Pakistan vs. England: Winners and Losers from T20I Series
England completed a surprising clean sweep over Pakistan at Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, by edging the third and final Twenty20 International courtesy of a low-scoring super over.
With the 2016 ICC World Twenty20 just a few months away, both sides will have seen this series as a useful litmus test in assessing their lineups.
But which players excelled and increased their stature and value to the team? And which players will be nervously awaiting the next selection meeting?
Read on to discover the three individual winners and the three individual losers from this enjoyable (for England anyway) T20I series.
Winner: Liam Plunkett
1 of 6
Matches: 2
Wickets: 6
Economy rate: 6.75
It has been a strange few days for Liam Plunkett, who has gone from almost playing in England's final Test against Pakistan to being dropped from the squad that will tour South Africa in December.
On the plus side, after weeks of carrying the drinks, the fast bowler grabbed his chance in the T20 side with a pair of triple-wicket hauls contributing to the two wins at Dubai.
The way Plunkett unsettled the Pakistan batsmen with his aggression and pace should keep him at the forefront of the selectors' minds ahead of the World Cup in March.
Loser: Umar Akmal
2 of 6
Matches: 3
Runs: 26
Strike rate: 92.85
Umar Akmal has made 191 international appearances prior to this series, but he will want to forget his last three caps in a hurry.
The normally silky strokemaker could only muster scores of 19, three and four and also struggled to get the ball off the square during Pakistan's embarrassing Super Over in Sharjah that yielded just three runs.
Hopefully, for Akmal's sake, he can recover from this loss of form as soon as possible as his country will need his boundary-hitting ability and experience in India.
Winner: Shahid Afridi
3 of 6
Matches: 3
Runs: 53
Strike rate: 176.66
Wickets: 5
Economy rate: 5.58
He might not have played a definitive innings in the series, but Shahid Afridi showed he remains one of the world's most effective limited-overs performers.
As well as being the joint-top wicket-taker for his team, no player from either side could match the Pakistan skipper in terms of economy rate, batting strike rate and number of sixes scored across the series.
Considering the overall result, Afridi has plenty of work to do with his team if they are to be considered potential winners in India, but no game is finished until the charismatic all-rounder is back in the pavilion.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Loser: Alex Hales
4 of 6
Matches: 2
Runs: 19
Strike rate: 95.00
After scoring his first ODI century against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi, the powerful opener ended his UAE tour on a meek low note in the T20 series.
Two low-key innings, where he managed just eight and 11 at less than a run a ball, culminated in the 26-year-old sitting out the final game at Sharjah.
Hopefully the "rest" will do Hales good ahead of England's highly anticipated tour of South Africa, where the Nottinghamshire man seems set to open the batting with Alastair Cook.
Winner: James Vince
5 of 6
Matches: 3
Runs: 125
Strike rate: 119.04
Narrowly edging out the likes of Sam Billings, Chris Woakes and Adil Rashid to claim the last winner's award is James Vince, who scored 50 more runs than any other batsmen in the series.
The Hampshire ace has long been touted as a future England star, and judging by his first three international innings of 41, 38 and 46, the shotmaker could be here to stay.
What was most impressive was the way Vince steadied the ship in response to the loss of early wickets, suggesting he has a wise head on his young, 24-year-old shoulders.
Loser: Wahab Riaz
6 of 6
Matches: 2
Wickets: 2
Economy rate: 9.62
While Wahab Riaz proved to be a handful for England during the recent Test series, it has been a different story for the 30-year-old in the T20 leg of the tour.
The fiery left-armer took some heavy punishment from Eoin Morgan's resurgent side, conceding 77 runs from his eight overs in Dubai and finding himself rested in Sharjah.
Considering his heavy workload of late, a drop-off in performance isn't a huge surprise, but with Pakistan not having another game scheduled until mid-January, Riaz has plenty of time to recuperate.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
