RAWALPINDI, 20 December 2005 — Pakistan snapped the fourth One-Day International beating England in a keen finish here yesterday by 13 runs and clinched the five-match series 3-1 with the last ODI to be played here tomorrow.

England won the first match of the series in Lahore by 42 runs but failed to comeback in the series, losing the next three matches, second in Lahore, third in Karachi and the fourth ODI here on the trot.

The stars for Pakistan victory were skipper Inzamam ul-Haq with an unbeaten 81 and the mercurial Shahid Afridi, who captured three England wickets. Inzamam’s swashbuckling 81 included seven fours and a six, while Afridi accounted for the wickets of of Andrew Flintoff (40), Geraint Jones (12) and Liam Plunkett (7). The Pakistan skipper was involved in two crucial partnerships, adding 60 for the fifth wicket with Shoaib Malik (28) and 56 for the sixth wicket with Afridi (34) to lift his team from a plucky 58-4.

Interestingly, both teams struggled while batting as the Rawalpindi Cricket Ground wicket which unlike the Karachi and Lahore strips, did not help the batsmen.

Inzamam won the toss, for the first time in this series, and had no hesitation in opting to bat first. The home team made a disastrous start, the worst in this series. Openers Salman Butt and Kamran Akmal, who had given their team a good start in the earlier matches, fell cheaply as Pakistan lost first three wickets, including that of vice-captain Younis Khan at 34. First to go was Butt who was run out for 15, to be followed by Akmal (18) and Younis (nought). The first three wickets fell within span of seven balls.

As has been on many occasions in the past, it was expected that Mohammad Yousuf and Inzamam will rescue their team but Yousuf (11) was trapped lbw by paceman Kabir Ali, who replaced the unfit Stephen Harmison in this match. Pakistan’s fourth wicket fell at 58.

Malik fell to a full toss catch off Blackwell, while Afridi hit two sixes

before he became one of Liam Plunkett’s two successive wickets. Rana Naved hit a six and two boundaries before England took the last three wickets for two runs to dismiss Pakistan for 210 in 47.2 overs.

England’s start was equally shaky as opener Mathew Prior and then Andrew Strauss were dismissed on successive deliveries from paceman Rana Naved. From the other end Shoaib Akhtar stunned the visitors as he clean bowled Vikram Solanki for 6, as England were struggling at 25 for three.

Marcus Trescothick (23) and Andrew Flintoff (40) put on 45 runs but both of them enjoyed good fortune with Flintoff being dropped and a Trescothick outside edge missed by the umpire. Trescothick finally fell with the total on 70 in the 16th over playing over a ball from off-spinner Arshad Khan.

But the England tail fought valiantly to the end after being reduced to 114 for eight with Ian Blackwell (29) and Kabir Ali(39 not out) put on a fighting 50 runs for the ninth wicket.

The partnership provided a glimmer of hope but Blackwell was run out with the total on 164 in the 39th over.

Ali then combined with last man James Anderson (11) to get within striking distance of their target before Shoaib Akhtar had Anderson caught brilliantly at slip by Younis to end the match.

ICC Clear Malik, Ban Shabbir for One Year for Illegal Action

In Lodnon, Pakistan paceman Shabbir Ahmed has become the first bowler to be banned for one year because of an illegal action, the International Cricket Council said yesterday.

Shabbir was reported for the second time during the first test against England last month and an independent assessment by the University of Western Australia has confirmed he bowls with an illegal action.

“He was first reported and suspended earlier this year but returned to international cricket following remedial work on his action and a full bio-mechanical analysis that demonstrated that he had made the necessary adjustments to his bowling style,” the ICC said in a statement.

“Having been reported and assessed as bowling illegally for a second time within two years of the first period of suspension, Ahmed has received a mandatory one-year ban.” ICC Chief Executive Malcolm Speed said Shabbir’s ban was regrettable but appropriate.

“It is clear that Ahmed has the capacity to bowl with a legal action but it would seem that on occasion he has the tendency to revert to old habits,” he said in the ICC statement.

The bowling action of another Pakistan bowler, off spinner Shoaib Malik, has been passed as legal following analysis at the University of Western Australia. “Should he revert to bowling the ‘doosra’ delivery or should his action deteriorate — as with any bowler — it is possible that he could be reported again or be called,” the ICC said.

“If such a situation arose, Shoaib would be expected to undergo further independent analysis of his action.” Pakistan bowlers have faced numerous problems with their bowling actions.