PAK vs UAE | Twitter impressed as Fakhar and Afridi come good for Pakistan in must-win game

‌Pakistan qualified for the Super Fours of the Asia Cup T20 2025 with a 41-run win over the United Arab Emirates at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Fakhar top-scored in the game with a crucial half-century to help the Men in Green to a competitive total, while an all-round show from Shaheen Shah Afridi sealed the deal for Pakistan in a must-win game.

After being put into bat first, Pakistan got off to a horrific start with medium pacer Junaid Siddique picking up two wickets in his first two overs. He dismissed openers Saim Ayub and Sahibzada Farhan cheaply as the Men in Green slid to 9/2 within the third over. However, Fakhar Zaman led their recovery, hitting two consecutive sixes off Dhruv Parshar in the fifth over, to help them reach 39/2 at the end of the powerplay. Though captain Salman Agha gave him company during the 61-run partnership, he struggled to get going before finally miscuing Parashar to Haider Ali, who was stationed at deep cover. The Pakistan skipper’s dismissal triggered a collapse as the side slipped from 70/2 to 88/5 with left-arm spinner Simranjeet Singh picking up two wickets in his third over. He first induced a wrong shot from Fakhar, who was dismissed for a 36-ball 50, a knock that included three sixes and two fours, before trapping Hasan Nawaz in front of the wicket two balls later. Another wicket in the first ball of his next over made it 93/6, but cameos from Mohammad Haris and Shaheen Shah Afridi guided them to a respectable 146/9 in 20 overs. Afridi came good with the bat for the second straight game, smashing two sixes and three fours in his 14-ball 29. Siddique was the pick among the UAE bowlers yet again with an impressive spell of 4/18 in four overs, while Simranjeet ended with 3/26.

Chasing 147, the UAE started positively with opener Alishan Sharafu punching Afridi through the covers for a boundary in the first ball of the chase. Another good over followed with captain Muhammad Waseem and Sharafu scoring a four and six, respectively, off left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz as the score read 19/0 after the first two overs. Afridi opened the floodgates, dismissing Sharafu, who played a fuller delivery onto his stumps. With spin introduced from both ends in the powerplay, Pakistan strangulated the UAE batters as they were reduced to 38/3 at the end of the six-over mark. Abrar Ahmed and Saim Ayub both struck in their first overs as Pakistan dominated proceedings. Dhruv Parashar and Rahul Chopra kept the Gulf nation in the game with a partnership of 48 off 51 balls, but the boundaries were few and far between as the equation swelled to 62 in the last six overs. The UAE found the Pakistan attack too hot to handle as Abrar and Afridi dealt crucial blows to derail the chase. Their batting innings folded for 105 runs in the 18th over with Abrar finishing with figures of 2/13 in four overs. Meanwhile, Afridi complemented his good showing with the bat with a spell of 2/16 from three overs.