Pakistan men’s cricket team, inspired by spinner Mohammad Nawaz’s stunning hat-trick, thrashed Afghanistan by 75 runs to claim the Twenty20 International tri-series final in Sharjah on Sunday.
Nawaz, who was named player of the match, delivered a career-best performance with figures of 5-19. His clever left-arm spin dismantled Afghanistan’s batting order, leaving them bowled out for just 66. The all-rounder also chipped in with the bat, striking two sixes in his 25-run knock off 21 balls.
Earlier, after winning the toss, skipper Salman Ali Agha opted to bat. Pakistan posted 141-8 in their allotted overs, despite Afghanistan’s spinners keeping a tight grip on proceedings. Rashid Khan led the way with three wickets, while Noor Ahmad and Fazalhaq Farooqi took two apiece. For Pakistan, there was only one change from their last outing, with spinner Abrar Ahmed replacing pacer Haris Rauf.
The Afghan bowlers struck early when Fazalhaq bowled Sahibzada Farhan with a sharp inswinger. Noor then accounted for opener Saim Ayub, caught by Rashid Khan at cover, before Fakhar Zaman fell leg-before to Rashid in the following over. Hasan Nawaz briefly lifted the tempo with a six but soon perished attempting another big hit off Rashid. Mohammad Haris continued his struggles against spin, dismissed by Noor, as Pakistan stumbled to 61-3 halfway through their innings.
Nawaz restored some momentum with a maximum in the 15th over, and Salman Ali Agha added two sixes off Rashid before top-edging a delivery to short third man. Contributions from Faheem Ashraf and Nawaz helped Pakistan close at 141-8.
In response, Afghanistan never found their footing. Their chase unraveled as Nawaz struck a decisive hat-trick across the 6th and 8th overs, removing key batters and breaking the backbone of the innings. Spinners Abrar Ahmed and Sufyan Moqim also impressed, picking up two wickets each as Pakistan’s spin attack overshadowed their Afghan counterparts in front of a packed Sharjah crowd.
Pakistan had sealed their spot in the final after consecutive wins over the UAE, while Afghanistan booked their place with a narrow four-run victory against the hosts. Both finalists had faced each other twice earlier in the tournament, with Pakistan winning the opener by 39 runs and Afghanistan taking the second clash by 18.
The tri-series served as a build-up to the Asia Cup, starting September 9, and offered both sides valuable preparation. But in the decisive clash, Nawaz’s brilliance ensured Pakistan lifted the trophy with ease.
Teams
Pakistan: Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman, Salman Ali Agha (captain), Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Haris (wk), Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi, Sufyan Moqim, Abrar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz.
Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Karim Janat, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan (captain), Mohammad Nabi, AM Ghazanfar, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi.
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