Shoaib Malik stole the show with an unbeaten 51 as Pakistan beat Afghanistan by three wickets in their Super Four stage at the Asia Cup.
Batting first, Afghanistan posted a score of 257 in Abu Dhabi thanks to big scores from Asghar Afghan (66) and Hashmatullah Shahidi (97*) as Pakistani youngster Shaheen Afridi took two wickets on his ODI debut.
In reply, Imam Ul-Haq top-scored with 80 but Afghanistan got themselves back into the game with a flurry of wickets before Malik with two back-to-back boundaries in the last over to seal victory.
THE GOOD:
AFGHANISTAN’S BATTING QUALITIES
We all know Afghanistan can produce the goods with the ball especially with the likes of Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur-Rahman in their ranks. But in this Asia Cup, the Afghans are proving it’s not just with the ball where they can make an impact.
The way they reached 257 was even more impressive considering they were only 94-3 at the half-way mark. But the Afghans managed stands of 63, 94 and 45 to propel their score. Hashmattulah Shahidi was integral with an unbeaten 97 but captain Asghar Afghan, who isn’t the most aggressive batsman when it comes to ODI cricket, unleashed his attacking mode with a 56-ball 67 to register his best strike-rate.
Leading from the front: Asghar Afghan
MOHAMMAD NAWAZ AND SHAHEEN AFRIDI DELIVER
Mickey Arthur will certainly have a selection dilemma ahead of the India match given how impressive Nawaz and Afridi bowled in the UAE capital. Both were given a chance to prove their worth and ultimately they delivered in style. Left-arm orthodox Nawaz, featuring in his first Asia Cup match in the UAE, set the ball rolling when he troubled Afghanistan’s top-three batsmen to finish with three wickets. At the other end, Afridi showed no signs of nerves to produce a strong display and frustrate the Afghans. Dropped three times, Afridi’s patience was rewarded when he dismissed Afghan and Mohammad Nabi.
Shaheen Shah Afridi (18 years and 168 days) is Pakistan's youngest ODI debutant since 17-year old Mohammad Amir in 2009.
— Cricingif (@_cricingif) September 21, 2018
- Stat Alert from @MazherArshad pic.twitter.com/JiL9udC687
THE BAD:
AFGHANISTAN ARE WIDE OFF THE MARK
With all the bowling quality they possess, they might have claimed seven wickets but Mujeeb Ur-Rehman (3), Aftab Alam (3), Mohammad Nabi (1), Guldabin Naib (3) and Rashid Khan (2) were all guilty of wide deliveries with 12 in total. To put that into perspective, only three were conceded against Bangladesh on Thursday evening.
ANOTHER ZILCH FOR FAKHAR ZAMAN
The opening batsman arrived in the UAE as the man in form following his heroics in the 5-0 series whitewash against Zimbabwe. The 28-year-old struck a double century and a ton in those five games but in this tournament, he has been a shadow of that player. His duck against India on Wednesday was his first in 18 innings and again didn’t get off the mark on Friday. He didn’t have time to even settle into the crease when Mujeeb Ur-Rahman trapped him lbw. Testing times ahead for the batsman and major concern for Pakistan.
KEY MOMENTS:
AFGHANISTAN INNINGS:
7.1 – CHANCE: Shaheen Afridi thought he had his first ODI wicket when Ihsanullah clipped it straight to Fakhar Zaman at mid-on. Was an easy catch but the Pakistani let the ball slip out of his left-hand.
7.2 – CHANCE: Ihsanullah survives again. This time, Usman Khan is the culprit. A top-edge falls directly to the Pakistani, who dived in at fine leg but couldn’t gather the ball comfortably.
8.6 – WICKET: Pakistan get their first wicket of the day and it is Mohammad Nawaz who breaks the opening stand.
25.3 – WICKET: It’s that man again. Nawaz breaks the 63-run stand to take his third wicket. The impressive Rahmat Shah is his victim and exactly the same method as his second – caught and bowled.
39.5 – FIFTY: Hashmatullah Shahidi brings up his half-century with a single off Shaheen Afridi.
39.6 – FIFTY: Another milestone for Afghanistan with captain Asghar Afghan flicking Afridi for two for his eighth ODI fifty.
41.5 – WICKET: Just after being dropped for the third time, Afridi finally gets his reward, rattling the stumps of Asghar Afghan.
PAKISTAN INNINGS:
0.6 – WICKET: Mujeeb Ur-Rehman gave Afghanistan plenty to cheer when the spinner trapped Fakhar Zaman LBW.
24.3 – FIFTY: Imam Ul-Haq hits two runs to fine leg to bring up a superb half-century – his second of the tournament.
27.3 – FIFTY: It’s Babar Azam’s turn to celebrate a milestone, clipping the ball from Mohammad Nabi past mid-wicket.
35.1 – WICKET: Azam steps forward, attempting a drive off Rashid but his back leg drags out, presenting a stumping chance for Mohammad Shahzad.
41.1 – WICKET: Done by a googly from Mujeeb with an easy chance for Ihsanullah Janat.
44.6 – WICKET: Sarfraz is next to go, playing a risky shot only to miss Gulbadin Naib’s delivery completely.
49.3: FIFTY – Shoaib Malik completes the job with a stylish boundary to seal victory.
KEY TURNING POINT:
After losing Fakhar Zaman for a duck, the 154-run stand between Babar Azam and Imam Ul-Haq set the platform for victory. In particular, Imam came in for strong criticism against the Indians but the 22-year-old silenced his critics with a solid 80. Along with the experienced and No3-ranked batsman Babar Azam, the pair frustrated Rashid Khan and Co for long periods before Imam was ultimately run-out. There was still a lot of work to do but if it wasn’t for that fantastic partnership, it could have been so different for Pakistan.
Good effort: Imam Ul-Haq
VERDICT:
AFGHANISTAN: C –
Playing two back-to-back ODI games is a big task for any side but Afghanistan showed no signs of fatigue on Friday. Their batting clicked and while they were frustrated in periods with the ball, made things tough for Pakistan.
PAKISTAN: B
A perfect response from the 2017 Champions Trophy winners. Even though they battled to their target, three dropped catches and the form of some of their batsmen will be a concern going forward.
