 2017

OVER 9: Shadab Khan (1-6-1-1-1-0)

Hashim Amla  36 (24)

Tim Paine: 10 (11)

SIX! 8.2 Shadab Khan to Amla
Watch the match at https://t.co/ssrhnqqgQA#CricketKiHalalala #PAKvWXI pic.twitter.com/PO5ZKu9poQ

— PCB Official (@TheRealPCB) September 13, 2017

OVER 8: Imad Wasim (1-0-1-0-1-1)

Hashim Amla  28 (21)

Tim Paine: 8 (8)

OVER 7: Mohammad Nawaz (1-1-0-1-4-0-)

Hashim Amla  26 (18)

Tim Paine: 6 (5)

OVER 6: Sohail Khan (2-1-wk-1-1-0)

Tamim Iqbal 23 (19)

Hashim Amla  24 (15)

Tim Paine: 1 (2)

OUT! 5.3 Sohail Khan to Tamim
Watch the match at https://t.co/ssrhnqqgQA#CricketKiHalalala #PAKvWXI pic.twitter.com/qb30ZBiHTl

— PCB Official (@TheRealPCB) September 13, 2017

OVER 5: Rumman Raees (1-0-0-1-1-0)

Tamim Iqbal 23 (18)

Hashim Amla  20 (12)

#CricketComesHome 😍
One step at a time 🇵🇰#PAKvWorldXI #PakistanZindabad pic.twitter.com/nu5EwLO4la

— Sana Mir (@mir_sana05) September 13, 2017

OVER 4- Usman Shinwari (1-1-4-0-4-1)

Tamim Iqbal 22 (14)

Hashim Amla  18 (9)

WORLD XI 30-0

OVER 3: Imad Wasim (6-4-0-2-0-4)

Tamim Iqbal  21 (12)
Hashim Amla 9 (6)

SIX! 2.1 Imad Wasim to Tamim
Watch the match at https://t.co/ssrhnqqgQA#CricketKiHalalala #PAKvWXI pic.twitter.com/mMK9hjP59S

— PCB Official (@TheRealPCB) September 13, 2017

WORLD XI 14-0

OVER 2: Sohail Khan (2-0-1-1-1-4)

Tamim Iqbal  5 (6)
Hashim Amla 4 (4)

WORLD XI 5-0

OVER 1: Imad Wasim (0-1-1-1-0-2)

Tamim Iqbal  2 (3)
Hashim Amla 3   (3)

 

World XI openers in the middle to bat.

Pakistan: 174/6

OVER 20: Ben Cutting (6-2-1-1-6-wk)

Shoaib Malik: 39 (23)

Mohammad Nawaz: 1 (1)

OUT! 19.6 Cutting to Shoaib Malik
Watch the match at https://t.co/ssrhnqqgQA#CricketKiHalalala #PAKvWXI pic.twitter.com/YF5lC3iboF

— PCB Official (@TheRealPCB) September 13, 2017

OVER 19: Thisara Perera (1-2-1-1-wk-1-wk)

Shoaib Malik: 22 (16)

Sarfraz Ahmed: 0 (1)

Imad Wasim: 15 (11)

OUT! 18.4 Thisara Perera to Imad Wasim
Watch the match at https://t.co/ssrhnqqgQA#CricketKiHalalala #PAKvWXI pic.twitter.com/0OGpUX5c90

— PCB Official (@TheRealPCB) September 13, 2017

OUT! 18.6 Thisara Perera to Sarfraz
Watch the match at https://t.co/ssrhnqqgQA#CricketKiHalalala #PAKvWXI pic.twitter.com/STfELpVbLv

— PCB Official (@TheRealPCB) September 13, 2017

OVER 18: Morne Morkel (1-4-2-4-0-1-1)

Shoaib Malik: 22 (16)

Imad Wasim: 12 (7)

OVER 17: Samuel Badree (1-wk-1-1-1-0)

Shoaib Malik: 21 (15)

Imad Wasim: 1 (2)

Babar Azam: 45 (38)

OUT! 16.2 Badree to Babar Azam
Watch the match at https://t.co/ssrhnqqgQA#CricketKiHalalala #PAKvWXI pic.twitter.com/FBV0kbYHCf

— PCB Official (@TheRealPCB) September 13, 2017

OVER 16: Imran Tahir (1-0-6-0-4-1-1)

Babar Azam: 45 (37)

Shoaib Malik: 18 (12)

SIX! 15.3 Tahir to Shoaib Malik
Watch the match at https://t.co/ssrhnqqgQA#CricketKiHalalala #PAKvWXI pic.twitter.com/7CdDjOBDpX

— PCB Official (@TheRealPCB) September 13, 2017

OVER 15: Samuel Badree (1-1-1-1-1-1)

Babar Azam: 44 (36)

Shoaib Malik: 7 (7)

OVER 14: Ben Cutting (1-4-1-1-1-1)

Babar Azam: 41 (33)

Shoaib Malik: 4 (4)

OVER 13: Imran Tahir (1-wk-0-4-1-1)

Babar Azam: 35 (30)

Shoaib Malik: 1 (1)

Ahmed Shehzad: 43 (34)

OVER 12: Ben Cutting (2-1-1-0-1-1-6)

Babar Azam: 29 (26)

Ahmed Shehzad: 43 (33)

SIX! 11.6 Cutting to Ahmed Shehzad
Watch the match at https://t.co/ssrhnqqgQA#CricketKiHalalala #PAKvWXI pic.twitter.com/C3g7l1AP8m

— PCB Official (@TheRealPCB) September 13, 2017

OVER 11: Imran Tahir (1-1-4-1-1-1)

Babar Azam: 25 (22)

Ahmed Shehzad: 36 (31)

OVER 10: Thisara Perera (1-1-4-1-1-1)

Babar Azam: 18 (18)

Ahmed Shehzad: 34 (29)

OVER 9: Paul Collingwood (1-1-4-2-1-1-4)

Babar Azam: 11 (14)

Ahmed Shehzad: 32 (27)

Pakistan lets do it once again. #PakistanZindabad 🇵🇰 #CricketComesHome #CricektKiHalalala

— Kainat Imtiaz (@kainatimtiaz16) September 13, 2017

OVER 8: Thisara Perera  (2-1-0-4-0-1)

Babar Azam: 9 (12)

Ahmed Shehzad: 21 (23)

OVER 7: Paul Collingwood  (1-1-0-0-1-1)

Babar Azam: 4 (8)

Ahmed Shehzad: 18 (21)

OVER 6: Morne Morkel (0-0-1-0-0-0)

Babar Azam: 2 (4)

Ahmed Shehzad: 16 (19)

OVER 5: Samuel Badree (1-4-0-1-0-wk-1)

Babar Azam: 1 (1)

Fakhar Zaman: 21 (13)

Ahmed Shehzad: 16 (16)

OVER 4: Morne Morkel (1-1-1-1-0-1-0)

Fakhar Zaman: 21 (11)

Ahmed Shehzad: 11 (13)

OVER 3: Samuel Badree (1-4-1-0-4-4)

The spirits are high between the two teams, a great sight indeed!#CricketKiHalalala #PAKvWXI

— PCB Official (@TheRealPCB) September 13, 2017

Fakhar Zaman: 19 (8)

Ahmed Shehzad: 10 (10)

OVER 2: Ben Cutting (1-1-4-0-4-4)

Fakhar Zaman: 14 (6)

Ahmed Shehzad: 1 (6)

OVER 1: Morne Morkel (1-1-0-0-0-0-0)

Fakhar Zaman: 1 (1)

Ahmed Shehzad: 0 (5)