Dubai, 29 October 2021: Asif Ali slapped four sixes in the penultimate over to steer Pakistan to five wickets victory over Afghanistan for their third successive victory in Group-2 of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 and second position in the ICC T20I Team Rankings at the Dubai Cricket Stadium on Friday.
Asif had walked into bat at the fall of Babar Azam at the score of 122 for four in 17 overs, which soon became 124 for five in 17.5 overs following the departure of Shoaib Malik in pursuit of a 148-run victory target. However, he once again displayed his calm temperament and tremendous power-hitting skills to score the required 24 runs in the 19th over bowled by Karim Janat.
Asif finished at a match-winning 25 not out off seven balls, three days after scoring a 12-ball 27 not out against New Zealand that handed Pakistan a five-wicket win in Sharjah. He was later adjudged player of the match.
With matches against Namibia and Scotland in hand, the 2009 champions are now firmly on course to reach the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup for the first time since the Sri Lanka event in 2012. Pakistan will play Namibia in Abu Dhabi on 2 November, while they will meet Scotland in Sharjah on 7 November.
While the victory has enabled Pakistan to take a big step forward in quest for a place in the semi-finals, the third straight victory has also put them in second position on the ICC T20I Team Rankings.
Pakistan had started the tournament in third position, five points behind second place India. Following victories against India (10 wickets), New Zealand and Afghanistan (both five wickets), Pakistan has now moved to 265 points, while India is third on 264 and New Zealand fourth on 255. England lead the table with 278 points.
Asif’s breath-taking innings came at the back of a well-constructed 51 from Babar Azam, his 22nd career half-century. Babar faced 47 balls and hit four fours, before his ill-timed shot off Rashid Khan’s final delivery of the evening brought Pakistan under pressure that increase following the dismissal of Shoaib Malik.
Together with Fakhar Zaman (30 off 25 balls with two fours and six), Babar added 63 runs for the second wicket after Mohammad Rizwan’s rare failure left Pakistan at 12 for one in their run-chase. Mohammad Hafeez scored a run-a-ball 10 and Shoaib Malik clubbed Rashid for a six in his 15-ball 19 before Asif Ali completed the task with six balls to spare.
Until the middle-order blip, Pakistan’s run-chase had looked well planned and executed. They collected 76 runs from the 12 overs of Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rehman and Mohammad Nabi’s 12 overs, and scored the remaining 70 runs off seven overs from the gentle medium-pace bowling of Naveen-ul-Haq and Karim Janat.
Pakistan reached 38 for one in the PowerPlay overs, 72 for one at the halfway stage and 101 for three after 15 overs – requiring 47 runs from 30 balls.
Earlier and after electing to bat first in front of a charged-up crowd, Afghanistan’s young guns under-estimated the experienced and skillful Pakistan bowling by trying to throw their bats at almost everything. The strategy and approach backfired when they plummeted to 76 for six in 12.5 overs.
Sanity prevailed at that stage when the experienced duo of former captain Gulbadin Naib and present captain Mohammad Nabi held the innings together. They reaped the benefits of playing sensible and careful cricket by only punishing the lose deliveries and put on 71 runs off 45 balls for the unfinished seventh wicket that eventually lifted Afghanistan to 147 for six in 20 overs.
Gulbadin remained unbeaten on 35 off 25 balls, including a six and two fours in the 18th over bowled by Hasan Ali who conceded 21 runs in his final over, while Nabi finished at 35 not out off 32 balls, including three fours in the 19th over bowled by Haris Rauf that went for 15 runs.
Imad Wasim was the most successful bowler with two for 25, while Shaheen Shah Afridi and Shadab Khan once remained economical by conceding 22 runs each for their one wicket apiece. Haris Rauf and Hasan Ali had a tough day in the office, conceding 37 and 38 runs, respectively.
Scores in brief:
Afghanistan 147-6, 20 overs (Mohammad Nabi 35 not out, Gulbadin Naib 35 not out, Nabjibullah Zadran 22, Karim Janat 15; Imad Wasim 2-25, Shaheen Shah Afridi 1-22, Shadab Khan 1-22, Haris Rauf 1-37, Hasan Ali 1-38)
Pakistan 148-5, 19 overs (Babar Azam 51, Fakhar Zaman 30; Asif Ali 25 not out; Rashid Khan 2-26)
Player of the match – Asif Ali
Next match: v Namibia, Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi (match starts at 7PKT)
