Shaheen’s Bat and Ball Brilliance Saves Pakistan

News Desk

Islamabad: On a day of high drama in the Asia Cup, Pakistan stumbled, regrouped, and ultimately clawed their way into the Super Four stage. Their 41-run win over the United Arab Emirates (UAE) may read comfortably on the scoreboard, but the story of the game was one of frayed nerves, batting collapses, and an all-round rescue act from Shaheen Shah Afridi.

The match itself began on a turbulent note. A delayed start—after a standoff between the PCB and officials over the status of match referee Andy Pycroft—seemed to set the tone for Pakistan’s jittery display. The first four overs of their innings were a struggle: scratchy, uncertain, and uninspired. Reduced to 17 for 2, Pakistan looked anything but a side aiming to stamp authority over an Associate opponent.

If not for Fakhar Zaman’s 36-ball fifty, the innings might have completely unraveled. Yet even his fluent strokeplay could not fully lift Pakistan out of mediocrity, as UAE bowlers kept chipping away. Junaid Siddique, already the tournament’s leading wicket-taker, produced a spell of control and guile, taking four wickets and ensuring Pakistan never broke free. Simranjeet Singh struck in the middle overs, tightening the noose further.

By the 17th over, Pakistan were a precarious 110 for 7. It was then that Shaheen Shah Afridi walked in—not with the ball, but the bat—and injected much-needed momentum. His 29* off 14 balls, including two towering sixes in the final over, dragged Pakistan to 146, a total that looked modest yet defendable.

For UAE, the chase began brightly. Alishan Sharafu caressed Afridi’s opening delivery for four, and with 19 runs in the first two overs, the underdogs dared to dream. Captain Muhammad Waseem kept the scoreboard moving, aided by a few wayward overs from Haris Rauf. At 35 for 1 after four overs, an upset was on the cards.

But then came the twist. Abrar Ahmed’s carrom ball foxed Waseem, with Mohammad Nawaz plucking a sharp low catch. In the very next over, Saim Ayub knocked over Muhammad Zohaib. Suddenly, UAE were 38 for 3, and the complexion of the game shifted.

A 48-run partnership between Dhruv Parashar and Aryan Lakra briefly reignited the chase, but Afridi struck again to remove Sharafu, and Rauf returned to dismiss Parashar. What followed was a collapse of dramatic proportions: UAE’s last seven wickets tumbled for just 20 runs in 23 balls. From having six wickets in hand with six overs to go, their innings folded under the weight of pressure and Pakistan’s disciplined bowling.

For Pakistan, it was a performance that exposed vulnerabilities but also highlighted the resilience of their bowling attack. Afridi’s impact at both ends of the game—first rescuing the batting, then dismantling the opposition with the ball—was the defining feature of the contest. Alongside him, Abrar and Ayub proved effective in spin-friendly conditions, combining for three wickets while conceding just 31 runs in eight overs.

The UAE, meanwhile, walked away with heads held high. Junaid Siddique’s artistry with the ball confirmed his reputation as one of Associate cricket’s finest pacers, while the fight shown by their batting lineup gave Pakistan more than a few anxious moments.

For now, though, Pakistan live to fight another day in the Super Four. But if this game is any indication, they will need far more than fleeting cameos and rescue acts to contend with the sterner challenges that lie ahead. Input from cricinfo website.