Sharjah, 8 September 2022 (TDI): The Pakistan cricket team has qualified for the Asia Cup 2022 final after beating Afghanistan on Wednesday, in the last over, by 1 wicket.
UNBELIEVABLE FINISH! 🤩
Pakistan are through to the Asia Cup final💪#AsiaCup2022 | #AFGvPAK pic.twitter.com/T2KGjTmo5k
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) September 7, 2022
Pakistan won the toss and elected to bowl first. Both teams played their 2nd match of the Super Four stage of Asia Cup 2022. Pakistan needed to win the match to confirm its place in the final.
Playing XI of both teams
Pakistan unchanged while Afghanistan make two changes for crucial #AsiaCup2022 fixture in Sharjah#AFGvPAK pic.twitter.com/bNeAhXObLc
— Cricket Pakistan (@cricketpakcompk) September 7, 2022
Pakistan played with an unchanged team from the last match against India. Pakistan team included Babar Azam (C), Muhammad Rizwan (WK), Fakhar Zaman, Asif Ali, Khushdil Shah, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Muhammad Nawaz, Muhammad Hasnain, Haris Rauf, and Naseem Shah.
Afghanistan played with Muhammad Nabi (C), Hazrat Ullah Zazai, Rehman Ullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Karim Jannat, Najib Ullah Zadran, Azmat Ullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rehman, Fareed Ahmed, and Fazal Haq Farooqi.
The Afghan openers gave a quick start of 36 runs in the first four overs when Rehman Ullah Gurbaz got out. He scored 17 off just 11 balls.
Afghanistan scored 129 runs and lost 6 wickets in their allotted 20 overs. Ibrahim Zadran scored 35 runs. Haris Rauf took 2 wickets for 26 runs in his 4 overs.
In response, Pakistan captain Babar Azam failed yet again in the Asia Cup 2022 and got out for a Golden duck. Pakistan’s innings were slow initially but Shadab came and scored 36 runs off just 26 balls.
The match came down to the wire and Pakistan needed 11 runs off the final over. Pakistan had lost 9 wickets till then. Naseem Shah was on the strike and hit 2 consecutive sixes on the first two balls of the last over and took Pakistan to victory.
Also read : Pakistan beats India in Asia Cup 2022
The victory sprint 😍
Man of the moment @iNaseemShah 🫡#AsiaCup2022 | #AFGvPAK pic.twitter.com/JRzjL5GbmE
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) September 7, 2022
Shadab Khan was declared Player of the Match for his all-round performance. He scored 36 runs off 26 balls and took 1 wicket for 27 runs in his 4 overs.
Also read: Sri Lanka reaches Asia Cup Final
Pakistan won the match and qualified for the final of Asia Cup 2022. The Asia Cup Final will take place on 11 September between Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
