BEIJING: Afghanistan has secured a four-wicket victory over Pakistan in the Asian Games semi-final n Hangzhou, China, eliminating the latter from contention for the gold medal.
Chasing a target of 116 runs, Afghanistan reached the goal in 17.5 overs, losing six wickets in the process. Captain Gulbadin Naib’s unbeaten cameo of 26 runs in 19 balls, featuring four boundaries and three sixes, played a crucial role in their triumph. Noor Ali Zadran emerged as the top scorer for Afghanistan with 39 runs in 33 balls. Arafat Minhas and Usman Qadir claimed two wickets each for Pakistan.
Earlier, after winning the toss and opting to field, Afghanistan limited Pakistan to 115 runs in 18 overs. Opener Omair Yousuf contributed 24 runs, but the rest of the batting lineup struggled. Fareed Ahmad stood out as Afghanistan’s key bowler, securing figures of 3-15 in three overs.
With this defeat, Pakistan will now compete against Bangladesh for the bronze medal, while India is set to face Afghanistan in the final on the same day.
Pakistan Shaheens Squad:
Qasim Akram (captain), Omair Bin Yousuf (vice-captain), Aamir Jamal, Arafat Minhas, Arshad Iqbal, Asif Ali, Haider Ali, Khushdil Shah, Mirza Tahir Baig, Mubasir Khan, Muhammad Akhlaq (wk), Rohail Nazir (wk), Shahnawaz Dahani, Sufiyan Muqeem, and Usman Qadir.
Player Support Personnel:
Shahid Aslam (head coach-cum-manager), Umar Rasheed (bowling coach), Hanif Malik (batting and fielding coach), and Hafiz Naeem ul Rasool (physiotherapist).
