SHARJAH, United Arab Emirates: Half-centuries from Sediqullah Atal and Ibrahim Zadran powered Afghanistan to 169 for 5 in their 20 overs against Pakistan in the Tri-Nation T20I Series at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.
Opening the innings, Rahmanullah Gurbaz fell early for 8, caught by Hasan Nawaz off Saim Ayub. But Afghanistan bounced back with a powerful 89-run stand between Atal and Zadran.
Sediqullah Atal scored a brisk 64 off 45 balls, smashing 3 sixes and 3 fours. Ibrahim Zadran was equally impressive, hitting 65 off 45 with 8 boundaries and 1 six.
Pakistan pulled things back in the middle overs, largely due to Faheem Ashraf, who was the pick of the bowlers. He claimed 4 wickets for 30 runs, including the key scalps of Atal, Zadran, Azmatullah Omarzai, and Mohammad Nabi.
Despite the quick wickets, Karim Janat (8* off 5) and Rashid Khan (8* off 4) added a few valuable runs at the end, lifting Afghanistan to a strong finish.
Pakistan’s bowling performance was a mixed bag, with Faheem Ashraf emerging as the standout bowler, claiming 4 wickets for 27 runs in his 4-over spell.
Saim Ayub also impressed with the ball, taking 1 wicket for just 18 runs, boasting the best economy rate of 4.50.
However, the rest of the bowling attack struggled. Haris Rauf was the most expensive, conceding 38 runs in 3 overs at an economy of 12.66, while Mohammad Nawaz and Sufiyan Muqeem also leaked runs heavily.
Despite Shaheen Afridi keeping things relatively tight, Pakistan’s bowling unit heavily relied on Faheem and Saim to keep Afghanistan in check.
Pakistan will need 170 runs to win in Sharjah, a ground known for its tricky chasing conditions. All eyes will now be on their top order to deliver.
Afghanistan Captain Arshad Khan has won the toss and elected to bat first against Pakistan in Match 4 of the ongoing Tri-Nation Series at Sharjah Cricket Stadium, a showdown that could either seal a final berth for the men in green or throw the tournament wide open.
Pakistan, unbeaten in the tournament, are just one win away from sealing their spot in the final, while Afghanistan, riding momentum after a convincing win over UAE, are desperate to tighten their grip on the competition.
Pakistan Playing XI
Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman, Salman Ali Agha (c), Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Haris (wk), Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Sufiyan Muqeem.
Afghanistan Playing XI
Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Karim Janat, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan (c), Mohammad Nabi, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Fareed Ahmed.
