AI Simulation, PAK vs AFG | Afridi's spell and Haris’s nerves of steel help Pakistan claim T20I tri-series

Pitch and Weather

The surface at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium was once again on the dry side and offered a lot of grip and turn to the spinners. However, the dew factor in the second innings and small square boundaries made it easier for the batters in the second innings.

The weather in Sharjah was hot and humid, with the recorded temperature at 35 degrees Celsius. The skies were clear throughout the game, and there was no sign of rain.

Toss

Afghanistan won the toss and chose to bat first

Lineups

Pakistan: Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman, Salman Agha (c), Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Haris (wk), Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi, Salman Mirza, Abrar Ahmed.

Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Gulbadin Naib, Azmatullah Omarzai, Karim Janat, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan (c), Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Fareed Ahmad Malik.

Match Report

Afghanistan elected to bat first in hopes of getting to a competitive total and defending the score in the end. Afghan wicket-keeper Rahmanullah Gurbaz took the attack to the bowlers straight away while Ibrahim Zadran controlled the strike at the other end. The Afghans were in a solid position after the first six overs with the score at 52/0. Both batters were looking good at the crease until Abrar Ahmed broke the partnership by deceiving Zadram with a well-disguised carrom ball on a score of 29 off 25 deliveries. Though Gurbaz was looking solid at the crease, Gulbadin Naib struggled to get going at the other end. As the runs started to dry up, Gurbaz finally succumbed under pressure in the ninth over by giving a simple catch back to Faheem Ashraf. With Gurbaz good good-looking knock of 38 off 27 coming to an end, Naib's sluggish stay at the crease ended in the following over as Ahmed knocked over his middle stump with a quicker arm ball. With only 27 runs and three wickets falling in the next four overs, the Aghans' score slumped to 79/3 after 10 overs. Though the Afghans failed to make use of their great start, Azmatullah Omarzai and Mohammad Nabi formed a crucial partnership for the fourth wicket. Unfortunately, as both batters started to look good at the crease, Shaheen Afridi changed the game completely in the 16th over by dismissing both set batters. As the partnership of 45 came to an end with Omarzai’s middle stump being uprooted and Nabi top-edging a slower bouncer to the keeper, the Afghans were in trouble once again, with the score reading 128/5 with four overs remaining. After the two all-rounders were dismissed, the runs were hard to come by as the tail was finally exposed as Karim Janat was dismissed by Ashraf, and Afridi got the prized wicket of Rashid Khan in the 19th over. The Pakistan bowlers conceded only 24 runs in the last four overs and restricted the Afghans to a score of 152/8.

Though the Afghans ended the innings on a below-par score, they started well with the ball as Fazalhaq Farooqi dismissed Saim Ayub in the third over with a beautiful inswinging yorker. However, Sahibzada Farhan started to attack the bowlers with Pakistan finishing the powerplay on a decent score of 50/1. Pakistan continued to put pressure on the bowlers as Fakhar Zaman also found some rhythm. The two batters put on 61 runs for the second wicket before Farhan’s belligerent knock of 41 off 29 was ended by a Rashid Khan in the 13th over. Trouble started brewing as the Afghan skipper returned in the 15th over to knock over Fakhar’s stumps on a score of 36 off 25 balls. The game was suddenly in the balance with Pakistan's score at 113/3 needing 40 off the last five overs. It seemed like Afghanistan was slowly coming back into the game as Mohammad Nawaz was dismissed cheaply by Noor Ahmad, and Ashraf followed suit in the next over after being deceived by a slower one by Farooqi. However, Pakistan skipper Salman Agha and Mohammad Haris, with some explosive shots towards the backend, made sure Pakistan made sure that the team was in control and brought the equation down to 10 of the 12 deliveries. Though there was some drama created in the 19th over as Agha was dismissed for 21, Haris made sure the game was finished with four wickets remaining and five balls to spare. With this win the Pakistan claimed the UAE T20I tri-series title as well.

Player of the match

Shaheen Afridi was awarded the player of the match after his incredible spell of 3/28 in the final. 

Scorecard