131/9 (19.2)
CR : 6.78
129/6 (20.0)
CR : 6.45
Pakistan won by 1 wicket 🏆
Player of the Match
Shadab Khan
1/2736(26)
19.2
6
F Farooqi to N Shah
SIX!!!!! Naseem finishes off in the style and Pakistan makes it into the finals of the Asia cup, they have knocked India and Afghanistan out of the tournament!!! Full toss again, really poor bowling from Farooqi, Naseem stays back in the crease and smokes it over the long-off fence the ball sails high up in the air and goes over the ropes for six runs!!!
Naseem Shah, you beauty! Wins the game with the bat. 2 sixes in 2 balls wins the game for Pakistan and takes them into the final. Heartbreak for the Men from Afghanistan.
PAK won by 1 wicket
We have had a thriller of a game here in Sharjah and Naseem Shah has done it for Pakistan with the bat as he hits the two full tosses out of the ground to give Pakistan a 1-wicket win with 4 balls to spare to take them into the finals along with Sri Lanka. Afghanistan and India have now been officially eliminated from the tournament.
Chasing a below-par score of 130 for the win, Pakistan lost Babar Azam for a golden duck and then Fakhar Zaman to a run-out for 5 runs. Mohammad Rizwan scored 20 while Iftikhar Ahmed contributed 30. Shadab Khan was crucial with his 36 off 26 balls. Pakistan were 87-3 at one stage and they dramatically collapsed to 118-9 to give Afghanistan a chance for an unlikely win. Asif Ali kept them in the chase with his 16 off 8 balls in the penultimate over of the contest. Then, Naseem Shah against all odds in the final over hit 2 sixes off the first two balls to win the game by a wicket with 4 balls to spare.
Fazalhaq Farooqi brought Afghanistan back into the game with a double-wicket over at the end. He picked up 3-31 in 3.2 overs. It's a pity that he couldn't finish the job in the end. Mujeeb was miserly as ever giving away 12 runs in 4 overs. Fareed Ahmad Malik had 3 wickets for his 31runs in 4 overs. Rashid Khan was brilliant with his 2-25 in 4 overs. Nabi bowled 3 overs for 22 runs without a wicket. Omarzai bowled a solitary over for 6 runs.
Chasing a below-par score of 130 for the win, Pakistan lost Babar Azam for a golden duck and then Fakhar Zaman to a run-out for 5 runs. Mohammad Rizwan scored 20 while Iftikhar Ahmed contributed 30. Shadab Khan was crucial with his 36 off 26 balls. Pakistan were 87-3 at one stage and they dramatically collapsed to 118-9 to give Afghanistan a chance for an unlikely win. Asif Ali kept them in the chase with his 16 off 8 balls in the penultimate over of the contest. Then, Naseem Shah against all odds in the final over hit 2 sixes off the first two balls to win the game by a wicket with 4 balls to spare.
Fazalhaq Farooqi brought Afghanistan back into the game with a double-wicket over at the end. He picked up 3-31 in 3.2 overs. It's a pity that he couldn't finish the job in the end. Mujeeb was miserly as ever giving away 12 runs in 4 overs. Fareed Ahmad Malik had 3 wickets for his 31runs in 4 overs. Rashid Khan was brilliant with his 2-25 in 4 overs. Nabi bowled 3 overs for 22 runs without a wicket. Omarzai bowled a solitary over for 6 runs.
Put into bat first by Babar Azam, Afghanistan got off to a racing start with Hazratullah Zazai and Rahmanullah Gurbaz having a profitable powerplay. The opening duo added 36 runs inside 4 overs before Gurbaz fell for 17. Zazai scored 21 runs as the Afghans scored 72-2 after the first 10 overs. But the innings lost momentum in the last ten overs as the spinners and the pacers of Pakistan were too hot to handle. Ibrahim Zadran top-scored with 35 off 37 balls as he held one end up. Karim Janat (15), Najibullah (10), Azmatullah (10) got to double figures. Rashid Khan’s 18 off 15 balls at the end took them to a sub-par total of 129-6 in 20 overs.
Haris Rauf was the pick of the Pakistan bowlers picking up a
couple of wickets for 26 runs. A wicket apiece for the other bowlers. Naseem
Shah had figures of 1-19 in 4 overs, Mohammad Nawaz had figures of 1-23 in 4 overs, and Shadab Khan had figures of 1-27 in 4 overs while Hasnain went for a
bit as he finished with 1-34 in 4 overs. Pakistan gave just three extras to Afghanistan in total.
Pakistan are in the finals of Asia Cup 2022 where they will face Sri Lanka on Sunday. Stay tuned for the post-match presentation ceremony that shall come your way soon.
Naseem Shah:" When I went out to bat I had a belief that I can hit the sixes, I knew that they will bowl the yorkers and that turned out the full toss. I changed my bat and that worked, when I went on to bat Asif Ali was with me I thought of giving him a strike but once he got out, I took the charge. I bowled pretty well but now everyone forgot that I bowl too(laughs)."
Time for the post-match presentation ceremony!!
Mohammad Nabi (Afghanistan Captain):" Yeah we were brilliant in bowling and fielding, again it's the same story, we didn't hold our nerves and bowled poorly in the end. We chased the target of 130 against Bangladesh and we went close till the end so we thought it was good to target to defend, we bowled dot balls and put the pressure on the batters which helped. The plan in the last over was bowl yorker or slower balls, but we didn't execute it well. Thanks to all the fans for your lovely support."
Babar Azam, Pakistan Captain: "Definitely, it was tense in the dressing room. I think it was in and out of the game. We didn't bat well to get the big partnerships and we were out of it. Naseem Shah, the way he finished it was great.
Yes, it's a challenging score against Afghanistan bowlers. They are champion bowlers and we had to take risks against them and we felt the heat. I think, we bowled well and restricted them to 130. In batting, we lost our way and the way Naseem Shah finished it off was outstanding for us.
I was in the dressing room and couldn't see properly. But I was hoping that Naseem finishes things off for us. He did and we are in the final. Happy to reach there.
I think we will look to play the Sri Lanka game on Friday to win and restrict our mistakes and improve our performance. Every day is a new day for us."
Yes, it's a challenging score against Afghanistan bowlers. They are champion bowlers and we had to take risks against them and we felt the heat. I think, we bowled well and restricted them to 130. In batting, we lost our way and the way Naseem Shah finished it off was outstanding for us.
I was in the dressing room and couldn't see properly. But I was hoping that Naseem finishes things off for us. He did and we are in the final. Happy to reach there.
I think we will look to play the Sri Lanka game on Friday to win and restrict our mistakes and improve our performance. Every day is a new day for us."
Shadab Khan (Player of the match): " Yeah it's going well we have played loads of cricket now, we have gained lots of experience now. The ball stayed a bit low, I played a rash shot and got out and it was difficult for the new batters to bat in the middle.
Our plan was to bowl tight and bowl the dot balls, and it will create pressure on the batters. We are flexible in the middle me and Nawaz especially, today spinners were more so I said to Babar that I should go in the middle and I went out.Naseem Shah's sixes will be remembered like Miandad's and Afridi's sixes, at this situation we don't know who will be useful for us and Naseem Shah did it for us"
Our plan was to bowl tight and bowl the dot balls, and it will create pressure on the batters. We are flexible in the middle me and Nawaz especially, today spinners were more so I said to Babar that I should go in the middle and I went out.Naseem Shah's sixes will be remembered like Miandad's and Afridi's sixes, at this situation we don't know who will be useful for us and Naseem Shah did it for us"
That's it from this game. Pakistan are through to the finals and so are Sri Lanka as India and Afghanistan bow out of the competition. Two more games to go before the finals with India and Afghanistan meeting tomorrow to sign off their campaign. Pakistan and Sri Lanka will meet on Friday and then in the final as well. Do join us for all the live action of the upcoming games from the Asia Cup and across the globe.
Till next time, this is me Ayan Chatterjee signing off on behalf of my esteemed co-commentator Hitesh Peddurwar alongside scorer/analyst Manish Bishnoi. Stay safe, happy, and cool. Till next time, good night and CHEERS!
Till next time, this is me Ayan Chatterjee signing off on behalf of my esteemed co-commentator Hitesh Peddurwar alongside scorer/analyst Manish Bishnoi. Stay safe, happy, and cool. Till next time, good night and CHEERS!