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Dubai: UAE opening batsman Amjad Ali stunned the Sri Lankans with a quickfire 77 runs off just 79 balls in the Asia Cup.
The batsmen scored more than half his side's total of 148 runs and Sri Lankan skipper Mahela Jayawardene praised his performance.
Ali said: "It is great feeling to be praised by such a great player. He is a player from whom I have learned a lot by just watching him."
His performance even forced Jayawardene to delay the power play although the Sri Lankans eventually cruised to a 142- run victory.
The opening batsman said: "All the Sri Lankan players congratulated me. I will never forget this knock because it was a dream come true for me.
"I was born in Lahore and made my Under-19 grade one debut on the same ground."
The left-hander said he never thought he would play One-day international cricket on the ground when he left to work in UAE.
He said: "I played this knock in front of my all my relatives and childhood friends who came for the match.
"I began playing cricket only from the age of 18. My brother was Pakistan national team goalkeeper, so my first love was football. I gave up football owing to a leg fracture. I scored heavily in domestic cricket and got selected to Lahore Cricket Association Blues team. I played along with Test stars till I left for UAE."
Ali, who works for United Bank Limited, added: "I owe a lot to my bank skipper Qasi Ayoob and Wajahat Hussain for their encouragement to continue with my game in UAE."
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