SHARJAH – Pakistan produced a commanding all-round display to outclass Afghanistan by 39 runs in the opening match of the Tri-Nation T20I Series at Sharjah on Friday.
Led by captain Salman Ali Agha’s unbeaten 53 and a fiery spell from Haris Rauf (4-31), Pakistan proved too strong for their rivals in the series curtain-raiser. Chasing a stiff 183-run target, Afghanistan faltered against Pakistan’s pace and spin combination. Rahmanullah Gurbaz (38 off 27) gave them a flying start, and skipper Rashid Khan (39 off 16, 1 four, 5 sixes) later threatened a late comeback with an explosive cameo. But regular wickets at the other end derailed the chase.
Shaheen Shah Afridi (2-21) struck early, while M Nawaz (2-23) removed Gurbaz and Omarzai to stall momentum. Young spinner Sufiyan Muqeem (2-25) further tightened the screws. The star of the innings was Haris Rauf, who broke Afghanistan’s backbone with a lethal spell, claiming 4-31. Afghanistan were eventually bundled out for 143 in 19.5 overs, handing Pakistan a convincing 39-run win.
Earlier asked to bat first, Pakistan posted a competitive total of 182-7 in their 20 overs, riding on skipper Salman Ali Agha’s unbeaten 53 off 36 balls. Pakistan got off to a brisk start courtesy of Sahibzada Farhan, who smashed 21 off just 10 balls with a six and a four. Partner Saim Ayub could score 14 off 16. Fakhar Zaman kept the scoreboard moving with a handy 20 from 17 deliveries, including a towering six, before M Nabi trapped him in the deep to leave Pakistan at 63-3 in the eighth over. From there, it was Salman Ali Agha who anchored the innings along with Mohammad Nawaz, who blazed away to 21 off just 11 balls. Mohammad Haris chipped in with 15 off 13, but it was the late flourish from Faheem Ashraf that gave Pakistan momentum in the final overs as he smashed 14 from just 5 balls, including a six and a four.
For Afghanistan, left-arm pacer Fareed Ahmad was the pick of the bowlers despite conceding 47 runs in his four overs, finishing with 2-47. Mujeeb Ur Rahman (1-22), Rashid Khan (1-26) and Mohammad Nabi (1-18) bowled tidy spells to keep Pakistan in check on an otherwise batting-friendly surface.
Scores in Brief
PAKISTAN 182-7 (Salman Ali Agha 53*, Sahibzada Farhan 21, M Nawaz 21; Fareed Ahmad 2-47) beat AFGHANISTAN 143 all out (Rashid Khan 39, Rahmanullah Gurbaz 38; Haris Rauf 4-31, Shaheen Afridi 2-21) by 39 runs.
