Abrar, Fakhar shine as Pakistan beat UAE by 31 runs in tri-series

Abrar Ahmed took a four-wicket haul and returned with the career-best bowling figure of 4/9 to steer Pakistan to a comprehensive 31-run victory against the UAE in their tri-series match at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.

Abrar derailed the chase after Pakistan set UAE a target of 172, riding on Fakhar Zaman unbeaten 77. 

Salman Mirza and Abrar Ahmed were brought in place of Haris Rauf and Sufiyan Muqim.

Rauf and Muqim were expensive bowlers in the last match as they conceded 38 and 33 runs respectively in three overs each without picking up a single wicket.

He capitalised on the chance to prove his credentials for the upcoming Asia Cup.

Muhammad Waseem and Alishan Sharafu gave a sound start to the UAE as they added 41 runs in the first power play without losing any wicket. Waseem played a sedate innings of run-a-ball for his 19.

Abrar Ahmed exploited the conditions and derailed the UAE innings with a splendid spin bowling show. He ignited the skid with the Waseem’s dismissal and accounted for the wickets of Asif Khan, Rahul Chopra and Harshit Kaushik.

Sharafu and D’Souza added 32 runs for the second wicket to keep the chase alive. The strategy was simple - take the game as deep as possible and keep the wickets in hands to spur the run rate in the end.

But after the dismissal of D’Souza, UAE started losing the wickets in quick succession. UAE batsmen failed to convert their start into big scores and develop a partnership.

Abrar was on a wicket-taking spree as he reduced UAE from 41/0 to 105/5. Apart from opening duo of Sharafu and Waseem, no other UAE batsmen stood the Abrar’s onslaught as next five batsmen failed to reach the double-figure mark.

Sharafu was holding the fort from one end and waging the battle singlehandedly as he scored a 51-ball 68, hitting four sixes and as many fours.

Earlier, Pakistan batsmen surrendered against the disciplined bowling of the UAE. The so –called deep batting line-up of Pakistan collapsed in the second consecutive match after losing their previous match against Afghanistan.

UAE bowlers put up a stellar performance to dominate the match from the beginning. It was Prashar, who triggered the collapse by getting rid of Sahibzada Farhan, who failed to play a big innings three times on the trot.

After the dismissal of Farhan, Pakistan kept on losing the wickets at regular intervals.  Saim Ayub attempted to drive Junaid through the cover and managed to nick it to the wicketkeeper only.

Both the openers of Pakistan were back in the pavilion by the end of the first power play with just 35 runs on the board.

Salman Agha, Hasan Nawaz and  Mohammad Harris were quick to follow as Pakistan struggled to get the partnership going.

Agha was caught behind the stumps off Mohammad Rohid while Haider got rid of Haris and Hasan in his successive overs to reduce Pakistan to 80/5.

UAE bowlers did not allow Pakistan batsmen to flex their muscles and kept the stranglehold on the match till the 15th over. UAE choked the flow of runs completely as Pakistan scored only 24 runs in five overs – 10th to 15th – hitting just one boundary.

Fakhar was waging a lone battle from one end. He combined with Nawaz to anchor the innings. Both the batsmen were riding the luck as UAE dropped catches to ease the pressure.

Nawaz and Fakhar got one reprieve on two successive balls off Haider in the 16th over. Haider flighted a delivery to woo Nawaz, who played a slog sweep from off to deep midwicket. Asif failed to judge the catch and dropped what should have been a regulation catch.

On the next delivery, Haider invited Fakhar with another bait. Batsman could not connect it as the ball landed straight into the hands of Ali, who wobbled and dropped another sitter.  

The two catches in two balls would have pushed Pakistan into a quagmire. But soon after getting reprieve, both Fakahar and Nawaz capitalised on the chances and went on to share an unbeaten partnership of 91 runs for the sixth wicket. 

 Fakhar and Nawaz added 43 and 24 runs respectively to their totals after being dropped.  Not only did they survive a scare but also shifted the gears to change the complexion of the game.

In the next four overs, they added 67 runs to propel the score to a fighting total of 171/5. Out of 67 runs, 42 came in the last two overs with Fakhar smashing five consecutive boundaries in the last over off Jawadullah, who had conceded only 16 runs in his previous two overs.

Before that, Nawaz had plundered 20 in the penultimate over off Junaid with help of a six and three straight fours. Junaid proved to be the most expensive bowler for the UAE as he leaked away a whopping 52 in his four overs.