Excellent, inspired leg-spin bowling from the obvious "Man of the
Match", Mushtaq Ahmed, who finished with 4-22, including three
wickets in one over, enabled Pakistan to beat the West Indies in
the third and deciding one-day international final by 4 wickets;
Pakistan thus clinching the series 2-1.
Having won the toss, the West Indies progressed cautiously but
steadily to 61-0, with openers Sherwin Campbell and Philo Wallace
in control. Once Campbell was dismissed by medium pacer Abdur
Razzaq for 26, and Philo Wallace was dismissed by Mushtaq for 30,
the West Indies middle order crumbled.
In the 23rd over, with the score on 71, Mushtaq removed Wavell
Hinds for 7, Chris Gayle and Ricardo Powell, both without
scoring. He had considerable help later from off-spinner Saqlain
Mushtaq and speedster Shoaib Akhtar, who had two wickets each. The
West Indies never recovered and succumbed for a dismal 114 all
out in 33.2 overs.
When they batted, Pakistan did have some very anxious moments as
fast bowler Reon King, with 4-25, and captain Jimmy Adams, with
two wickets, tried to keep their team in the game. In the end,
the task was just too much for the West Indies and with the
injured Inzamam-ul-Haq, the "Man of the Series", surviving well
to be 39 not out at the end, Pakistan got to their target with
4.5 overs to spare.
The three Test series between these two teams begins in Guyana in
two weeks time.