Pakistan defeats Afghanistan by 66 runs in third T20I

F.P. Report

SHARJAH: Pakistan has clinched victory in the third T20I against Afghanistan.

The Green Shirts defeated the Afghan team by 66 runs.  Afghanistan won the toss and decided to bowl first in the third T20I of the three-match series at Sharjah Cricket Stadium in the UAE. Pakistan posted a 183-run target.

Pakistan batters for the first time in the series give a respectable total to the bowlers to defend. The green shirts made 182 for a loss of seven wickets in the mandatory 20 overs. Saim Ayoub, Iftikhar Ahmad, Shadab Khan, and Abdullah Shafique shine today with the bat and they contributed 49, 30,28, and 23 runs respectively.

Put into bat first in the third T20I of the three-match series, led by Afghanistan 2-0, Pakistan batters put on an all-round performance to pile a commendable total on the scoreboard with young Saim leading the way with a gritty 49-run knock.

Earlier, the green shirts were once again off to a dismal start to their innings as wicketkeeper batter Mohammad Haris (1) perished cheaply in the second over with just one run on the board.

Promoted to bat at number three, Tayyab Tahir, joined Saim in the middle and launched a counterattack on the Afghan bowlers.

The right-handed batter was looking to dominate the bowlers, having smashed two boundaries early on, but failed to stretch his knock as he fell after scoring 10 off nine in the fourth over.

Abdullah Shafique, who was going through a rough patch in T20Is, came out roaring in the third and final T20I of the ongoing series as he scored a brisk 13-ball 23 before Rashid Khan castled him in the eighth over. He smashed a boundary and two sixes amid his brief knock.

Afghanistan have already won the series by winning two matches of three-match series. Afghanistan and Pakistan have played against each other thrice in the T20 cricket format. All three matches have been clinched by Pakistan.

PLAYING XIs

Pakistan Playing XI: Mohammad Haris (wk), Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan (c), Mohammad Nawaz, Iftikhar Ahmed, Abdullah Shafique, Tayyab Tahir, Imad Wasim, Ihsanullah, Mohammad Wasim and Zaman Khan

Afghanistan Playing XI: Usman Ghani, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Karim Janat, Rashid Khan (c), Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Farid Ahmad Malik