Five Tri-Series which you might have forgotten about

3 - Morocco Cup, 2002 (Pakistan, Sri Lanka, South Africa)

The Morocco Cup - 2002

A tri-series including Pakistan, South Africa, and Sri Lanka must not stand out as something extraordinary. Yet what made this series special was its venue. The series was played in Tangier, Morocco. This was the first occasion of international cricket played in North Africa.

The tournament was organized at the behest of a wealthy businessman from the United Arab Emirates named Abdul Rahman Bukhatir. The National Cricket Stadium in Morocco was specially built for the purpose of staging this tournament.

Pakistan managed to win only one out of their four matches while Sri Lanka topped the group table with three wins from their encounters. The final was played between Sri Lanka and South Africa. Jayasuriya’s run-a-ball 71 helped SL to 235/7 in the final match and their disciplined bowling consisting of Vaas and Muralitharan oversaw a 27-run victory.

Sanath Jayasuriya, with 299 runs from five matches, ended as the highest run-getter of the tournament while Pakistani captain Waqar Younis picked 11 wickets with his lethal fast bowling.