SHARJAH: Afghanistan’s spinners, led by captain Rashid Khan, restricted Pakistan to 141-8 in the final of the tri-nation T20 series at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Sunday, leaving Afghanistan with a 142-run target to lift the trophy.
Batting first after winning the toss, Pakistan suffered an early blow when opener Sahibzada Farhan was dismissed for a duck by Fazalhaq Farooqi in the opening over.
Saim Ayub and Fakhar Zaman then steadied the innings with a 49-run stand, but both fell in quick succession to Afghanistan’s spin attack.
Saim managed 17 from 19 balls before falling to Noor Ahmad, while Fakhar was removed by Rashid Khan for 27 off 26 deliveries.
Pakistan’s middle order struggled against the turning ball. Rashid struck again to remove Hasan Nawaz for 15, leaving Pakistan wobbling at 69-4 after 11 overs.
Noor Ahmad added further pressure by dismissing Mohammad Haris cheaply, while Rashid claimed his third wicket with the dismissal of Salman Ali Agha, who had contributed 24 from 27 balls.
A late partnership between Salman and Mohammad Nawaz offered some resistance, pushing Pakistan past the 100-run mark.
Nawaz added 25 off 21 balls before falling to Fazalhaq Farooqi in the final over. Brief cameos from Faheem Ashraf (15 off eight) and Shaheen Afridi, unbeaten on two, helped Pakistan reach 141 in their 20 overs.
For Afghanistan, Rashid Khan finished with figures of 3-38 from four overs, Noor Ahmad and Fazalhaq Farooqi picked up two wickets each, and AM Ghazanfar chipped in with one.
Both Pakistan and Afghanistan entered the final with six points each after the group stage, while hosts UAE were eliminated without a win.
Afghanistan will now need 142 runs to secure the tri-series title.
Pakistan Playing XI
Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan, Fakhar Zaman, Salman Ali Agha (c), Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Haris (wk), Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Abrar Ahmed, Sufiyan Muqeem.
Afghanistan Playing XI
Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Karim Janat, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan (c), Mohammad Nabi, AM Ghazanfar, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi.
