Nabi, Naib lead Afghanistan to 147-6 against Pakistan

DUBAI, Oct 29, 2021 (AFP) – Skipper Mohammad Nabi and all-rounder Gulbadin Naib lifted Afghanistan to a fighting 147-6 in their Twenty20 World Cup Super 12 match against Pakistan in Dubai on Friday.

Naib smashed a 25-ball 35 not out while Nabi scored an undefeated 32-ball 35 as they helped Afghanistan recover from 76-6 with an unbroken seventh wicket stand of 71 after they won the toss and batted.

All six top Afghanistan batsmen were caught playing rash shots but Nabi and Naib added 54 runs in the last five overs to give their team a fighting total.

Naib hit two fours and a six off paceman Hasan Ali to take 21 off the 18th over and the pair scored 15 in the 19th bowled by Haris Rauf.

Naib’s knock had four boundaries and a six while Nabi hit five boundaries.

Left-arm spinner Imad Wasim was the pick of Pakistan’s bowlers with 2-25, dismissing dangerous opener Hazratullah for a five-ball duck.

Najibullah Zadran (22) and Karim Janat (15) were other contributors.

Pakistan kept the same eleven which beat India and New Zealand in their first two matches while Afghanistan was also unchanged from their first game rout of Scotland.

The top two teams from each of the two groups will qualify for the semi-finals.