Skipper Salman Agha hit an unbeaten half century and quick bowler Haris Rauf grabbed 4 wickets as Pakistan upstaged Afghanistan by 39 runs within the tri-series opener in Sharjah on Friday.
Agha hit a 36-ball 53 not out with three sixes and as many boundaries which lifted Pakistan to 182-7 of their 20 overs.
Pacers Rauf took 4-31 and Shaheen Afridi 2-21, whereas spinners Mohammad Nawaz (2-23) and Sufiyan Muqeem (2-25) dismissed Afghanistan for 143 in 19.5 overs earlier than a loud capability 16,000 crowd on the Sharjah stadium.
Afghanistan matched Pakistan with opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz, 27-ball 38 with a six and three boundaries, including 51 for the second wicket with Sediqullah Atal, who made 23.
It was Rauf who modified the sport with a two-wicket twelfth over sending Atal and Karim Janat again with out conceding a run.
Afghanistan skipper Rashid Khan smashed 5 sixes and a 4 in his whirlwind 16-ball 39 however fell to Rauf to finish his staff’s combat.
Earlier, Pakistan was lifted by Agha’s fourth T20I half century.
Agha anchored the innings admirably effectively after opener Sahibzada Farhan smashed two sixes and a boundary in his 10-ball 21 after Pakistan gained the toss and batted.
Agha added 53 for the fifth wicket with Nawaz whose 11-ball 21 had two sixes and a boundary because the duo helped Pakistan get 51 runs within the final 5 overs.
Pakistan play hosts United Arab Emirates on Saturday. All three groups face one another twice with the highest two enjoying the September 7 last.
