Captain Salman Ali Agha guided Pakistan to a winning start in the UAE Tri-series with a composed unbeaten 53, setting the platform for a 39-run victory over Afghanistan at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Friday night.
After Pakistan elected to bat, Salman steadied the innings when they were reduced to 83/4. His 36-ball knock, featuring three fours and three sixes, included a vital 53-run stand with Mohammad Nawaz (21 off 11 balls) for the fifth wicket that lifted Pakistan to 182/7.
I saw the first seven-eight overs, it was holding (for spinners and slower balls). I knew if I could get in, I could hit sixes against any bowler, and that’s what I did. We came here ten days early knowing there would be a lot of spin, and we are up to that challenge.
Contributions from Sahibzada Farhan (21 off 10) and Fakhar Zaman (20 off 17) gave Pakistan a brisk start, while Fareed Ahmed (2/47) was Afghanistan’s most successful bowler.
Rauf Delivers Killer Blow
Chasing 183, Afghanistan were 92/2 and seemingly in control before imploding spectacularly. They lost five wickets for just four runs in the middle overs, collapsing to 97/7. Rashid Khan (39) and Rahmanullah Gurbaz (38) top-scored, but Pakistan’s bowlers never allowed the chase to recover. Haris Rauf starred with figures of 4/31, well supported by Shaheen Shah Afridi (2/21), Nawaz (2/23) and Sufiyan Moqim (2/25) as Afghanistan were dismissed for 143 in 19.5 overs.
Salman hailed his bowlers’ collective effort: “Bowling was outstanding. Whoever came in, they bowled hard lengths. Rauf and Shaheen are among the best fast bowlers in the world, Muqeem was impressive, and the pick of the bowlers for me was Nawaz. He always bowls difficult overs—it’s not easy for a finger-spinner, and he is doing so well. I am so happy for him.”
Rashid Khan Rues Lost Momentum
Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan admitted his side lost the game in the middle phase. “I feel this is a wicket of 190-200. Anything between 170-175 we are happy to chase. But we lost too many wickets between overs 11-15, and that cost us the momentum. If we had a couple of good overs there, we could have chased it. That’s what T20s are about—once you lose momentum, it is tough to recover.”
What’s Next
Pakistan will face hosts UAE in the second match of the tri-series on Saturday, while Afghanistan take on the home side on September 1.
Brief Scores: Pakistan 182/7 in 20 overs (Salman Ali Agha 53*, Mohammad Nawaz 21, Sahibzada Farhan 21; Fareed Ahmed 2/47) beat Afghanistan 143 all out in 19.5 overs (Rashid Khan 39, Rahmanullah Gurbaz 38; Haris Rauf 4/31, Shaheen Shah Afridi 2/21, Mohammad Nawaz 2/23, Sufiyan Moqim 2/25) by 39 runs.
