Pakistan lost T20 series to Afghanistan

SHARJAH: Afghanistan overwhelmed late worries in the closing overs to beat Pakistan by seven wickets in the second Twenty20 international on Sunday and take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three game series.

Demanding 30 off the last three overs, and 22 from the last two, Najibullah Zadran and Mohammad Nabi hit a six each off pace bowler Naseem Shah in the last but one over to reduce the target to five runs.

Zadran then hit the winning boundary off Zaman Khan’s last over to chase down the 131-run target with one ball to replacement.

Rashid Khan said “It’s a great honour and pleasure to lead this wonderful team.”

Pakistan’s 130-6 in 20 overs was built around a sedate 57-ball 64 not out by all-rounder Imad Wasim his earliest T20I half century.

This was Afghanistan’s first two-sided T20I series against any of the top six teams India, England, Pakistan, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia.

Shafique has now been dismissed for nought on four successive occasions in five T20Is since making his debut in November 2020.

Mohammad Haris hit a six and two boundaries in his nine-ball 15 while Tayyab Tahir scored a 23-ball 13.

The stickily built Azam Khan, who rose to fame with his power hitting in the recent Pakistan Super League, fell to spinner Rashid Khan, scoring just one after his naught in the first game.

Shadab, who is deputising for rested skipper Babar Azam, hit three boundaries in his 25-ball knock.

Imad’s previous best of 47 had come against Sri Lanka in Lahore in 2019.