Asif Ali helps Pakistan down Afghanistan in T20 World Cup thriller in Dubai

Mohammad Abdullah, Sports Reporter

Asif Ali smashed four sixes in the penultimate over to help Pakistan achieve a hard-fought five-wicket win over Afghanistan in the Twenty20 World Cup in Dubai on Friday night.

Pakistan completed hat-trick of wins and are at the top of the points table in Group 2.

With Pakistan needing 24 runs off the final two overs, Asif lifted paceman Karim Janat's first, third, fifth and sixth balls over the boundary to help Pakistan overhaul a tricky 148-run target.

Asif finished with 25 off just seven balls with four sixes and a single, leaving Janat and all the other Afghan players frustrated.

Rashid Khan falls on the ground as Babar Azam (R) and Mohammad Hafeez run between the wickets. AFP

The win gave Pakistan a third win in as many games in Group 2 of the Super 12 stages, almost assuring a semi-final place, needing just one more win from their last two games.

Pakistan skipper Babar Azam was full of praise for Asif. "I was very confident Asif would get us out of any trouble we find ourselves in," said Babar, whose team tops the Group 2 with six points in three matches. "Asif's hitting was clean and that's why we selected him."

Nabi was equally appreciative of Asif's hitting. "We didn't start really well but the total on the board was decent but maybe not enough, only because of Asif," said Nabi.

Riding on fighting knocks by Mohammad Nabi (35 off 32) and Gulbadin Naib (35 off 25), Afghanistan posted a total of 147/6 in 20 overs. Apart from Nabi and Naib, Najibullah Zadran (22) and Karim Janat (15) also made important contributions with the bat for Afghanistan.

Imad Wasim was Pakistan's standout bowler with two wickets for 25 runs while Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, and Shadab Khan bagged a wicket each.

In reply, captain Babar Azam hit a fighting fifty (51 off 47) and helped Pakistan chase the target in 19 overs with five wickets in hand.

Shaheen Afridi falls in an attempt to field the ball as Mohammad Nabi (C) and Gulbadin Naib run between the wickets in Dubai. AP

Paceman Naveen-ul-Haq conceded just two runs in the 18th over and dismissed Shoaib Malik for 19 but Asif quashed all hopes of an Afghanistan win.

Pakistan's task was to handle spinners Rashid and Mujeeb Ur Rahman in their chase with the evening dew making life tough for bowlers.

Haris Rauf celebrates after taking the catch to dismiss Asghar Afghan during the T20 match. AP

Mujeeb dismissed Mohammad Rizwan (eight) while Nabi accounted for Fakhar Zaman (30) before Rashid's wickets of Mohammad Hafeez (10) and Babar.

Pakistan kept the same eleven which beat India and New Zealand in their first two matches while Afghanistan were also unchanged from their first game rout of Scotland.

Pakistan: Mohammad Rizwan, Babar Azam (captain), Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Asif Ali, Shadab Khan, Imad Wasim, Hasan Ali, Haris Rauf, Shaheen Shah Afridi.

Afghanistan: Hazratullah Zazai, Mohammad Shahzad, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi (captain), Asghar Afghan, Gulbadin Naib, Karim Janat, Rashid Khan, Naveen-ul-Haq, Mujeeb-ur-Rahman.