Afghanistan warmed up for the Asia Cup with a convincing win over Pakistan in the tri-series played at Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.
The Afghans batted first and set a target of 170 runs by making 169 runs in 5 overs. Ibrahim Zadran and Sediqullah Atal played brilliant innings of 65 runs and 64 runs.
Pakistan’s Faheem Ashraf was the pick of the bowlers with 4 wickets for 27 runs, but as a medium pacer, he was unfortunate with the other bowlers on his side.
Afghanistan, who recently reached the semi-final of the 2024 T20 World Cup, claimed the second innings and reserved their spinners for the end, who helped their side contain Pakistan at 151 runs for 9 wickets in response and won the match by 18 runs.
The spinners Hayat Ahmad, Mohammad Nabi, and captain Rashid Khan, who took 2 wickets for 20 runs, 2 wickets for 30 runs, and 2 wickets for 30 runs, respectively, bowled with tremendous wisdo, as did left arm pace bowler Fazalhaq Farooqi, who claimed 2 wickets for 21 runs.
Pakistan went from 148 to 9 for 111 in the 17th over, a staggering score reduction no other team has ever scored, including Afghanistan, who won the series.
The brilliant contrast was enhanced by Haris Rauf, who is the number 10, with his 16-ball 34, which complemented 4 sixes, and set a more challenging target for Rashid.
Before the commencement of the match, both the teams offered their prayers for the Afghan earthquake victims and observed a minute of silence out of respect.
The Board of Afghanistan Cricket, a month after a catastrophic earthquake which took the lives of more than a thousand people, declared that on September 5, they will be hosting a charity T20 game to assist the families of the earthquake victims.
Rashid also said he was confident about defending 169 on the Sharjah wicket against Pakistan who beat them by 39 runs in the first match of the series.
The star leg-spinner said, “If you bowl in the right areas and with the kind of bowling we have, it’s manageable and defendable.”
The tri-series in Sharjah is also crucial in terms of preparation for the Asia Cup which will be held in Dubai and Abu Dhabi from September 9 to 28.
With 4 points after 3 matches, Pakistan still tops the table which has Afghanistan also with 4 points from 3 matches in second place, due to the better net run rate.
Highlights
The hosts, UAE, who have lost their first two matches, will play Pakistan on Thursday, then face Afghanistan on Friday in the last match of the league.
The final will take place on September 7, also a Sunday.