Sharjeel’s barnstorming 152 takes Pakistan to 337

Pakistan 337 for 6 (Sharjeel 152, Malik 57*, Nawaz 53, McCarthy 4-62) v IrelandLive scorecard and ball-by-ball

In the list of the fastest ODI centuries by Pakistan and you will see a familiar name: Shahid Afridi. Afridi is still the owner of the three fastest hundreds, but now there is a new man lurking behind him: Sharjeel Khan, who is now the proud owner of the fastest century by a Pakistani not named Afridi.

The tempo of Sharjeel’s innings was established in the first over of the match. Undeterred by muggy skies or the threat of seam, Sharjeel scythed his second ball, from Tim Murtagh, through the off side and then launched the over’s final delivery for a straight six.

That same impudent spirit defined the rest of his innings. Sharjeel treated Ireland’s bowlers as if he was range-hitting against local net bowlers. The shot with which he brought up his century, a sweep to leg that was misfielded, actually had a subtlety out of sync with the rest of his innings; this was an innings of unrelenting brutality, defined above all by Sharjeel’s brazen, clean hitting to the leg side, pulling imperiously and launching the ball over long on with impunity.

Ireland hope to turn Malahide into their fortress, yet here the home fans were outdone – if not in number, then certainly in noise – …

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