Pakistan overcame a brief batting collapse on the field and a tumultuous period off it to beat the United Arab Emirates (UAE) by 41 runs and qualify for the Super Four stage of the Asia Cup cricket tournament in Dubai.
In a match that was once uncertain, then delayed by an hour, Pakistan posted 146-9 in their 20 overs at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Wednesday.
The two-time Asian champions were then able to dismiss the UAE for 105 in 17.4 overs to ensure their place in the next phase of the regional T20 tournament.
Despite losing three early wickets, the UAE looked in a position to hand Pakistan a shock defeat as Rahul Chopra 35 (35) and Dhruv Parashar 20 (23) formed a 48-run partnership.
However, when fast bowler Haris Rauf dismissed Parashar in the 14th over, the UAE’s wickets fell in a heap over the next 22 deliveries.
Shaheen Shah Afridi, Abrar Ahmed and Rauf took two wickets apiece.
Earlier, veteran top-order batter Fakhar Zaman top-scored with 50 off 36 balls to give Pakistan a chance to post a defendable total after both of their openers were dismissed in the third over.
Zaman formed a brief partnership with captain Salman Agha, who scored 20 runs off 27 balls, but it wasn’t until Afridi’s 14-ball-29 that Pakistan looked like giving the UAE a tricky target.
The win sends Pakistan through as the second-best team from Group A, behind India, whom they will face in the round-robin style Super Fours on Sunday.
Sri Lanka are the only team to have qualified from Group B, where Bangladesh and Afghanistan will fight for the second spot.
