Pakistan rode on a fine allround performance by Hasan Mohsin to defeat Sri Lanka by 23 runs in the last league match and top Group B in the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup in Bangladesh on Wednesday.

Mohsin top-scored with 86 and then rattled Sri Lanka with two early wickets as Pakistan fought back after being dismissed for 212 to bowl their rival out for 189. Pakistan will take on the West Indies in the fourth quarter-finals in Fatullah on February 8. Sri Lanka, who finished second in the group, play England on February 7 in Mirpur.

Pakistan’s total was built around Mohsin’s attractive run-a-ball innings which was studded with eight fours and a six. Pakistan were struggling at 96-4 when Mohsin stepped in to stem the rot with a 61-run stand for the fifth wicket with Salman Fayyaz (33). Mohsin, who was on 61 at the fall of the seventh wicket, smashed 23 runs in the 47th over bowled by seamer Asitha Fernando.

Moshin was bowled in the next over, trying to reverse sweep left-arm spinner Damitha Silva, who finished with 2-41. Thilan Nimesh and Wanidu Hasaranga also claimed two wickets each, but ambidextrous 17-year-old Kamindu Mendis caught the eye with his rare talent to bowl both right-arm off-breaks and left-arm spin.

Mohsin, who was named man-of-the-match, stung early in Sri Lanka’s reply, grabbing the first two wickets by the sixth over with his medium-pace bowling. Sri Lanka was reduced to 63-4 before Mendis, who bats left-handed, scored 68 and Vishad Randika made 46 while adding 84 for the fifth wicket. Pakistan kept the pressure on the batsmen to clinch victory in the 47th over as leg-spinner Shadab Khan finished with 3-31.

Rijal is eligible to play: ICC

The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Tuesday said that following queries raised about the eligibility of Nepal captain Raju Rijal, it has looked into the matter and is satisfied that the player is eligible to play in the U-19 World Cup 2016.

“The ICC has again reviewed the documents which were submitted by the CAN before the start of the competition. These documents include copies of his passport and birth certificate as well as a signed age determination declaration,” said the statement.

The ICC said Rijal was born on September 26, 1996. “Players born on or after 1 September 1996, are eligible to participate in the U-19 World Cup 2016. As such, the ICC has no evidence to suggest that the passport and birth certificate are not genuine or that the statement provided by the player is false,” the ICC said.

The allegation was made by a Ranji Trophy cricketer Kaustub Pawar in a Facebook post recently. Pawar alleged he had played with Rijal in the U-15 Mumbai team and the players of that batch were currently aged 24 and 25. Power. (PR)