Afghanistan spinners stifle Pakistan for 18-run win in tri-series

SHARJAH, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Ibrahim Zadran and Sediqullah Atal smashed successive half-centuries before Afghanistan spinners strangled Pakistan’s deep batting lineup to notch an 18-run win in the T20 tri-series Tuesday.

The spin trio of captain Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi and left-arm spinner Noor Ahmad, playing his first game of the tournament, snared six wickets between them to limit Pakistan to 151-9.

Zadran (65) and Atal (64) followed their half-centuries against United Arab Emirates a day ago with an impressive 113-run stand as Afghanistan posted 169-5 after Khan won the toss and elected field.

It was the fourth straight game in the tri-series in which teams successfully defended totals. UAE lost both its games while chasing against Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Haris Rauf’s four-wicket haul had led Pakistan to 39-run in the opening game of the tournament, but on Tuesday the No. 10 batter top-scored with 34 not out off 16 balls. Rauf’s blitz came too late as Afghanistan spinners had virtually sealed the game by squeezing Pakistan to 111-9 in 17 overs.

Fast bowler Fazalhaq Farooqi set the game for Afghanistan with two wickets inside the powerplay. The left-armer struck off his first ball when Saim Ayub feathered a catch off a mis-timed pull shot to wicketkeeper and was dismissed without scoring.

Sahibzada Farhan (18) struck two sixes but was clean bowled by Farooqi off a delivery that nipped back into the right-handed batter and hit the off-stump.

Fakhar Zaman couldn’t convert a good start of 25 runs off 18 balls once the Afghan spinners bowled from both ends. Zaman sliced an easy catch to short third off Nabi and captain Salman Ali Agha was brilliantly run-out by Khan at the non-striker’s end.

Hasan Nawaz couldn’t clear Ahmad’s first ball, a low leg side full toss and was caught at short fine leg before Mohammad Haris’ run of poor form continues and he holed out to deep square leg of Nabi as Pakistan stuttered to 82-6 in the 12th over.

Khan then picked the wickets of Mohammad Nawaz off another mistimed shot by a Pakistan batter and rattled the stumps of Shaheen Afridi before Rauf denied Khan the hat trick. Noor then capped a perfect day when he clean bowled Ashraf off his final ball.

Earlier, Zadran and Atal shared a century stand before Ashraf’s 4-27 didn’t allow Afghanistan to score freely in the death overs.

Both batters joined when Ayub’s bowled three economical overs in the powerplay and also accounted for the wicket of Rahmanullah Gurbaz (8) in his first over.

Zadran and Atal paced their partnership well soon after the powerplay with Rauf and the two spinners — Nawaz and Sufiyan Muqeem — conceding 95 runs off their combined eight wicketless overs.

Ashraf picked all his four wickets in the final three overs with Zadran and Atal getting caught in the outfield while deceiving Omarzai and Nabi with his slower deliveries as Afghanistan couldn’t accelerate in the final five overs.

Both Pakistan and Afghanistan have four points each after three games each while UAE, which faces Pakistan on Thursday, has no points.

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