England suffered defeat in their final World Cup warm-up game as Misbah-ul-Haq's unbeaten 91 guided Pakistan to victory in Sydney this morning.
Early wickets reduced Pakistan to 78-4 in their chase of 250-8, but Misbah's 133-run partnership with Umar Akmal took the game away from England.
Alex Hales was given the chance to impress at the top of the order and made 31 after the loss of Moeen Ali for four.
Another player on the fringes of the team, Gary Ballance, went slightly better as he made a patient 57, but captain Eoin Morgan's form continues to be a concern as he was dismissed for a second-ball duck.
Ravi Bopara and Jos Buttler also went cheaply and only Joe Root anchoring the innings with a sensible 89 prevented England from a complete collapse as he and Chris Jordan steered them towards their total.
Jordan blasted an unbeaten 31 off 28 deliveries, making him the only batsman to operate at better than a run a ball as England fell way short of 300 yet again, also because of spinner Yasir Shah taking 3-45 for Pakistan.
Stuart Broad and James Anderson each grabbed a wicket with the new ball before Jordan had the experienced Younis Khan caught for 19 by Ballance, who also snaffled Haris Sohail (33) off the bowling of James Tredwell.
Misbah and Akmal steadily went about the rebuilding job before moving through the gears between overs 30 and 40, with the latter hitting three sixes in a well-paced 65 that was ended when he edged Broad behind to Buttler.
Pakistan still needed 39 to win and Sohaib Maqsood quickly made 20 of those after coming together with Misbah, who kept his head to guide the side home with the aid of two Shahid Afridi fours in the penultimate over.
England begin their World Cup campaign against Australia in Melbourne on Saturday, while Pakistan face their own arch rivals India 24 hours later.
Joe Fish
