Afghanistan outplayed Pakistan in the fourth match of the ongoing tri-nation T20 series, securing a memorable 18-run victory in the fourth match of the tri-nation series at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.
Chasing a target of 170 runs set by Afghanistan, Pakistan’s batting line-up struggled against a disciplined bowling attack and could only manage 151 runs for the loss of nine wickets in the allotted overs.
Despite some resistance in patches, Pakistan never looked in full control of the chase as regular wickets derailed their momentum.
Batting first, Afghanistan reached 167 for 5 in their allotted overs.
The Afghan innings was powered by impressive performances from opener Ibrahim Zadran and Siddiqullah Atal, who both played crucial knocks.
Zadran top-scored with 65 runs, while Atal contributed a valuable 64, anchoring the innings and frustrating Pakistan’s bowlers with their solid partnership.
On the bowling front, Pakistan’s Faheem Ashraf delivered his career-best performance, claiming four wickets and keeping the Afghan scoring rate in check during the middle overs.
He was well supported by young all-rounder Saim Ayub, who took one wicket for just 18 runs, providing an economical spell.
Despite the early breakthroughs and disciplined bowling, Pakistan could not fully restrict Afghanistan, who managed to cross the 160-run mark, setting up what promises to be a competitive chase.
Playing Squads
Pakistan XI: Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan, Fakhar Zaman, Salman Agha (capt), Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Haris (wk), Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Sufiyan Muqeem
Afghanistan XI: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Karim Janat, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan (capt), Mohammad Nabi, AM Ghazanfar, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi