Fakhar Zaman’s unbeaten 77 off 44 balls and Abrar Ahmed’s career-best figures of 4 for 9 guided Pakistan to a convincing 31-run win over the United Arab Emirates in the tri-nation series at Sharjah on Thursday.
Batting first, Pakistan had a shaky start, losing five wickets for just 80 runs. Fakhar held the innings together and found support in Mohammad Nawaz, who scored 37 from 27 balls. The pair added 91 runs, helping Pakistan recover to post 171 for 5. The final two overs brought 42 runs, aided by dropped catches that allowed both batters to accelerate.
In reply, UAE could only manage 140 for 7 in their 20 overs. Alishan Sharafu played a fighting knock of 68 from 51 balls, but the rest of the batting lineup faltered against Pakistan’s disciplined bowling. Abrar Ahmed stood out with four wickets while Shaheen Afridi and Mohammad Nawaz picked up one each.
The victory secured Pakistan’s place in the series final, where they will face Afghanistan. UAE will play Afghanistan in the final group match before the decider.
