SHARJAH: Young left-handed opener Saim Ayub’s sensible 49-run knock and the batters’ collective contributions helped Pakistan post a massive total of 182/7 in the third T20I against Afghanistan.
Put into bat first in the third T20I of the three-match series, led by Afghanistan 2-0, Pakistan batters put on an all-round performance to pile a commendable total on the scoreboard, with young Saim leading the way with a gritty 49-run knock.
Earlier, the green shirts were once again off to a dismal start to their innings as wicketkeeper batter Mohammad Haris (1) perished cheaply in the second over with just one run on the board.
Promoted to bat at number three, Tayyab Tahir, joined Saim in the middle and launched a counterattack on the Afghan bowlers.
The right-handed batter was looking to dominate the bowlers, having smashed two boundaries early on, but failed to stretch his knock as he fell after scoring ten off nine in the fourth over.
Abdullah Shafique, who was going through a rough patch in T20Is, came out roaring in the third and final T20I of the ongoing series as he scored a brisk 13-ball 23 before Rashid Khan castled him in the eighth over. He smashed a boundary and two sixes amid his brief knock.
T20 series between Pakistan and Afghanistan
Afghanistan won the first match by six wickets; all matches in Sharjah.
Both Pakistan and Afghanistan make two changes each to their lineups in the final T20I of the series.
Pakistan Playing XI
Shadab Khan (captain), Mohammad Haris, Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafique, Tayyab Tahir, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim, Ihsanullah, Zaman Khan
Afghanistan Playing XI
Usman Ghani, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Karim Janat, Rashid Khan (c), Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Farid Ahmad Malik.
