On a day when off-field drama stole the spotlight, Pakistan nearly didn’t take the field. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) initially stopped its players from boarding the team bus in protest against the ICC’s handling of the no-handshake row with India. After urgent negotiations, the matter was resolved, and the match began an hour late at the Dubai International Stadium.
Fakhar Leads Pakistan’s Revival
Put in to bat, Pakistan stumbled again at the top. Saim Ayub’s poor run continued with a two-ball dismissal, while Abdullah Shafique also departed early to a fiery Junaid Siddique spell. At 17/2 inside three overs, the pressure mounted.
But Fakhar Zaman counterattacked with grit and power. His 50 off 36 balls (2 fours, 3 sixes) restored calm, stitched together a 61-run stand with skipper Salman Ali Agha, and gave Pakistan some breathing space. Still, Pakistan’s middle order faltered once again, with Simranjeet Singh (3-26) and Siddique (4-18) exploiting the cracks.
Shaheen’s Cameo Lifts Pakistan
Just when Pakistan looked set to fold cheaply, Shaheen Shah Afridi unleashed a stunning late cameo. His unbeaten 29 from 14 balls, featuring two sixes and a boundary in the final over, dragged the total to 146/9.
We got the job done, but we still need to improve our batting in the middle order… Shaheen’s batting has improved a lot — he’s already great with the ball.
UAE Collapse Under Pressure
Chasing 147, UAE showed early promise through Rahul Chopra (35) and Dhruv Parashar (20). At 85/3, they were still in the hunt. But from there, the innings imploded spectacularly — losing seven wickets for just 20 runs.
Shaheen struck early, Haris Rauf delivered crucial blows, and Abrar Ahmed applied the squeeze. Fakhar Zaman also contributed in the field with a sharp runout. The hosts were bundled out for 105 in 17.4 overs, handing Pakistan a 41-run win.
We lost it in the batting. Losing three wickets in the Powerplay hurt us. Up until the 15th or 16th over we were going well, but then we lost our way.
Pakistan Into Super 4s
With the victory, Pakistan sealed their berth in the Super Four stage alongside India, while UAE bowed out despite spirited efforts from Siddique and Simranjeet. Brief Scores: Pakistan 146/9 in 20 overs (Fakhar Zaman 50, Shaheen Shah Afridi 29*; Junaid Siddique 4-18, Simranjeet Singh 3-26) UAE 105 all out in 17.4 overs (Rahul Chopra 35, Dhruv Parashar 20; Abrar Ahmed 2-13, Haris Rauf 2-19) Pakistan won by 41 runs.
