Tag: Asia Cup 2022

SHARJAH: Pakistan pacer Naseem Shah held his nerves calm in a tense run chase and smashed consecutive sixes to power his side over the line and into the final of the Asia Cup 2022.

Set to chase 130, Afghanistan bowlers made it hard for Pakistan but Naseem smashed two sixes on the first two deliveries of the final over to power the Green Shirts into the final of the continental event.

The men in green were off to a dismal start to their run chase as their captain Babar Azam perished for a golden duck in the first over, while top-order batter Fakhar Zaman also made his way back to the pavilion in the fifth over for a mere five.

World No.1 batter Mohammad Rizwan and all-rounder Iftikhar Ahmed then attempted to script recovery for Pakistan as the duo added a crucial 27 runs for the third wicket before Rashid Khan trapped the top batter for 20 and Pakistan, as a result, slipped to 45/3 in the ninth over.

Following his departure, Iftikhar then joined hands with vice-captain Shadab Khan and added the highest partnership of 42 runs in the run chase before the former fell while attempting to shift the momentum. He scored 30 off 33 deliveries.

Shadab, however, who was scoring at a rapid pace fell in the next over after top-scoring for Pakistan with 36 in the next over. He faced 26 deliveries and smashed four boundaries including three sixes.

The side then ran into a frustrating collapse and soon slipped to 119/9 in 19 overs as Asif Ali also perished after hitting a six off Fareed Ahmad and scored an important 16 in a tense chase.

Naseem then stole the show with two blistering hits on the first two delivery of the final over and guided Pakistan to an astonishing victory.

Following the victory, both Pakistan and Sri Lanka qualified for the final while India and Afghanistan crashed out of the tournament.

Fazalhaq Farooqi and Fareed were the picks of the bowlers for Afghanistan as they bagged three each, while Rashid made two scalps.

Afghanistan, after being put into bat first by Pakistan captain Babar Azam, had a flying start to their inning as openers Hazratullah Zazai and Rahmanullah Guzrbaz attacked Pakistan bowlers with blistering hitting.

The appeared solid appeared and was dealing in boundaries till the fourth over before Pakistan speedster Haris Rauf castled Gurbaz for 17.

Following Gurbaz’s departure, his partner Zazai also fell soon after in the next over as Mohammad Hasnain outdid him with a slower delivery. The left-handed batter scored 21 off 17 deliveries.

Karim Janat and Ibrahim Zadran then anchored the inning briefly with their 35-run partnership for the third wicket.

Ibrahim was looking impressive amid the stand and was scoring more efficiently, while Janat, who was struggling to get going, perished in the 12th over after scoring a snail-paced 15.

Following his dismissal, Afghanistan began to lose wickets at an alarming rate and soon slipped to 91/5 in the 15th over with their captain Mohammad Nabi being the latest casualty after bagging a golden duck off Naseem Shah.

Afghanistan top-scorer Ibrahim also fell victim to the strong Pakistan bowling attack in the 17th over as the extra bounce and pace stunned the right-handed batter. He scored 35 off 37 deliveries, laced with two boundaries and a six.

Following the slump, all-rounder Rashid Khan stood up for his team and scored an important 18 off just 10 deliveries and bolstered his side to finish at 129/6 in the allotted 20 overs.

Haris led the bowling attack for Pakistan with two wickets, while Naseem, Mohammad Nawaz, Shadab Khan, and Mohammad Hasnain struck out a batter each.

Pakistan pacer Naseem Shah held his nerves calm in a tense run chase and smashed consecutive sixes to power his side over the line and into the final of the Asia Cup 2022.

PAK 131/9 (19.2 Overs)

Pakistan need 11 runs with one wicket in hand. Fareed to bowl the final over

PAK 119/9 (19 Overs)

Farooqi comes to bowl his last

PAK 109/7 (18 Overs)

17.1: It’s the off-cutter. Pitches on off, and nips in. The batter looks to work this onside and looks to have been struck in front of off on the back foot.

Farooqi comes to bowl his last

PAK 105-5 (17 Overs)

16.2: Again tossed up outside off – brave from Rashid considering the result last ball – but this time it’s the leg spinner. Shadab looks to smash this down towards long-off, but only manages a thick looping outside edge to short third man

Rashid comes to bowl his last

PAK 91-4 (16 Overs)

15.3: Short and pulled straight into gleeful hands of deep midwicket! This was the slower ball, and it sounded clean off Iftikhar’s bat, but he just couldn’t get the distance.

Fareed continues

PAK 85-3 (15 Overs)

Rashid comes again

PAK 82-3 (14 Overs)

Fareed comes back

PAK 79-3 (13 Overs)

Mujeeb comes to bowl his last

PAK 72-3 (12 Overs)

Nabi comes again

PAK 58-3 (11 Overs)

Azmatullah Omarzai comes into the attack

PAK 52-3 (10 Overs)

Nabi continues

PAK 48-3 (9 Overs)

8.4: Another googly from Rashid, pitching outside off and hurrying the batter. Rizwan was on the back foot, looking to flick it but missed and was struck in front of the middle.

Rashid continues

PAK 43-2 (8 Overs)

Mohammad Nabi comes into the attack

PAK 39-2 (7 Overs)

Rashid Khan comes into the attack

PAK 35-2 (6 Overs)

Mujeeb comes to bowl his third

PAK 32-2 (5 Overs)

Fareed Ahmad comes into the attack

PAK 20-2 (4 Overs)

3.1: Full length around off, drops it towards extra cover and sets off. Najibullah charges at the ball, swoops low, picks it up with his right, turns around and nails a direct hit at the bowler’s end… and Fakhar is short of his ground.

Mujeeb continues

PAK 18-1 (3 Overs)

Farooqi continues

PAK 8-1 (2 Overs)

Mujeeb Ur Rahman to bowl from the other end

PAK 6-1 (1 Over)

0.2: A length ball, pitching around middle and just straightening to beat the inside edge and hit on the front pad.

Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan come out to chase for Pakistan. Fazalhaq Farooqi opens the bowling attack for Afghanistan.

PAKISTAN vs AFGHANISTAN (2nd INNING)

Pakistan bowlers displayed combined effort and decimated Afghanistan batting line-up as the Men in Green reduced Afghanistan to 129/6 in the allotted 20 overs of the all-important Super Four clash of Asia Cup 2022.

AFG 129-6 (20 Overs)

Haris to bowl the final over

AFG 119-6 (19 Overs)

Naseem comes to bowl his last

AFG 113-6 (18 Overs)

Hasnain comes to bowl his last

AFG 105-6 (17 Overs)

16.3: This is back of a length, quick and rushes Ibrahim who is looking to punch this down the ground off the back foot. The extra bounce surprises him though, and he can only manage a thick edge through to Rizwan.

Haris comes into the attack

AFG 104-5 (16 Overs)

Shadab comes to bowl his last

AFG 93-5 (15 Overs)

14.1: This is chopped on, as Nabi just hangs his bat out to this back of a length delivery in the channel. The ball crashes into the base of the stumps off the inside edge.

Naseem comes back into the attack

AFG 91/4 (14 Overs)

13.6: This is the pick of the punch as it’s quicker, seam up, and Zadran is unable to get the distance on this loft over long-on. It goes high, but straight down the gullet of the man in the deep.

Shadab comes back

AFG 83-3 (13 Overs)

Hasnain replaces Haris

AFG 79-3 (12 Overs)

11.2: This is high and straight down the throat of Fakar at long-on! The pressure has paid off, as Janat looks for the big slog sweep against the spin, but only ends up top-edging this high into the Sharjah sky.

Nawaz comes to bowl his last

AFG 77-2 (11 Overs)

Haris comes back into the attack

AFG 72-2 (10 Overs)

Nawaz comes to bowl his third

AFG 64-2 (9 Overs)

Shadab comes again

AFG 61-2 (8 Overs)

Nawaz continues

AFG 53-2 (7 Overs)

Shadab Khan replaces Hasnain

AFG 48-2 (6 Overs)

Mohammad Nawaz replaces Haris

AFG 43-2 (5 Overs)

4.5: A length ball around off and middle, bowled at 119kph. Zazai failed to spot it early, and ended up pushing at it to work it towards short midwicket. But the ball sneaked through the gap between bat and pad to uproot the leg stump.

Hasnain comes back

AFG 37-1 (4 Overs)

3.5: A length ball at 144kph, pitching around off and slightly coming in with the angle. Gurbaz moves across and looks to smash through midwicket. No contact and the ball crashes into the off stump.

Haris Rauf comes into the attack

AFG 27-0 (3 Overs)

Naseem continues

AFG 20-0 (2 Overs)

Mohammad Hasnain to bowl from the other end

AFG 4-0 (1 Over)

Hazratullah Zazai and Rahmanullah Gurbaz come out to bat for Afghanistan. Naseem Shah to open the bowling attack.

PAKISTAN vs AFGHANISTAN (1st INNING)

SHARJAH: Pakistan have won the toss and elected to field first against Afghanistan in the all-important Super Four clash of the Asia Cup 2022.

PLAYING XIs

Pakistan: Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Fakhar Zaman, Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, Asif Ali, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain

Afghanistan: Hazratullah Zazai, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi (c), Karim Janat, Rashid Khan, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fareed Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi

HEAD TO HEAD

Matches-2, Pakistan-2, Afghanistan-0

SHARJAH: Pakistan have won the toss and elected to field first against Afghanistan in the all-important Super Four clash of the Asia Cup 2022.

PLAYING XIs

Pakistan: Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Fakhar Zaman, Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, Asif Ali, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain

Afghanistan: Hazratullah Zazai, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi (c), Karim Janat, Rashid Khan, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fareed Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi

HEAD TO HEAD

Matches-2, Pakistan-2, Afghanistan-0

DUBAI: As India faced an upset defeat at the hands of Sri Lanka on Tuesday, many Indian fans were enraged at the Indian team with young pacer Arshdeep Singh being the foremost victim of the severe backlash since he dropped an easy catch of Asif Ali during the Pakistan vs India match on Sunday.

In what appeared to be an insulting gesture, Indian skipper Rohit Sharma turned his back on the left-arm pacer when he was bowling the crucial final on Tuesday with Sri Lanka requiring just seven runs of the last over to win the game.

Rohit lost the match in 19th over but arshdeep lost the match in last ball
Well-done boy ❤️👏#SLvIND pic.twitter.com/jMXYcZzQRx

— سلمان قادر بھٹی (@sqb_786) September 6, 2022

The clip of the incident went viral on social media as netizens seemed perplexed over the Indian skipper’s attitude towards the young teammate.

It is pertinent to mention here that India faced back-to-back defeats in the Super Four stage of the Asia Cup 2022, diminishing the chances for Men in Blue to qualify for the final scheduled on September 11.

READ: Pakistan suffer 0-3 defeat from India on their return to international football

SHARJAH: Momentum-filled Pakistan will lock horns with a passionate Afghanistan cricket team today in a bid to storm into the final of the ongoing Asia Cup 2022.

All eyes will be on the fourth match of the ongoing Asia Cup Super Four which can confirm the finalists of the continental event.

Pakistan, ranked second in the Super Four points table with a victory that came against India on Sunday, will be hoping to imitate the outcome against Afghanistan as it would confirm the Men in Green qualification in the final.

Whereas, table toppers Sri Lanka with two wins against Afghanistan and India will also be hoping for Pakistan to win their all-important clash against Afghanistan as the outcome would also confirm their berth in the Asia Cup 2022 final.

Afghanistan, on the other hand, will be aiming to win their first Super Four match in order to stay in the competition, as will India, who will also be eliminated from the continental tournament if Afghanistan fail to defeat Pakistan.

The Green Shirts will be heavily backing themselves to sink Afghanistan as the side have remained victorious in the last two matches against Hong Kong and India respectively, while Afghanistan will be looking to bounce back after a frustrating defeat against Sri Lanka.

Pakistan will be heavily relying on their in-form batter Mohammad Rizwan, who is also the top-scorer of the ongoing tournament, while also hoping their captain Babar Azam and top-order batter Fakhar Zaman to fire.

In the bowling department, however, Shadab Khan and Mohammad Nawaz can play a crucial role for the nation as they did in the high-octane clash against Pakistan. Whereas, pacers Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf will also be handy for the side.
[totalpoll id=”240685″]

Afghanistan, on the other hand, will be relying heavily on their explosive openers and their spin trio of Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi, and Mujeeb Ur Rahman.

READ: Pakistan suffer 0-3 defeat from India on their return to international football

DUBAI: Afghanistan bowling coach Umar Gul revealed that the management has made a strategy against Pakistan captain Babar Azam while also expressing that the plan goes well in their favour.

Bowling coach Umar talked to the pre-match press conference ahead of Afghanistan’s upcoming Asia Cup Super Four fixture against Pakistan and expressed his hopes regarding the strategy against top-ranked T20I batter Babar to go as per plan.

“Babar and Rizwan are world-class players. Definitely, we have planned against them as professionals as we do for the other teams. So obviously, we are hoping that our players can execute those plannings against them,” said Umar Gul.

On a question regarding Pakistan speedster Naseem Shah, who impressed the cricketing world with his brilliant performance in the ongoing Asia Cup, Umar praised Naseem’s Pakistan Super League (PSL) performance and termed it a turning point in his success.

“I have worked with Naseem for two years during my coaching tenure for Quetta Gladiators and the way he performed in the last PSL was quite superb and you may call it a turning point for his international career as he made his debut in the white-ball cricket as well,” Umar stated.

“So in my view, he has improved quite well so far physically and also his cricketing skills. Definitely, he is a good bowler and an asset for Pakistan so I wish him good luck in the future. He is improving day by day and the responsibility is also mounting on him,” he added.

The former Pakistan pacer then expressed his desire to witness a good game of cricket between the two sides while also hoping the crowd to come out in numbers to watch the important match.

READ: ‘No doubt on his abilities, he’ll come back stronger’ Saqlain backs Fakhar

DUBAI: Sri Lanka sealed a stunning final-over victory over India in the Asia Cup 2022 Super Four to halt India’s chances for final qualification.

Set to chase 174, Sri Lanka sealed the victory on the second-last delivery of the final over as their skipper Dasun Shanaka and Bhanuka Rajapaksa stole the final two runs courtesy of over-throw.

The side were off to a flying start to their run chase as the openers – Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis thrashed Indian bowlers in the opening overs and laid a solid foundation with an astounding 97-run partnership.

The pair appeared solid and were looking to drive their team home comfortably before Yuzvendra Chahal’s twin strikes in the 12th over brought India back into the game.

Experienced spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who made his return to the Indian side, provided third breakthrough for India as he removed Danushka Gunathilaka for a mere one.

Chahal then struck again for India in the next over and removed the danger man Mendis and strengthened India’s position in the game. Mendis top-scored for Sri Lanka with 57 off 37 deliveries, laced with four boundaries and three sixes, while Nissanka followed back with a quick 52.

Following the slump, Shanaka and Rajapaksa held their nerves calm in a tense run chase and completed a thrilling victory over the defending champions as Sri Lanka got to 174/4 in 19.5 overs.

Shanaka scored a magnificent 33 off just 18 deliveries, while Rajapaksa remained unbeaten with a brilliant 25.

Chahal led the bowling attack for India with three wickets, while Ashwin made one scalp.

Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka put India into bat first after the coin flipped in his favour and the bowlers responded well as they provided a solid start to the hosts by claiming two early wickets.

Batting first, India had a dismal start as they lost KL Rahul and Virat Kohli in quick successions and as a result, slipped to 13/2 in the third over. Rahul could only score six, while Kohli bagged a four-ball duck.

Rohit then joined hands with Suryakumar Yadav and launched a counterattack on Sri Lankan bowlers as the pair amassed 97 runs for the third wicket in just 57 deliveries.

The pair appeared solid and seemed to have brought India back into the game before Chamika Karunaratne removed the danger man Rohit, who top-scored for India with a blistering 72 off 41 deliveries, laced with five boundaries and four sixes.

India’s top-ranked T20I batter Suryakumar also walked back after two overs in an attempt to scoop the ball over the wicketkeeper but ended up handing a straightforward catch to the third man. He scored 34 off 29 deliveries with the help of a boundary and a six.

The men in blue then began to lose wickets at an alarming rate and in the end finished at 173/8 in the allotted 20 overs.

Madushanka led the way for Sri Lanka with the ball as he bagged three wickets for 24, while Karunaratne and Dasun Shanaka claimed two each. Maheesh Theekshana, on the other hand, made one scalp.

READ: Pakistan to start SAFF Women’s Championship campaign against India 

LAHORE: Pakistan wicketkeeper batter Mohammad Rizwan will be available for selection in the national team’s next Asia Cup Super Four clash against Afghanistan, scheduled on Wednesday.

According to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Rizwan, who seemed to have sustained an injury during the anticipated clash between the arch-rivals Pakistan and India, will be fit for the side’s tomorrow’s fixture against Afghanistan.

Rizwan, however, will enjoy a rest day today and will not participate in the team’s scheduled practice session, in order to be completely fit for the Afghanistan match.

Earlier, the details suggested that the right-handed batter was suspecting a strain in his right leg. Rizwan had an improper landing on his right leg as he jumped to gather the bouncer off Mohammad Hasnain’s bowling and laid on the ground in gruelling pain.

The wicketkeeper batter, however, carried on to keep wickets for the rest of the innings and also displayed great determination in a tense run chase. He top-scored for the side with an anchoring knock of 71 runs and batted for almost 17 overs.

READ: Sarfaraz’s 62* goes in vain as CP down Sindh in National T20 Cup

NEW DELHI: With his recent statement doing rounds all over social media, a top BCCI official claimed that everyone in the Indian team as well as management supported the star Indian batter, Virat Kohli, during his rough patch. 

“Virat has had backing of everyone. From his teammates to everyone at the BCCI. To say that he did not get the support, is not true,”said a senior Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) official as reported by InsideSport, an Indian sports website.

“He was granted break to rejuvenate, he got frequent rest. Even everyone at BCCI wished him on social media when he stepped down from Test captaincy. So, I don’t know what he is talking about,” he added.

Former Indian captain Kohli has created a sensation with his revelation at the post-match press conference on Sunday, saying that nobody supported him during a low phase of his career and it was only MS Dhoni who texted him personally after he announced to quit Test captaincy.

“When I left Test captaincy, I only received a message from one person and I have played with that person in the past. That person is MS Dhoni, anyone else did not message me. Many people have my number, and there are many people who give me suggestions on the TV,” Kohli stated.

Furthermore, the BCCI official clarified that there was no rift between the board and the veteran batter saying that his role in the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup in Australia would be of utmost importance.

“There is no bad blood between Kohli and anyone in BCCI. Everyone respects him for his contributions to Indian cricket. He is a very important player across all three formats. He has hit form at the right time. We only wish he continues that run. It will be crucial for Team India in Australia,” the BCCI official said.

The right-handed batter looks in sublime touch in the ongoing T20 Asia Cup as he top-scored for India with a brilliant 60 against Pakistan in a much-anticipated Super Fours clash on Sunday. So far he has amassed 154 runs in the tournament, including two back-to-back fifties.

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DUBAI: Pakistan all-rounder Mohammad Nawaz, who played a match-defining 42-run knock in the high-octane Asia Cup Super Fours clash on Sunday, revealed that he was promoted in the batting order to maintain left-hand right-hand combination.

Nawaz spoke to the presser here after his match-winning knock and unveiled the strategy behind his promotion in the batting order.

“The captain and the management decided that I should be sent to maintain a left-right combination,” said Nawaz.

“I tried to give the best performance for my team which was seen today. There was no plan to change my number earlier,” he added.

The all-around player then asserted that playing under pressure had been very beneficial to him and pledged to get better as the burden of responsibility increased on him.

“I benefited a lot from playing under pressure. As an all-rounder, the onus has also increased on me to improve myself,” Nawaz stated.

The left-handed batter then revealed his game plan with Mohammad Rizwan as the duo decided to take the game till the end and lay a solid foundation for Khushdil Shah and Asif Ali.

“I had discussed with Rizwan about taking the match to the end so that Asif and Khushdil can play better,” shared Nawaz.

“The first match against India was also very close, we played under pressure which was quite good for us. Our focus was solely on winning and we will continue to do so. In this match, we were thinking that we might need to tackle short pitch deliveries and we were prepared for that,” he concluded.

It is pertinent to mention here that Pakistan avenged their Group A defeat by edge pasting arch-rivals India by five wickets in the Asia Cup Super Fours on Sunday. Nawaz played a match-winning knock for the Green Shirts as he scored a blistering 42 off a mere 20 deliveries after returning with match-winning bowling figures of 1/25.

READ: ‘Only Dhoni messaged me when I left Test captaincy’ reveals Kohli