OVER VIEW:
PAKISTAN vs AFGHANISTAN: After winning the toss, Pakistani captain Babar Azam decided to bowl first. They stuck with the starting lineup that got them the exciting victory over India in the final over on Sunday. Azmatullah Omarzai and Fareed Malik were given games, although Afghanistan, who fell to Sri Lanka on Saturday, made a few adjustments.
Despite a strong start from the openers, Afghanistan was
eventually bowled out for 129/6 with to two wickets from Haris Rauf. In the
Powerplay overs, Hazratullah Zazai and Rahmanullah Gurbaz were highly active
but quickly left the game. The scoring rate was then slowed down by spinners.
Afghanistan held to a below-par score of 129/8 after continuing to lose wickets
and struggling to form partnerships.
In the chase of target 130 although 130 was never a
difficult total, Pakistan did not appear to be in charge straightaway. Afghanistan
gave it their all in the bowling department to force a contest. They began a
tenacious defence of their entire position. They eliminated the threat posed by
Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Nawaz, and Babar Azam and forced the match into the
final over. To keep Afghanistan's hopes alive, Fazalhaq Farooqi and Fareed
Ahmed each got three wickets.
Things began to go in Pakistan's favour when Iftikhar Ahmed
and Shadab Khan scored 42 runs for the fourth wicket. However, after that
Partnership was broken, wickets continued to fall frequently, and the game was
won or lost in the final over with 11 required. Farooqi chose the yorker length
deliveries in the pivotal over, but he mishandled them. He thereafter bowled
two consecutive full tosses. At 119/9, Pakistan was in a perilous position. But
then Naseem Shah came through, driving both full tosses for back-to-back sixes
to get Pakistan across the finish line and secure a remarkable victory.
With that, Pakistan and Sri Lanka have qualified for the
Asia Cup 2022 final and will clash for the title on Sunday (September 11).
Match Presentation Ceremony:
Captain's Talk:
Muhammad Nabi (AFG): Whereas the fielding and bowling were excellent, we didn't finish properly and we lost our composure. At no point in the game did we quit. On every ball, the boys sparred. Again, it was game over with the ball and the bat. In our opinion, we successfully pursued Bangladesh. We looked to bowl dot balls since we thought it would be difficult to chase 130 here. We omitted easy singles. The objective was for Farooqi to bowl slower bouncers or yorkers on the final two deliveries, but he failed to carry it out. We'll do everything we can to play the final game with the same vigour. Tomorrow is our next game, It was nice to have the support from the supporters here, so thank you.
Babar Azam (PAK): To be very honest, the dressing room was tense. The team was entering and leaving the changing area. The way Naseem Shah closed it off was excellent. Mujeeb and Rashid Khan are two of the strongest bowlers, although Sharjah consistently scores very little. We merely desired to extend the game. We did a great job of kicking off with the ball. We didn't carry out our ideas very well in our batting, but Naseem was excellent. I had faith in Naseem because I had saw him play in a similar manner before. This situation makes me think of Javed Miandad's six. We would wish to maintain this momentum and avoid making the same mistakes.
Player of the Match Shadab Khan: The situation is going fine. Because of the PSL and the home series we played here, we have the experience. The pitch didn't seem to alter much, in my opinion. Although it was pitched well, it was a little low. I made a hasty shot that I should have ended. I should have played more because it was difficult for the young batsmen. The pitch here helps the spinners. We made an effort to bowl tightly and in dots because of this. When you pick wickets, you will stop the run-rate. If I don't give runs, Nawaz picks wickets and vice versa. We can change our batting order as needed. I am sent with Nawaz in accordance with the needs of the team. Babar and I agreed that I needed to be sent up today. Since club cricket, Nawaz and I have been playing together. He has always been a batsman in my eyes. We are reminded of Miandad and Afridi's last-over sixes by Naseem. In the nets, all of our bowlers frequently bat. Every bowler has the ability to win you games with the bat, therefore you can never be sure who will.
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