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Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha admitted his team only had themselves to blame after suffering their first defeat of the tri-nation T20I series on Tuesday night, going down to Afghanistan by 18 runs at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.
Opting to bat first, Afghanistan put up 169/5 in their 20 overs, thanks largely to a superb 113-run stand for the second wicket between Ibrahim Zadran and Sediqullah Atal. Despite early pressure when Saim Ayub removed Rahmanullah Gurbaz for just 8, Afghanistan regrouped. Zadran’s 65 off 45 balls and Atal’s 64 off 45 ensured the innings never lost momentum. Faheem Ashraf was the standout for Pakistan with career-best figures of 4/27, while Saim chipped in with one wicket.
Chasing 170, Pakistan looked in control at 60 for two in the eighth over, but a flurry of wickets in the middle phase shifted momentum firmly in Afghanistan’s favour. Eventually, the Men in Green could only muster 151/9, falling short by 18 runs.
At the post-match presentation, Agha acknowledged that the game had been within reach before his side faltered.
“I think 170 was chaseable. The bowlers did well, but we lost too many wickets in the middle overs. At 60 for two after eight, we were in a good position but lost our way,” the captain said.
He praised Afghanistan’s spinners for tightening the screws, adding: “Against quality spinners, if you give them a sniff, they’ll take it. We still lost by only 18 runs — with better batting in the middle, it could’ve been a different story.”
Basit slams Haris
Former Pakistan international cricketer Basit Ali didn’t hold back in his criticism after the loss, singling out wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Haris for another irresponsible dismissal. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Basit accused Haris of failing to learn from repeated mistakes.
“Haris got out to Nabi. My question is, Nabi was brought on specifically to bowl to a left-handed batter, but instead, you get out to him. This shows you have no cricketing sense. You’re playing senseless cricket, just swinging for a six to look like a hero,” Basit remarked.
He went on to suggest that Haris’s dropping down the order reflected a lack of trust from the coaching staff.
“When a player slips from number six to number seven, it’s clear the coach doesn’t trust him either,” he said, adding that heroes in cricket are “made through hard work, not overnight.”
While the result was disappointing, there were individual performances worth noting. Faheem Ashraf not only starred with the ball but also delivered key breakthroughs, breaking the dangerous second-wicket stand by dismissing Atal in the 16th over.
Later in the chase, Haris Rauf produced late fireworks, smashing 34* off just 16 deliveries with four sixes at a strike rate of 212.50. However, his cameo came too late to turn the tide. Fakhar Zaman (25), Salman Ali Agha (20), and Sahibzada Farhan (18) got starts but none could anchor the innings.
Afghanistan’s bowlers shared the load, with Fazalhaq Farooqi, Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi, and Noor Ahmad all picking up two wickets each. Their ability to apply consistent pressure ensured Pakistan never got the chase back under control.
Despite the defeat, Pakistan remain on top of the tri-series points table with four points from three games. Their net run rate, however, slipped from 1.750 to 0.867. Afghanistan, boosted by this win, are second with two victories in three outings and a positive net run rate of 0.283. Hosts UAE are yet to win a match and sit bottom of the table on -1.725.
For Afghanistan, the win serves as a strong statement of intent, underlining their growing depth and confidence in the format. For Pakistan, however, it was a timely reminder of the importance of batting discipline against quality spin.
Pakistan will be back in action immediately, facing hosts UAE on Thursday at the same venue. With qualification for the final still very much in their hands, Salman Agha’s men will be keen to bounce back strongly and iron out the batting flaws that cost them against Afghanistan.
If Pakistan are to maintain their lead in the tri-series, they will need both their top order and middle order to step up, complementing the bowlers who once again showed they can keep even dangerous opponents within reach.
