Shoaib Malik’s brilliant innings just safely guided Pakistan to a crucial victory against Afghanistan in their first Super Four stage game of the ongoing Asia Cup 2018 at Sheikh Zayed Stadium (Abu Dhabi). Afghanistan again impressed the world cricket and was very close to clinch their first-ever victory against Pakistan in the international cricket history but just fell short.

Afghanistan decided to bat first after winning the toss. While Rahmat Shah played a crucial 36-run knock at the early stage, Hashmatullah Shahidi and Asghar Afghan set a great tone for the team with a brilliant 94-run fourth wicket partnership.

While the skipper Afghan was dismissed on 67 runs off 56 balls (2 fours and 5 sixes), Shahidi guided the team till the end as he was not out on 97 runs off 118 balls (7 fours). In the result, Afghanistan managed to score 257/6 at the end of 50 overs.

Pakistan bowler Mohammad Nawaz (3/57) got three wickets and the debutant Shaheen Afridi (2/38) picked up two wickets while Hasan Ali (1/51) got one wicket during the Afghanistan innings.

In reply, the Pakistan opener Fakhar Zaman lost his wicket in the very first over of that innings without opening his account. Another opener Imam-ul-Haq and the no.3 batsman Babar Azam provided a crucial 154-run partnership for the second wicket that controlled Pakistan’s innings well in the middle stage. Imam scored 80 off 104 balls (5 fours and only six), while Azam scored 66 off 94 balls (4 fours and only six).

But after both the batsmen were dismissed in the quick successions, Pakistan lost their wickets in regular intervals and came back into the pressure situation. Thanks to the brilliant batting of the experienced Shoaib Malik, who remained not out on 51 off 43 balls (3 fours and only six), Pakistan just managed to chase the target as they reached that target in 49.3 overs after losing seven wickets. Pakistan won this match by three wickets with three balls to spare.

Among the Afghanistan bowlers, Rashid Khan (3/46) bagged three wickets while Mujeeb Ur Rahman (2/33) picked up two wickets and Gulbadin Naib (1/61) took one more wicket in that innings.

At the end of this match, Pakistan cricketer Shoaib Malik won the Player of the Match award for his brilliant match-saving knock.

Brief Scores: Afghanistan – 257/6 in 50 overs (Hashmatullah Shahidi 97*, Asghar Afghan 67; Mohammad Nawaz 3/57)

Pakistan – 258/7 in 49.3 overs (Imam-ul-Haq 80, Babar Azam 66; Rashid Khan 3/46)

Result – Pakistan won by 3 wickets

Important stats highlights of the match:

• Afghanistan batsman Hashmatullah Shahidi remained not out on 97 runs. It is the highest knock by an Afghanistan batsman in the Asia Cup history. The previous record was 90* by Asghar Afghan against Bangladesh at Fatullah on March 1, 2014.
• Afghanistan scored 257/6 in 50 overs. It is their highest total in the Asia Cup history. Their previous record was 255/7 (50 overs) against Bangladesh at Abu Dhabi on the Previous day (September 20, 2018).
• Pakistan batsmen Imam-ul-Haq and Babar Azam put a crucial 154-run partnership for the second wicket. It is Pakistan’s fourth highest partnership for any wicket in the Asia Cup history.
• Pakistan successfully chased the 258 runs target. It is their third largest chase in the Asia Cup history.
• Since September 2016, it was the first time when Pakistan successfully chased a 250 or more runs target in the ODI cricket.