WATCH: Shaheen Afridi bowls cracking delivery to dismiss Hales

MELBOURNE: Pakistan pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi made a cracking delivery to clean bowl England opener Alex Hales in the first over during the T20 World Cup 2022 final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday.

Opting to bowl first, England restricted Pakistan to a modest 137 runs in the grand finale, thanks to a sensational bowling display by Sam Curran and Adil Rashid.

On the last ball of the first over, the left-arm pacer, Shaheen, sent aggressive batter Alex Hales back to the pavilion with an in-swinging fiery delivery.

Earlier, Curran bagged three wickets for just 12 runs as England held Pakistan to 137-8.

With forecast rain staying away, England produced disciplined and economical bowling to stymie the 2009 champions who never really got going, with Shan Masood’s 38 the top score.

Curran was deadly, accounting for Mohammad Rizwan, Masood and Mohammad Nawaz.

Adil Rashid’s leg spin also proved crucial, removing the dangerous Mohammad Haris with his opening ball then getting the crucial wicket of Babar Azam to end with 2-22.

The introduction of Rashid soon after reaped an immediate reward with Haris (8) attacking him on his first ball only to sky a simple catch to Stokes.

Azam led Pakistan to 68-2 at the halfway point of the innings and then Masood began swinging the bat, hitting a four and six off Liam Livingstone.

But once again Rashid got the breakthrough, pulling off a diving catch from his own bowling to claim the vital wicket of Azam, whose 32 came off 28 balls.

Iftikhar Ahmed only lasted six balls before Masood and Shadab Khan (20) fell in the space of two runs as Curran and Chris Jordan kept the lid on any hope Pakistan had of a late flurry.