Sports Bulletin

Report: ABDULLAH ASJAD Islamabad (October 31, 2021):- New Zealand trounced India by 8 wickets in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 at Dubai Cricket Stadium on Sunday night.   New Zealand’s Captain Kane Williamson won the toss and decided to bowl first. The Indian strong batting line put only 111 runs on the scoreboard. Indian top order did not start in good style, as the opening batter KL Rahul scored 18 runs in 16 balls and hit only 3 fours. Other opener Ishan Kishan scored just 4 runs. Hardik Pandya played a bit responsible innings and added 23 runs. Left handed batter Ravindra Jadeja increased 26 runs in team total. Kiwis bowlers bowled superbly against a strong Indian batting line. Pacer Trent Boult crashed Indian batting and sent 3 batters back to the pavilion and gave only 20 runs in his 4 overs while Spin bowler Ish Sodhi picked up 2 important wickets and sent out danger man Rohit Sharma and Indian skipper Virat Kohli, who had scored 51 runs against Pakistan on last Sunday, just scored 9 runs as he wasted 17 deliveries. In reply, Black Caps chased a small 111 runs target in only the 14th over and wasted only 2 wickets. Daryl Mitchell played an aggressive innings and scored 49 runs in only 35 balls as he smashed 4 fours and 3 huge sixes. Skipper Kane Williamson got 33 runs on 31 balls. Martin Guptill scored only 20 runs. Indian bowler Jasprit Bumrah picked up a couple of wickets after conceding only 19 runs. Kiwis spinner Ish Sodhi got man of the match award. Summarized score card New Zealand beat India at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai by eight wickets  India 110/7, in 20 overs (Ravindra Jadeja 26, Hardik Pandya 23; Trent Boult 3/20, Ish Sodhi 2/17)  New Zealand 111/2, in 14.3 overs (Daryl Mitchell 49, Kane Williamson 33 not out; Jasprit Bumrah 2/19, Mohammed Shami 0/11)  Player of the Match: Ish Sodhi (New Zealand)  

SPECIAL REPORT: Asghar Afghan assured Afghanistan fans that the country’s cricket has a platform to progress even further as his final international match ended in victory over Namibia. Asghar Afghan of Afghanistan is carried off by team mates after his final game during the ICC Men's T20 World Cup match between Afghanistan and Namibia at Sheikh Zayed stadium on October 31, 2021 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Asghar Afghan assured Afghanistan fans that the country’s cricket has a platform to progress even further as his final international match ended in victory over Namibia. The 33-year-old, who announced his retirement from all forms of the game on Saturday, made a sprightly 31 as Afghanistan posted a winning total of 160-5. With Naveen-ul-Haq, 22, leading the way with the ball and other young players coming through, the former captain feels he is leaving a side in rude health. “To be honest, trust me, Afghanistan cricket is in very safe hands, and cricket will improve definitely,” he said. “For all the supporters from the last few years and the newcomers that are supporting us, I believe that Afghanistan cricket will improve more day by day, and trust me that will show.” Afghanistan’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup campaign is now back on track as they beat Namibia by 62 runs, responding to their defeat to Pakistan in their second Group 2 game. It was an emotional day for Asghar and the vocal Afghan contingent in the stands, as the batter was given a guard of honour onto the field and showered with handshakes when dismissed. “I announced my retirement last night, so I received a lot of messages from my fans and colleagues how they were unhappy,” he said. “It's a very hard decision when you get to retirement, but I decided for my youngsters they should come. It was too important, and they should come and feel the pressure of the World Cup.” Afghanistan still harbour hopes of reaching the knockout stages of an ICC major event for the first time at the seventh attempt. They face India in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday in what promises to be a thrilling contest. For Namibia, it was a tough day at the office and they were unable to build on the momentum of their maiden T20 World Cup victory over Scotland. One positive came in the spell of leg-spin bowled by Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton, 20, something of wildcard appearing in just his eighth T20 international. He trapped both Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Najibullah Zadran lbw, dismissing them for low scores. Namibia coach Pierre de Bruyn revealed that Loftie-Eaton had been suffering from injury in the lead-up. “It was about managing Nicol leading up to game time,” said De Bruyn. “He had a quad strain, so it was tough. He wasn't really on tour ready, so we needed to get him bowling fit in the nets first. What he's shown today is that he's ready, and I'm so pleased for him. “He's a confident player. He's a youngster. So that's a very big positive.” Namibia face an uphill challenge in their maiden T20 World Cup campaign with New Zealand, India and Pakistan next up. “We're definitely looking forward to them, and we are fully aware that it's going to now really get tough,” said De Bruyn. “We just don't want to be a team that's just going to walk up and provide a middle practice. We want to continue competing. We need to sharpen up our skills. We need to believe. “Today was maybe an icebreaker for this team, experiencing this level of intensity. So we haven't got a long turnaround. One day training, and then we've got to come and face the heat.”

BIPIN DANI Sri Lanka's national players will be given a dose of booster vaccine once they arrive after the World Cup from the UAE. This was revealed by Prof. Arjuna de Silva, the chairman of the medical panel of the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) board. Speaking exclusively over the telephone from Colombo on Sunday morning, he said, "all our national players already had two doses of (Sputnik) vaccine and it would be around six months once they return from the World Cup".  "We will be conducting the antibody tests on their return and those found low in tests will be given a booster dose of Pfizer vaccine". After the World Cup, Sri Lanka will play two Tests matches at Galle (Nov. 21-25 and Nov. 29-Dec.3). "No fans will be allowed for the home series against Windies, but yes, we are planning to allow their entry in the Lanka Premier League (LPL)", de Silva confirmed. In the meantime, it is also learnt that all players of the Under-19 which defeated the Bangladesh team (5-0) team were given the first dose of Pfizer vaccine on 26th October. They will be given the second dose after 21 days.

Sports Bulletin Report ISLAMABAD (October 31, 2021):-Afghanistan got their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 campaign back on track with a thumping 62-run victory over Namibia. Mohammad Nabi’s side went against the grain and chose to bat first in Abu Dhabi, posting 160 for five from their 20 overs with opener Mohammad Shahzad making 45. Namibia never looked like chasing it down, losing wickets at regular intervals and ending 98 for nine. For Afghanistan, it was a resounding response to their narrow defeat to Pakistan as they stayed second in Group 2. Taking first use of the Sheikh Zayed surface, Afghanistan’s openers looked to target the left-arm seam of Ruben Trumpelmann that did such damage to Scotland in Namibia’s four-wicket win. The fifth ball of the game was an overpitched delivery that Hazratullah Zazai climbed into and lifted over long-on for six. Trumpelmann was taken out of the attack, returning in the fourth over, but the dynamic was the same as Hazratullah took him for two well-placed fours through the gully region. Southpaw Hazratullah was at his ebullient best and smoked Jan Frylinck over the midwicket fence for six. His partner Shahzad took longer to hit his straps but did so in the final over of the powerplay, swiping David Wiese through midwicket for four and then flaying him over third man for six. When fielding restrictions were lifted, Afghanistan were 50 without loss. JJ Smit’s nagging left-armers looked most threatening for Namibia and he broke the opening stand when Hazratullah picked out deep square leg, departing for 33 from 27 balls. Skipper Gerhard Erasmus turned to the wildcard leg-spin of Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton, whose first over went for two and ended with a ball that ripped past Shahzad’s outside edge. The 21-year-old accounted for Rahmanullah Gurbaz in the tenth, trapping him in front for four at 69 for two. Shahzad was still there and continued to pepper the midwicket boundary, before top edging a catch to Bernard Scholtz and heading back for a pivotal 45. Asghar Afghan came to the crease and struck the ball well in his final T20I innings, despite losing his first partner Najibullah Zadran LBW to Loftie-Eaton. He got down on one knee to smash Fylinck over long off for six and helped take a Smit over for 16 runs with two boundaries behind square. Nabi, Asghar’s successor as Afghanistan’s T20 captain, offered his usual flurry at the finish with an excellent cameo of 32 from 17 balls, with five fours and a six off Trumpelmann. Namibia’s chase faltered at the first when Craig Williams skied the fourth ball of the innings, bowled by Naveen-ul-Haq, comfortably caught by Usman Ghani. Nabi fared well with the bat but less so with the ball at first as he was dispatched by Michael van Lingen for six over long-on and then by Loftie-Eaton through the arc for another maximum. Namibia expected a trial by spin but it was Naveen’s seam that hurt them up front when Van Lingen fell for a clever slower ball and was caught at square leg for 11 at 16 for two. And Gulbadin Naib’s medium pace dismissed Loftie-Eaton as he tried to swipe a cutter across the line only to be clean bowled. The re-introduction of spin did the trick when Rashid Khan bowled Zane Green when he attempted a paddle sweep to the wrong ball, making it 36 for four. Namibia could not build any kind of partnerships and lost two wickets in four balls when Hamid Hassan yorked Erasmus for 12 and then got Smith to snick behind for a duck at 56 for six. Wiese and Frylinck stemmed the tide for a few overs without being able to score at a prolific rate, the latter trudging off after looping Naveen to Nabi at mid-off. Another tame dismissal came as Pikky Ya France offered a simple return catch for Gulbadin but Wiese got a good one as he was bowled by a full Hassan delivery for 26. Scores in Brief: Afghanistan beat Namibia by 62 runs at Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi Afghanistan 160/5 in 20 overs (Mohammad Shahzad 45, Hazratullah Zazai 33; Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton 2/21, Ruben Trumpelmann 2/34) Namibia 98/9 in 20 overs (David Wiese 26, Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton 14; Hamid Hassan 3/9, Naveen-ul-Haq 3/26) Player of the Match: Naveen-ul-Haq (Afghanistan)

Aamir Ali Janjua Dubai (October 31, 2021):-The International Cricket Council (ICC) has congratulated former Afghanistan captain Asghar Afghan for a superb career that has seen him play a crucial role in his country’s rise in international cricket. The International Cricket Council (ICC) has congratulated former Afghanistan captain Asghar Afghan for a superb career that has seen him play a crucial role in his country’s rise in international cricket. The batter, who has been a part of all seven major ICC tournaments that Afghanistan have participated in, has announced his retirement from all formats of the game. His final match came against Namibia in the Super 12 stage of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 on Sunday. ICC Acting Chief Executive Geoff Allardice said: “Asghar has been a great ambassador of the game and played a huge part in Afghanistan’s rise up the ranks in world cricket. “He has played a pivotal role as batter and led his team astutely during his time as captain. “On behalf of the ICC, I wish him all the best for the future and hope that he continues to be associated with the game in the years to come. The 33-year-old finished his career having played 114 ODI matches, scoring 2,424 runs with a century and 12 half-centuries. He also scored 440 runs in six Test matches. Asghar captained his country in their first-ever Test match against India in 2018 and at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2016. At the time of his retirement, he holds the record for the most wins as captain in T20 internationals having led his team to victory in 42 games.

Sports Bulletin Report Dubai (October 31, 2021):-The road to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia continues with seven Americas teams Argentina, Bahamas, Belize, Bermuda, Canada, Panama and USA all set to compete for two qualifying spots. The road to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia continues with seven Americas teams Argentina, Bahamas, Belize, Bermuda, Canada, Panama and USA all set to compete for two qualifying spots. The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Americas Qualifier supported by Dream 11 marks the second and final Americas pathway event for the year, where two spots in the Qualifer A and B will be up for grabs which are due to take place in the first half of 2022. The Americas Qualifier will be played between 7 and 14 November in Antigua in partnership with Cricket West Indies (CWI) and the Antigua and Barbuda Cricket Association. Coverage of the event will be produced by CricClubs, who will use their live streaming expertise to make each match available to view live on FanCode in the Indian sub-continent and on ICC.tv in the rest of the world. In total, there will be 21 Men’s T20 Internationals live streamed during the event which will be played at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium and Coolidge Cricket Ground. Bermuda come into the event as the top team on the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s T20I Team Rankings at 29, closely followed by the United States in 33.        Belize captain, Kenton Young said: “It's every sports player’s dream to play in a World Cup and represent their country. From a baby playing with a tennis ball in yard cricket. For me personally it would mean everything if we qualified and got one step closer.” Bermuda captain, Kamau Leverock said: “I love the atmosphere, playing cricket in front of crowds, so it would be a great feeling to qualify from this tournament. The team we have is great and we have a good chance of making it all the way if we play some good cricket.” Canada captain, Navneet Singh Dhaliwal said: “I am excited for the tournament, cricket is a special thing. I will be happy if we qualify for the next round, but our ultimate goal is to play in the Men’s T20 World Cup.” Panama captain, Yusuf Ebrahim Akalwaya said: “If we were to qualify for the Global Qualifier I would be overjoyed, it would be a dream come true for my country.”      USA captain, Monank Patel said: “Cricket is a team sport that always give you great life lessons. People have come from different walks of life with different cultures all with the common goal of taking USA Cricket ahead.” ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Americas Qualifier fixtures: 7 November 2021 - USA v Belize 09h30 at Coolidge Cricket Ground (CCG); Bahamas v Canada 09h30 Sir Viv Richards Stadium (SVG); USA v Panama 13h30 at Coolidge Cricket Ground (CCG); 8 November 2021 - Belize v Canada 09h30 at Coolidge Cricket Ground (CCG); Argentina v Bahamas 09h30 at Sir Viv Richards Stadium (SVG); Belize v Panama 13h30 at Coolidge Cricket Ground (CCG); USA v Bermuda     13h30 at Sir Viv Richards Stadium (SVG); 9 November 2021 - Rest/Reserve 10 November 2021 - USA v Canada 09h30 at Coolidge Cricket Ground (CCG); Belize v Argentina 09h30 at Sir Viv Richards Stadium (SVG); Argentina v Panama 13h30 at Coolidge Cricket Ground (CCG); Bermuda v Bahamas 13h30 at Sir Viv Richards Stadium (SVG) 11 November 2021 - Bermuda v Canada 09h30 at Coolidge Cricket Ground (CCG); Belize v Bahamas  09h30 at Sir Viv Richards Stadium (SVG); Bermuda v Panama 13h30 at Coolidge Cricket Ground (CCG); USA v Argentina 13h30 at Sir Viv Richards Stadium (SVG); 12 November 2021 - Rest/Reserve 13 November 2021 - USA v Bahamas 09h30 at Coolidge Cricket Ground (CCG);  Belize v Bermuda 09h30 at Sir Viv Richards Stadium (SVG); Bahamas v Panama 13h30 at Coolidge Cricket Ground (CCG); Argentina v Canada at 13h30 at Sir Viv Richards Stadium (SVG) 14 November 2021 - Canada v Panama 09h30 at Coolidge Cricket Ground (CCG); Argentina v Bermuda 13h30 at Coolidge Cricket Ground (CCG)

Report: ABDULLAH ASJAD Islamabad (October 20 2021):-England trounced Australia by 8 wickets in ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 at Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium Dubai on Saturday. English batters chased small 126 runs total in easily in just 11th over. Right handed wicket keeper batter Jos Buttler played a stylish and speedy innings against Australian bowlers and scored 71 runs in only 31 balls. He cracked 5 fours and 5 huge sixes while opener Jason Roy scored 22 runs and faced 20 deliveries. Australian bowlers did not bowl brilliantly. Adam Zampa and Ashton Agar both spinners took single wicket each while left handed pacer Michel Starc did not take any wicket. Earlier, English Captain Eon Morgan won the toss and asked to Finch for batting first. Finch elevens failed to set big target on score board against strong England side. Australian skipper Aaron Finch played a captain innings and scored 44 runs, as 49 deliveries wasted. Ashton Agar scored 20 runs while wicket keeper batter Matthew Wade added 18 runs only. English bowler Chris Woakes got 2 wickets and conceded 23 runs while Chris Jordan took 3 wickets in just 17 runs conceded Tymal Mills sent out 2 batters of opposition side to the pavilion. Chris Jordan got man of the match award.  Scores in Brief England beat Australia at Dubai International Stadium by eight wickets Australia 125 all out in 20 overs (Aaron Finch 44; Chris Jordan 3-17, Chris Woakes 2-23) England 126/2 in 11.4 overs (Jos Buttler 71 not out; Ashton Agar 1-15) Player of the Match: Chris Jordan (England)  

SPORTS BULLETIN REPORT Faisalabad (October 30, 2021):-Balochistan and Sindh registered their victories in the A.S. Ali Blind Cricket Trophy 2021 after beating their challengers at two different venues in Faisalabad. Balochistan Vs Punjab Venue: Boranwali Cricket Ground The 5th match of the event was played between Balochistan and Punjab. Balochistan won the toss and not surprisingly decided to bowl first, as Punjab were in do-or-die position, they have lost 2 games and direly needs a win to stay alive in the tournament. Punjab played well and posted a mammoth total of 382 runs for the loss of 5 wickets in allotted 40 overs. Moeen Aslam who missed out in the earlier two games played a fantastic innings of 174 runs off 119 balls. Muhammad Akram missed his ton and made brisk 91 runs. Naeem Ullah made fifty (50) in the deck overs and helped Punjab to post a huge total. Matiullah was the successful bowler for Balocshitan, he took 2 wickets. Balocshitan in reply chased down the target of 383 on the last ball of the innings in a nail-biting finish for the loss of 7 wickets. Haroon Khan played the outstanding innings of 120 runs off 80 balls and Matiullah chipped in with 59 runs. Yasir Malik was the pick amongst the bowler he claimed 3 wickets. Result: Balocshitan won by 3 Wickets Man of the Match: Haroon Khan Sindh Vs Islamabad: Venue: Cricket Ground Sports Complex Chak No 8 Islamabad won the toss and asked Sindh to bat first. Islamabad got early wickets but Mohammad Rashid’s splendid innings of 136 runs off 88 balls turn the table on Islamabad. He was well supported by Bilal Ali, he made 57 runs. Sindh piled up 383 runs on the board for the loss of 5 wickets. Mohammad Salman took 2 wickets while Babar Ali and Akmal Hayyat claimed a wicket apiece. Islamabad chasing 384 runs, lost quick wickets. Their most dependent batsman Anees Javed also got retired hurt and Islamabad was left in all sorts of trouble. Ayoub Khan tried to rescue with his impressive unbeaten innings of 121 runs but in vain. Babar Ali made 54 runs off 63 balls. Badar Munir and Ahtesham ul Haq claimed a wicket apiece. Result: Sindh won by 63 runs Man of the Match: Mohammad Rashid    

SPORTS BULLETIN REPORT Sharjah (October 30, 2021):-South Africa claimed a tense four-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the final over to keep their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup hopes alive. Pathum Nissanka led Sri Lanka’s charge making 72 as South Africa took regular wickets to restrict the Lions to 142 all out. Hasaranga halted South Africa’s steady progress taking a hat-trick to reduce them to 112 for six but David Miller provided the heroics to knock Sri Lanka out. South Africa won the toss and chose to field making one change as Quinton de Kock was restored to the side in place of Heinrich Klaasen. It was a tale of two overs for Nortje, castling Kusal Perera in his first over before conceding 13 off his second to see Sri Lanka make 39 for one in the powerplay. With Charith Asalanka in, Sri Lanka started to increase their run rate, he and Nissanka smashing Maharaj for sixes before Asalanka was run out thanks to smart fielding by Kagiso Rabada and de Kock. His replacement, Bhanuka Rajapakse, was as tame as Asalanka was brave, sending Tabraiz Shamsi wheeling away in celebration after an easy caught and bowled. Avishka Fernando fell in much the same way as Rajapakse, although this time Shamsi was down on his knees having reduced Sri Lanka to 77 for four. As opener Nissanka neared his half-century he could not find a partner willing to stick with him - Hasaranga forced to go, caught on four by a diving Aiden Markram - but Nissanka finally got his half-century, coming off 46 balls to claim his second T20I fifty. Despite being sent for two fours, Dwaine Pretorius continued with his wide of off stump deliveries, finally reaping his reward as Rabada caught Dasun Shanaka down low to again stifle Sri Lanka. Nissanka could not hang on until the end falling for 72 off 58, his highest T20I score, as Sri Lanka ended on 142 all out, Kumara run out on the final ball. Reeza Hendricks and de Kock made a tidy start to the chase before Hendricks was given out lbw which was upheld on review. De Kock followed two balls later top-edging straight to the bowler Dushmantha Chameera to leave South Africa on 26 for two. Like in the Sri Lanka innings, the number three was run out, this time Rassie van der Dussen was left stranded due to miscommunication from captain Temba Bavuma as the Proteas slipped to 49-3. With half the innings gone, South Africa were five runs behind Sri Lanka at 62-3 but Bavuma and Markram were building a useful partnership. The pair added 47 before Markram had to go for 19 off 20 having been clean bowled by Hasaranga. From his next delivery, two overs later, Hasaranga took the crucial wicket of Bavuma who departed for a run-a-ball 46, and then he got his hat-trick. Pretorius holed out to long on and Hasaranga set off in celebration, no one could stop him, at least no South African. Rabada survived an lbw review off the next ball before smacking Chameera for six in the next over, leaving South Africa needing 15 off the final over with Kumara bowling it. After conceding a single to Rabada, David Miller teed off hitting back-to-back sixes and then the winning runs as South Africa snuck home. Scores in Brief South Africa beat Sri Lanka at Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah by four wickets. Sri Lanka 142 all out in 20 overs (Pathum Nissanka 72, Charith Asalanka 21; Dwayne Pretorius 3-17, Tabraiz Shamsi 3-17) South Africa 146/6 in 19.5 overs (Temba Bavuma 46, David Miller 23 not out; Wanindu Hasaranga 3/20, Dushmantha Chameera 2/27) Player of the Match: Tabraiz Shamsi (South Africa)

SPORTS BULLETIN REPORT Dubai (October 29, 2021):- ):-Asif Ali, four sixes in the penultimate over of the match, overwhelmed all efforts of  Afghanistan guys in a Group II fixture of the ICC T20 Men’s World Cup 2021 at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai on Friday night. Asif blitzed 25 in just seven balls to ensure Babar Azam’s 51 did not go to waste as they successfully chased 148 to win by five wickets in front of a raucous crowd at the Dubai International Stadium. Only some back-end fireworks from Afghanistan skipper Mohammad Nabi and Gulbadin Naib, who shared an unbeaten stand of 71 off 48 balls, gave their side a competitive total after they had slipped to 76 for six. Asif had smashed 27 in 12 balls to help Pakistan beat New Zealand last time out and having trumped India in their opener, they have now cemented their spot on top of Group 2 and put one foot in the semi-finals of the ICC Men’s World T20 2021. Nabi bucked the trend by choosing to bat in Dubai despite the dew and may have been regretting that call when Hazratullah Zazai was dismissed for a five-ball duck in the second over. The Afghanistan opener’s top edge off Imad Wasim was safely pouched by Haris Rauf to give Pakistan an early breakthrough. Mohammad Shazad struck the first boundary of the innings, but two balls later departed for eight after tamely chipping Shaheen Shah Afridi straight to mid-on to leave Afghanistan floundering at 13 for two. Rahmanullah Gurbaz got off the mark in some style, planting Wasim into the stands with an eye-catching slog-sweep but should have been easily run out soon after only for Mohammad Rizwan’s wayward throw to spare his blushes. Asghar Afghan also opened his account with a maximum in Wasim’s second over which went for 17, but the No.4 was soon walking back for 10 after Rauf took a sharp return catch, with his younger brother Karim Janat replacing him. In what was now typical fashion, Janat got going with a six off Haris but could only watch on as Rahmanullah holed out off Afridi for 10 as Afghanistan lost four wickets inside an action-packed powerplay, finishing on 49 for four. Janat’s promising partnership of 25 with Najibullah Zadran was cut short when the former holed out off Imad, who finished with two for 25, for 15 in the 10th over. The theme of big hits and wickets continued when Najibullah sent Shadab Khan out of the park only for the bowler to exact immediate revenge, having him caught behind for 22 with a wrong-un. Skipper Nabi was joined by Gulbadin and the pair spun the game on its head with a vital partnership of 71 off 48 balls, both batters finishing unbeaten on 35. Gulbadin exploded into life in Hasan Ali’s 18th over, smashing a six and two fours on his way to single-handedly adding 19 of the 21 runs scored. The 50 partnership came off just 36 balls and the carnage continued with Haris' 19th over going for 15 runs as Pakistan leaked 36 runs in just 12 balls. Shaheen's final over cost just seven, even with a no-ball, but the damage was done, and Afghanistan finished on 147 for six, more than enough for their spinners to get stuck into. Pakistan got off to a slow start in reply when Rizwan, eight off 10, was well caught on the boundary by Naveen-ul-Haq off Mujeeb Ur Rahman in just the third over. Fakhar Zaman wasted no time in getting going as he and captain Babar guided Pakistan to 38 for one from the powerplay before Mujeeb returned to complete an excellent spell of one for 14 from his four overs. Fakhar and Babar’s partnership reached 50 from just 39 balls as Pakistan took control of the chase with wickets in hand. Babar’s class shone through as he made his way to 36 before danger man Rashid Khan, belatedly brought into the attack in the 11th over, thought he had him trapped LBW only for the decision to be overturned on review. But DRS could not save the skipper’s partner Fakhar as Nabi had him pinned in front for 30 from the very next ball at the other end, curtailing the third-wicket partnership of 63 and leaving Pakistan 75 for two. Rashid had his 100th T20 international wicket, the quickest to the milestone, for real when Mohammad Hafeez’s top-edge found Gulbadin to give Afghanistan a chance with the asking rate creeping over nine. Babar should have been caught by Naveen off Rashid but the spinner had his man with the final ball of his spell of two for 26, a googly castling the Pakistan skipper as he surprisingly aimed a huge swipe into the leg side with 12 already having come from the 17th over. Naveen bowled a sensational 18th over which cost just two runs during which he shelled an exceptionally tough reaction chance off Shoaib Malik but two balls later the veteran batter nicked one behind to depart for 19 with 24 still needed off 13. Just as Afghanistan clawed their way in front, Asif had other ideas, belting four huge sixes off Janat in the 19th over to seal an incredible victory with six balls to spare. Scores in Brief Pakistan beat Afghanistan at Dubai International Stadium, Dubai by five wickets Afghanistan 147/6 in 20 overs (Mohammad Nabi 35 not out, Gulbadin Naib 35 not out; Imad Wasim 2/25, Shaheen Shah Afridi 1/22, Shadab Khan 1/22) Pakistan 148/5 in 19 overs (Babar Azam 51, Fakhar Zaman 30, Asif Ali 25 not out; Rashid Khan 2/26, Mujeeb Ur Rahman 1/14) Player of the Match: Asif Ali (Pakistan)