Karachi, Pakistan: Fast bowler Tabish Khan took a hat-trick, while Umar Akmal and Shahzaib Hassan hit rapid half-centuries as the Pakistan All Stars defeated an International World XI by 84 runs in a Twenty20 match on Saturday.
The exhibition match before a capacity crowd of 35,000 at the National Stadium marked the return of international cricket of a sort in Pakistan after three-and-a-half years. All major Test teams have avoided Pakistan since the deadly attack on the Sri Lanka team convoy at Lahore in March 2009.
Pakistan posted a mammoth 222 for seven, with Akmal unbeaten on 67 off 37 balls and opening batsman Hassan escaping three dropped catches to score 54 off 21 balls with six boundaries and four sixes.
Khan then clean bowled Ricardo Powell (5), Jermaine Lawson (0) and Thandi Tshabalala (0) off successive deliveries to restrict an International World XI made up of Sri Lanka, South Africa, West Indies and Afghanistan players to 138-8.
