Pakistan beat UAE to post second win in T20 tri-series

Saim Ayub and Hasan Nawaz samcked blazing fifties to help Pakistan set up a 31-run victory against the UAE in their second match of the tri-series, which is also being billed as preparatory tourney for the Asia Cup.

Riding on Ayub and Hasan Nawaz blitzkrieg innings, Pakistan posted a huge total of 207 all out and restricted the UAE to 176/8.

Pakistan rested their key bowlers Shaheen Afridi and Harris Rauf to test the bench strength. They brought in Hasan Ali and Salman Mirza.

But their depleted bowling attack proved to be too much for the UAE.

In reply, Muhammad Waseem and Mohammad Zohaib gave a blitzkrieg start.

Both the openers added 38 runs for the first wicket in just four overs. Mohammad Nawaz triggered the collapse with the dismissal of Zohaib.

Etahn D’souza and Alishan Sharafu were sent back to the pavilion on the same score as UAE lost three wickets for 54. The onus came on Waseem once again, who was waging a lone war.

Waseem fell short of the ground as Hasan Ali shattered the stumps and the hopes of UAE as well. Most of the UAE batting revolves around Waseem.

Asif Khan and Dhruv Parashar flickered some hopes with a fighting 54-run stand. Asif was the more brutal of the two. He smashed a quick-fire 35-ball 77 with the help of five fours and six sixes.

He could not get the support from the other side otherwise the result could have been the other way round.

Asif holed out to Sahibzada Farhan off Hasan Ali but he showed the depth in the UAE batting line-up.

They took the match deep but the asking run rate spiralled in a parabolic way which all but ended UAE’s hopes.

Earlier, Ayub made his intent clear with the first ball he faced. He hit Parashar for a boundary to get off the mark.

In the next over, the third of the innings, he flexed his muscles and plundered 22 runs off Junaid to push him on the back foot.

Junaid tested Ayub with a short delivery but he went on the back foot and kept his eyes on the ball till the last moment and hooked it away for a six in the deep square leg.

On the next delivery, Ayub was a bit lucky as the ball took a thick outside edge and raced away to the boundary ropes as the slip cordon was empty.

The absence of a fielder in the slip during a powerplay proved to be a heavy mistake for the UAE as Ayub went to score a blistering fifty.

However, Ayub was unfazed as he continued to play attacking game. On the last delivery of the over, Ayub lofted Junaid for a six on the leg side.

A big over took the pressure off Pakistan as UAE bowlers failed to capitalize on the early breakthrough and leaked too many easy runs.

However, Haider Ali led the UAE fightback with a wicket off the first ball of the next over.

He pitched up the ball and Fakhar Zaman failed to read the line of the ball as he attempted a sweep shot.

Ball straight away went into the stumps as Zaman missed a golden chance to impress the think tank as he failed to post a good score in the second consecutive match ahead of the Asia Cup.

Despite the wickets falling on one end, Ayub kept on playing attacking cricket. He shared a 38-run partnership with captain Salman Agha, whose contribution was that of only five runs.

Ayub sprinted to his fifty with a six and a boundary off Saghir Khan. Saghir redeemed with the dismissal of captain Agha.

Saghir pitched the ball up outside the off stumps and Agha nicked it to the wicketkeeper as Pakistan lost the third wicket.

In the next three overs, Ayub and Hasan Nawaz collected 30 runs. Ayub mellowed down as Nawaz took the charge in his hands.

A buoyant Saghir got rid of Ayub as he tried to flick a delivery down the leg side and the ball landed in the hands of wicket-keeper. Ayub was not happy with the decision but there is no DRS in the series so he had to walk back.

The dismissal of Ayub brought some relief to the UAE camp as they were oblivious of the storm that was about to come.

Hasan Nawaz broke loose. He hit three consecutive sixes off Ali and collected 20 runs off the over.

But Ali had the last laugh as he had Hasan caught by Chopra to bring some respite to the UAE. 

After the dismissal of Hasan, Pakistan kept on losing the wickets in bulk as they were reduced to 177/7 from 161/3.

Junaid returned to wipe off the tail as the last five batsmen could contribute only 29 runs and the last three wickets fell within a space of three runs.

Pakistan posted a huge total of 207 as Junaid and Saghir both picked up three wickets each. Hasan belted 26-ball 56 with the help of six sixes and two fours.