MONITORING (SW) – Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan hailed the team’s maiden T20 victory against Pakistan but said their front-line batters need to improve ahead of the 50-overs World Cup in India later this year.
Rashid and his teammates humbled a new-look Pakistan by six wickets in the opening T20 International in Sharjah on Friday, reported Reuters.
They restricted the young Pakistan side, led by Shadab Khan, to 92-9 and chased down the target with 13 balls to spare with Mohammad Nabi making an unbeaten 38 in the low-scoring contest to go with his two wickets with the ball.
“It’s a pleasure to win as we’ve always lost against them, sometimes with small margins,” Rashid said after the victory.
“Happy for the win, and we hope to continue the momentum.”
It was not an easy chase though as Afghanistan slumped to 27-3 before Nabi rescued them.
Rashid said their top order needed to perform better in the ongoing three-match series and maintain that form heading into the ODI World Cup in October-November.
“We need to improve not just for this series but as we get to the World Cup,” Rashid said.
“From now on, we need to put effort day by day and game by game, so that by the end of the year, when we go for the World Cup, we’ll have a fully prepared squad.”
The second T20 is scheduled for Sunday.
Nabi also took 2-12 and was ably assisted by Mujeeb Ur Rahman (2-9) and pacer Fazalhaq Farooqi (2-13) to restrict Pakistan to 92-9 after they won the toss and batted at Sharjah Stadium.
Nabi then kept his cool with a cautious run-a-ball 38 not out and added 53 for the unbroken fifth wicket with Najibullah Zadran (17 not out) to help Afghanistan overhaul the target in 17.5 overs.
Nabi hit his first boundary off his 27th ball and then hit two more in the next over from Naseem Shah before sealing the win with a six off Ihsanullah.
Pace bowler Ihsanullah (2-17) dismissed Ibrahim Zadran (nine) with the first ball of his T20I career and then had Gulbadin Naib (nought) to leave Afghanistan tottering at 45-4 but Nabi and Najibullah made sure victory was achieved.
With five key players — skipper Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Fakhar Zaman, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf rested for the series — Pakistan handed T20I debuts to Saim Ayub, Tayyab Tahir, Ihsanullah and Zaman Khan.
Pakistan were 41-5 in the eighth over on a Sharjah Stadium pitch that gave assistance to Afghanistan’s three-pronged spin attack.
Imad Wasim top-scored with 18 while Ayub (17), Tahir (16) and skipper Shadab Khan (12) were the other main run-getters.
