SHARJAH: Pakistan clinched the T20 International tri-series title in emphatic fashion on Sunday, thrashing Afghanistan by 75 runs in the final at a packed Sharjah Cricket Stadium, thanks to a stunning spell from left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz.
Nawaz ripped through the Afghan batting order with a hat-trick becoming only the third Pakistani to achieve the feat in T20 internationals and returned match-winning figures of 5-19. Afghanistan never recovered from his fiery burst, folding for just 66 runs in pursuit of Pakistan’s 141-8.
Earlier, Afghan spinners had dominated the first innings after skipper Salman Ali Agha opted to bat first. Rashid Khan (3-24), Noor Ahmad (2-22) and Fazalhaq Farooqi (2-19) kept the scoring tight, with only brief resistance from Fakhar Zaman, Salman Ali Agha, and Nawaz, as Pakistan posted a modest total.
Pakistan’s bowlers, however, turned the game on its head. Nawaz was well supported by Abrar Ahmed and Sufyan Moqim, who picked up two wickets each, ensuring Afghanistan had no chance to build momentum.
The victory capped off a rollercoaster series for Pakistan, who had earlier beaten Afghanistan and UAE to book their place in the final. Afghanistan had entered the decider after edging past the hosts UAE in a tense finish.
With the Asia Cup around the corner, Pakistan’s dominant display particularly their spin attack sends a strong warning to rivals across the region.
Final Scorecard
- Pakistan: 141-8 (20 overs)
- Afghanistan: 66 all out (13.3 overs)
Result: Pakistan won by 75 runs
Teams:
- Pakistan XI: Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman, Salman Ali Agha (c), Hasan Nawaz, Muhammad Haris (wk), Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi, Sufyan Moqim, Abrar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz.
- Afghanistan XI: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Karim Janat, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan (c), Mohammad Nabi, AM Ghazanfar, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi.
