26/03Result
2nd T20I (N), Pakistan tour of United Arab Emirates at Sharjah, Mar 26 2023
Afghanistan won by 7 wkts (1b rem)
Player of the Match
Fazalhaq Farooqi
Fazalhaq FarooqiAfghanistan
26/03Result
2nd T20I (N), Pakistan tour of United Arab Emirates at Sharjah, Mar 26 2023
Afghanistan won by 7 wkts (1b rem)
Player of the Match
Fazalhaq Farooqi
Fazalhaq FarooqiAfghanistan

Afghanistan players are absolutely ecstatic and are soaking up the moment. Their rise in international cricket is a testament to their tenacity, incredible talent, skill and ability to learn and adapt to different conditions. It's a watershed moment for the spirited Afghanistan team who have registered an epoch-making win over Pakistan. A pall of gloom is hanging over Shadab Khan-led side. The young batting-line up once again found it tough to acclimatise to the conditions whereas Afghanistan bowlers were deadly accurate. They didn't drop the intensity and showed the courage and conviction to win the series. On that note, it's time for me, Rvel Zahid, to say goodbye. I'll see you tomorrow for the third and final T20I of this series.

Rashid Khan: "It's a great honour and pleasure to lead this wonderful team. Great effort with the ball, and then we took it deep and finished it. This wicket is always a 150-160 wicket but Pakistan-Afghanistan game is pressure game and that makes it 125-130. 130 was a good total. We tried our best to take it deep and finish it. Strategy was to go there and make sure you take responsibility. We have players to finish it like Nabi and Najib. Main thing was to have wickets in hand."

Shadab Khan: "We were struggling again. If you look at stats, if you lose three wickets in powerplay, you lose 70 percent of the games. I think the young players were nervous; they are playing for the first time for Pakistan. We have to back them. Sometimes you don't perform but attitude matters. That's more important for me. They have talent. They will be great cricketers. We'll play for pride tomorrow."

Azweer : "Quality performance from Afghanistan. Back-to-back victory."

Tahir : "You have spinners bowling so well, still Imad WASIM doesn't get a chance to finish his overs and pacers ensure the defeat:poor captaincy"

Muhammad Laiq: "Naseem shah poor progress continues, since Asia cup i have not seen he has performed well at this level! "

Bilal : "I had high hopes for Shadab as a Captain but he's been very ordinary today especially with the bowling changes.

Mnkhan : "Poor tactics by Shadab cost us this game. First bowling 4 overs himself and eating up Imad overs and then giving the crucial over to Naseem who has been clueless whole series and PSL "

Khalid Kundi : "This Afghan team has come of age. Further glory awaits"

Raj: "nicely done my Afghan brothers

Mohammad Waheed: "So this Azam Khan for you. Lesson don't exaggerate some one until he performs at international level. Hell of difference between domestic and international"

19.5
4
Zaman Khan to Najibullah Zadran, FOUR, That's it! Afghanistan has done it, they have made history and clinched the series as Zadran throws his bat at it and it goes flying to Ihsanullah at third man who came charging in but cannot gather the ball and it slips away to the boundary. This is the first time Afghanistan has beaten a side that is in the top-six rankings. Fantastic work from Najibullah and Nabi who held their nerve and waited for their moments. Naseem missed his targets in the penultimate over and that made the equation easier for the set batters.
19.4
1
Zaman Khan to Mohammad Nabi, 1 run, Backs away to disturb his line, Zaman sticks to his guns and spears in a yorker on fifth stump, he shovels it down to the right of mid-off
19.3
1b
Zaman Khan to Najibullah Zadran, 1 bye, Short of a length, slanting away outside off, flail and miss, Azam Khan couldn't pick it up cleanly and they run a bye.
19.2
1
Zaman Khan to Mohammad Nabi, 1 run, Short of a length, outside off, he pulls it away off the backfoot to deep square leg.
19.1
0
Zaman Khan to Mohammad Nabi, no run, Pace off the ball, fuller length, wicket to wicket stuff, he warily pokes at it and cover fielder came charging in, no run

END OF OVER:
19 | 17 Runs | AFG: 126/3 (5 runs required from 6 balls, RR: 6.63, RRR: 5.00)

  • Najibullah Zadran19 (10b)
  • Mohammad Nabi12 (6b)
  • Naseem Shah4-0-39-0
  • Ihsanullah3-0-23-1
18.6
6
Naseem Shah to Najibullah Zadran, SIX, Bludgeoned! Flexes his muscle and launches it over long-on for a six! It was right in his slot as he holds his stance and hoists him for a six. 17 runs off the over and Afghanistan surely in the driving seat now, jus a hit away from a series win over Pakistan!
18.5
1
Naseem Shah to Mohammad Nabi, 1 run, Slower shortish delivery around the line off, he goes back and hooks it away to backward square, didn't get all of it. Big delivery coming up!
18.4
2
Naseem Shah to Mohammad Nabi, 2 runs, Pver the wicket, searching for a yorker, misses it and he swats it all along the carpet to cow corner
18.3
1b
Naseem Shah to Najibullah Zadran, 1 bye, Round the wicket, shorter length and angled in from outside off, difficult take for Azam Khan as he dives to his right and gets his hand on it, takes the pace off the ball
18.2
1
Naseem Shah to Mohammad Nabi, 1 run, Dug in short, fifth stump line, he drags it across the line to square leg who swoops to his right and makes sure to keep it inside the rope. He is coming up clutch again
18.1
6
Naseem Shah to Mohammad Nabi, SIX, Out of the sweet spot. Clubbed for six over square leg to cause delirium in the stands, what a timely six from Nabi, Cometh the hour, cometh the man! Landed on a length and he latched onto it in a jiffy, rocks back and thumps it!

END OF OVER:
18 | 8 Runs 1 Wkt | AFG: 109/3 (22 runs required from 12 balls, RR: 6.05, RRR: 11.00)

  • Mohammad Nabi2 (2b)
  • Najibullah Zadran13 (8b)
  • Ihsanullah3-0-23-1
  • Naseem Shah3-0-23-0
17.6
1
Ihsanullah to Mohammad Nabi, 1 run, Short of a length, kicking and screaming off the deck, he hops and defends it into the vacant point region
17.5
1
Ihsanullah to Najibullah Zadran, 1 run, Banged in short and Zaman behind square at third man position makes a valiant effort to save a certain boundary, it him on the head but he continues, no concussion protocols for Zaman, came off the top edge
17.4
4
Ihsanullah to Najibullah Zadran, FOUR, Coruscating strokeplay! Goes full, offers room and it's very easy for the left-hander to show the long handle and heave it over mid-off for a blistering boundary
17.3
1
Ihsanullah to Mohammad Nabi, 1 run, An absolute jaffa that roars through the gate and the man who is called the president in Afghanistan chops it on top of the bounce to point and opens his account. Will he step up to the plate tonight?
17.2
W
Ihsanullah to Ibrahim Zadran, OUT, Test for Ihsanullah, make or break over. He rises to the occasion, darts in a scorching delivery on a shorter length, rips away in the corridor, takes the outside edge and Azam Khan makes no mistake behind the stumps, ball was whizzing away to his right but he plucks it well with his big bucket hands

Ibrahim Zadran c †Azam Khan b Ihsanullah 38 (62m 40b 3x4 0x6) SR: 95

17.1
1
Ihsanullah to Najibullah Zadran, 1 run, Spears in a thunderbolt on a length outside off, he can't get underneath, thick edge and the ball dies down towards the off side, no run

END OF OVER:
17 | 6 Runs | AFG: 101/2 (30 runs required from 18 balls, RR: 5.94, RRR: 10.00)

  • Najibullah Zadran7 (5b)
  • Ibrahim Zadran38 (39b)
  • Naseem Shah3-0-23-0
  • Shadab Khan4-0-24-0
16.6
1
Naseem Shah to Najibullah Zadran, 1 run, Round the wicket, a touch short and floating outside off, defended to cover. This is extraordinary piece of bowling, nailing his lines and length and not giving away any room to extend his long levers. New man on the crease, it's not easy to tee off right away. 30 off 18 required.
16.5
1
Naseem Shah to Ibrahim Zadran, 1 run, Banged in short on chest height, arches back and half-hearted pulls it away to square leg, pace off the ball and he cannot generate a lot of power and time it well
16.4
0
Naseem Shah to Ibrahim Zadran, no run, Marvellous yorker, that's bowling at its best, followed him up as he was backing away and he can't do much about it, jams his bat down and digs it out back to the bowler
16.3
1
Naseem Shah to Najibullah Zadran, 1 run, A bumper, zinging it back at the southpaw who goes for the pull, looking away from the line of the ball, and got himself into a tangle, manages to get some bat on it, was beaten by the slowness of the delivery, lands short of square leg

Afghanistan 2nd innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st30Usman GhaniRahmanullah Gurbaz
2nd56Ibrahim ZadranRahmanullah Gurbaz
3rd16Najibullah ZadranIbrahim Zadran
4th31Mohammad NabiNajibullah Zadran