KARACHI:
A peaceful captain’s hand from Salman Ali Agha and a fiery spell by Haris Rauf ensured Pakistan made a profitable begin to the T20I tri-series, overcoming Afghanistan by 39 runs on the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Friday evening.
However past the numbers, this was a contest that mirrored Pakistan’s rising maturity in crunch moments, in addition to their skill to adapt in tough circumstances on the storied Sharjah Cricket Stadium which have so usually examined them previously.
Salman’s Composed Anchor
After Pakistan opted to bat, early wickets meant the innings might simply have unravelled. At 83 for 4, Afghanistan had their tails up. However Salman held his floor, constructing patiently earlier than accelerating when it mattered. His 53 off 36 balls*, together with three sixes, wasn’t only a captain’s innings – it was the glue that held Pakistan collectively.
His partnership with Mohammad Nawaz (21 off 11) was essential, including 53 for the fifth wicket and making certain Pakistan pushed the whole effectively past the par rating Salman himself later recognized as “150-160.” Posting 182 for seven gave the bowlers a cushion they totally exploited.
Rauf’s fireplace, Nawaz’s grit
Defending 183, Pakistan confronted strain as Rahmanullah Gurbaz (38) and Rashid Khan (39) seemed threatening. At 92 for 2, Afghanistan had been in management. Then got here the collapse – 5 wickets for simply 4 runs.
Haris Rauf ripped via the center order with 4 for 31, however it was Nawaz who earned particular reward from his captain. Bowling in powerful phases towards Rashid and Gurbaz, the left-arm spinner returned 2 for 23 and squeezed the chase when it was nonetheless alive. Add Shaheen Afridi (2-21) and Sufiyan Muqim (2-25) to the combination, and Pakistan’s assault seemed balanced and ruthless.
“Bowling was excellent, whoever is available in bowled very well. Haris and Shaheen are two of the most effective on this planet. However my decide was Nawaz – he all the time bowls the powerful overs,” Salman stated after the sport.
Crowd administration in focus
This fixture carried extra than simply cricketing weight. Organisers had put in strict crowd measures – separate enclosures, designated routes, and color-coded tickets for followers – after ugly scenes marred Pakistan’s final shut end towards Afghanistan in 2022. Friday’s recreation handed off with out incident, permitting focus to stay firmly on the cricket.
Classes for each groups
For Pakistan, the takeaways are optimistic: resilience below strain, depth in batting all the way down to Faheem Ashraf at No. 8, and a bowling unit that continues to ship throughout circumstances. For Afghanistan, the collapse from 92 for 2 to 97 for seven will damage – as soon as once more exposing their middle-order fragility when confronted with sustained strain.
What lies forward
Pakistan now flip to their second task towards UAE on Saturday, aiming to consolidate momentum. With this win, they’ve laid down an early marker within the tri-series, displaying a mixture of composure and firepower that would carry them deep into the competitors.
For Salman Ali Agha, nonetheless settling into captaincy, it was the proper begin: main with bat, lifting his bowlers, and steering his group via the noise each on and off the sphere.
