Hundreds of fans gave Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed a hero&#39;s welcome as he arrived home carrying the Champions Trophy early on Tuesday.

Men, women and children packed Karachi airport as Sarfraz returned from England, where Pakistan thrashed arch-rivals India to be crowned surprise winners.

Sarfraz held up the trophy to loud cheers and chants of &quot;Long live Sarfraz!&quot; as a police band played patriotic songs nearby.

&quot;(We won) thanks to Allah and the prayers of the whole nation,&quot; Ahmed said in brief comments as he jostled his way through the crowd of well-wishers.

Pakistan&#39;s victory by 180 runs on Sunday has sparked widespread celebrations in the country, where cricket is the number one sport.

Sarfraz was showered with bouquets and given a traditional skull cap and an &#39;ajrak&#39; shawl, which is usually presented as a mark of honour. Senior local officials also turned up to greet the captain before he was whisked away under escort by police commandos along with team-mate Rumman Raees.

Sarfraz&#39;s residential block in central Karachi was adorned with colourful lights and Pakistan flags, while fans climbed on rooftops and balconies to watch him return home.

Sarfraz held up the trophy to loud cheers and chants of 'Long live Sarfraz!' as a police band played patriotic songs nearby

Hundreds of fans gave Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed a hero's welcome as he arrived home carrying the Champions Trophy early on Tuesday. Men, women and children packed Karachi airport as Sarfraz returned from England, where Pakistan thrashed arch-rivals India to be crowned surprise winners. Sarfraz held up the trophy to loud cheers and chants of "Long live Sarfraz!" as a police band played patriotic songs nearby. "(We won) thanks to Allah and the prayers of the whole nation," Ahmed said in brief comments as he jostled his way through the crowd of well-wishers. Pakistan's victory by 180 runs on Sunday has sparked widespread celebrations in the country, where cricket is the number one sport. Sarfraz was showered with bouquets and given a traditional skull cap and an 'ajrak' shawl, which is usually presented as a mark of honour. Senior local officials also turned up to greet the captain before he was whisked away under escort by police commandos along with team-mate Rumman Raees. Sarfraz's residential block in central Karachi was adorned with colourful lights and Pakistan flags, while fans climbed on rooftops and balconies to watch him return home.

After beating India, Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed gets hero's welcome back home

Sarfraz Ahmed and Shoaib Malik strung&nbsp;a crucial fourth-wicket partnership in Cardiff to help Pakistan avoid a whitewash against England in the 5-match ODI series. 
 
Ahmed&#39;s 90 and Malik&#39;s 77 came when Pakistan, chasing England&#39;s score of 303, were reeling at 77 for the loss of three wickets. 
 
Earlier, England, who scored 444 runs in the previous match,&nbsp;looked due for another mammoth score when they reached 244 for five off 40 overs.&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 
But Hasan Ali and Mohammad Amir choked the slog overs, allowing England to score just 58 more in the last ten overs. 
 
England were at a healthy stage till the 40th over thanks to Jason Roy&#39;s 87 and Ben Stokes 75, which was incidentally his highest score in an ODI. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m really happy the team performed as it&#39;s been a tough series,&quot; said Ahmed,&nbsp;who was adjudged the man of the match.&nbsp;

A relieved Pakistan captain Azhar Ali said his team wanted to finish on a high. 
 
England skipper Eoin Morgan, meanwhile, had no qualms in tinkering with his squad, referring to the selection&nbsp;of spinner&nbsp;Liam Dawson in the squad. 
 
(WION)

Sarfraz Ahmed and Shoib Malik's record fourth-wicket partnership helped Pakistan chase 303 in Cardiff

Sarfraz Ahmed and Shoaib Malik strung a crucial fourth-wicket partnership in Cardiff to help Pakistan avoid a whitewash against England in the 5-match ODI series. Ahmed's 90 and Malik's 77 came when Pakistan, chasing England's score of 303, were reeling at 77 for the loss of three wickets. Earlier, England, who scored 444 runs in the previous match, looked due for another mammoth score when they reached 244 for five off 40 overs. But Hasan Ali and Mohammad Amir choked the slog overs, allowing England to score just 58 more in the last ten overs. England were at a healthy stage till the 40th over thanks to Jason Roy's 87 and Ben Stokes 75, which was incidentally his highest score in an ODI. "I'm really happy the team performed as it's been a tough series," said Ahmed, who was adjudged the man of the match. A relieved Pakistan captain Azhar Ali said his team wanted to finish on a high. England skipper Eoin Morgan, meanwhile, had no qualms in tinkering with his squad, referring to the selection of spinner Liam Dawson in the squad. (WION)

Pakistan wins 5th ODI against England to avoid whitewash

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