4.6 overs (6 Runs) SIX! Oh, my word! What a way that is to get off the mark! Short ball, outside off. Janat gets on his toes. Perhaps, he even jumps a bit and cuts it way, way over the point fence.
4.5 overs (0 Run) On a length, around off. Janat is solid in his defence of this one.
4.4 overs (0 Run) A fiery yorker, on off. Janat gets his bat down in time and blocks this one. That was bowled at 153 kph, the equal fastest delivery of the tournament so far.
Karim Janat, the younger brother of Asghar Afghan, is the new man in.
4.3 overs (0 Run) OUT! CAUGHT AND BOWLED! Haris Rauf gets his man now! Asghar Afghan goes back after scoring only 10 runs. Length ball, around off at 143 kph, Asghar looks to work it away but gets the leading edge. The ball goes back to the bowler and Rauf takes it with ease. Phew, what an eventful game this has been so far!
4.2 overs (1 Run) Just a single as this is played down to third man. Tell you what, every single run is getting cheered by the Afghanistan fans.
4.1 overs (2 Runs) Length ball, on the pads. Gurbaz works it past square leg. They run back for the second and Gurbaz has to dive as the throw comes in from the fielder.
Haris Rauf comes into the bowling attack now.
3.6 overs (4 Runs) FOUR! Almost a wicket! Full ball, on the pads. Aghan flicks it aerially. The man at short fine leg dives to his left but cannot get there. The ball runs to the fence. 17 from the over, an eventful one!
3.5 overs (6 Runs) SIX! That is out of here! Tossed up, around leg. Afghan comes down the track and whips it over the square leg fence.
3.4 overs (0 Run) BIG MIX-UP! Pakistan have failed to take advantage of that situation. That should have been a run out! Darted on the pads. Afghan gets hit on the pads while looking to flick. The ball goes to the leg side. Gurbaz is off for the single but Afghan is going nowhere. Rizwan runs to the ball and all he needs to do is throw the ball back to Wasim. But the throw is a wild one. Wasim dives but only gets his fingertips to it. Gurbaz gets back safely in the end. Rizwan had more time than he realized.
3.3 overs (0 Run) Flatter ball, on off. Afghan looks to work it to the leg side but gets the leading edge to covers.
3.2 overs (1 Run) Darted on the pads. Gurbaz works it past short fine leg for one.
3.1 overs (6 Runs) SIX! Wow! That is such a clean strike! Tossed up, on off. Gurbaz gets low and slog-sweeps it. The ball goes miles in the air and over the deep mid-wicket fence. A top shot.
2.6 overs (0 Run) A low full toss, outside off. Afghan offers the full face of the bat and plays it to mid on.
2.5 overs (0 Run) On a length, on the pads. Afghan works it to short fine leg.
Asghar Afghan is in at number 4.
2.4 overs (0 Run) OUT! TAKEN! Shaheen Afridi gets his man and the crowd goes wild! On a length again, on middle. Mohammad Shahzad looks to go over mid on but does not middle it at all. The ball goes aerially to mid on and Babar Azam takes it with ease. Afghanistan have lost both their power-hitters and this is not the start they would have wanted after winning the toss.
2.3 overs (0 Run) Full ball, on off. Pushed to covers. Rahmanullah Gurbaz sets off for a run but is sent back.
2.2 overs (4 Runs) FOUR! Up and over! First boundary of the game! Full ball, outside off. Mohammad Shahzad hits it over covers and the ball races to the fence.
2.2 overs (1 Run) A short ball, down the leg side. It is ducked under and is called a wide.
2.1 overs (0 Run) Length ball, on off. Mohammad Shahzad taps it to the off side, looks for a run but is sent back.
1.6 overs (0 Run) Darted on the pads and it is blocked out. A very good first over by Imad Wasim.
1.5 overs (0 Run) Loopy ball, on off. Rahmanullah Gurbaz blocks it with ease.
1.4 overs (1 Run) Darted on the pads. Mohammad Shahzad works it past square leg for one.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz is called early to the crease. He comes in at number 3.
1.3 overs (0 Run) OUT! TAKEN! The dangerous Hazratullah Zazai is gone for a duck! Tossed up, wider outside off. He goes for the slog sweep but gets the top edge. The ball goes over short third man. Haris Rauf runs after it, circles under it and takes a very good catch! A dream start for Pakistan in this game.
1.2 overs (0 Run) Flatter ball, around off. Zazai taps it to short third man. Dot ball.
1.1 overs (1 Run) Darted on the pads. Worked past square leg for one.
1.1 overs (1 Run) Flatter ball, down the leg side. Mohammad Shahzad looks to flick but misses. Wide called.
Who will bowl from the other end? It's going to be Imad Wasim.
After a lot of thought, Babar Azam has decided to take the review for an LBW decision. UltraEdge shows that there's no bat involved and Ball Tracker confirms that the impact was outside the leg stump. The onfield decision of NOT OUT stays and Hazratullah Zazai can continue. Pakistan lose the review as well.
0.6 over (0 Run) NOT OUT! A full toss, around leg. Zazai looks to heave but gets hit on the pads. There is a big appeal but turned down. Babar Azam takes the review but the impact is outside leg.
0.5 over (1 Run) Length ball, around off. Mohammad Shahzad drives it past covers for one.
0.4 over (1 Run) A fiery yorker, on the pads. Zazai is beaten and gets hit on the pads. There is a big appeal by Shaheen Afridi but the umpire is not interested. Pakistan do not take the review. Maybe, sliding down leg.
0.3 over (1 Run) On a length, around off. Shahzad runs it to third man for a single.
0.2 over (0 Run) Beaten! Fuller ball, outside off. Mohammad Shahzad walks down the track to drive but gets no bat on it. Tell you what, the crowd is really getting behind Shaheen Afridi here!
0.1 over (1 Run) Full ball, on the pads. Zazai misses the flick and gets hit on the pads. The ball rolls away and they sneak in a leg bye.
0.1 over (1 Run) Full ball, down the leg side. Zazai misses the flick. Wide called.
We are done with the national anthems and ready for play. The umpires are out in the middle as the Pakistani team can be seen in a huddle before taking the field. Mohammad Shahzad and Hazratullah Zazai are the openers for Afghanistan. All the players are seen placing their hands on the heart to show their support towards the 'Black Lives Matter' movement. Shaheen Afridi has the new ball in hand. Let's play...
We are almost ready for play! The two teams are out in the middle for their respective national anthems. It will be Afghanistan's national anthem first, followed by Pakistan's.
Babar Azam, the skipper of Pakistan, says that the mood in the camp is quite good. Adds that they want to continue that momentum forward. Says cricket is a team game but it is good to have match-winners in the side. Adds that they do not take any team for granted and that they are playing the same side.
Mohammad Nabi, the skipper of Afghanistan, says that they will bat first as it looks dry at the top and looks good for batting first. Adds that they will look to put a good total on the board and try to defend it. Adds that national duty is totally different from franchise cricket and everyone works hard for this and they know their opponents well. Informs that they are going with the winning XI from the last match.
Pakistan (Unchanged Playing XI) - Babar Azam (C), Mohammad Rizwan (WK), Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Asif Ali, Shadab Khan, Imad Wasim, Hasan Ali, Haris Rauf, Shaheen Afridi.
Afghanistan (Unchanged Playing XI) - Hazratullah Zazai, Mohammad Shahzad (WK), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Asghar Afghan, Mohammad Nabi (C), Najibullah Zadran, Gulbadin Naib, Karim Janat, Rashid Khan, Naveen-ul-Haq, Mujeeb Ur Rahman.
TOSS - We are all set for the coin toss. Both the skippers are out in the middle. Up goes the coin and it lands in favor of Afghanistan. They will bat first!
Afghanistan may be the least experienced side out of all the sub-continent teams but they have no shortage of world-class players when it comes to the shortest format of the game. Their openers Mohammad Shahzad and Hazratullah Zazai pack a punch at the top of the order but their middle order has run-scorers like Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Najibullah Zadran, who were the key in their last match against Scotland. The spin-twins, Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rahman picked up nine out of the 10 wickets in their last outing and can trouble the best of batting lineups. Afghanistan have a very well-balanced squad, especially for these sort of conditions and will be on a high after thrashing an in-form Scotland team by 130 runs. Yes, Pakistan do have the upper hand but it will be no surprise if Afghanistan are the team to halt their charge. Who will come out on top? Find out soon. Toss and team news in a bit.
Pakistan started off with a bang against arch-rivals India as they won by 10 wickets and then in another high-profile clash, they got over the line with ease in the end against New Zealand. Mohammad Rizwan continued his good form from the previous match and got into the thirties but the last match was all about the veteran Shoaib Malik and finisher Asif Ali, both of whom played contrasting yet match-winning knocks. Their bowling was right on the money again and it wouldn't be a surprise if Pakistan continue their red-hot streak.
Hello and a warm welcome to match number 24 in the T20 World Cup. Afghanistan will take on Pakistan in another mouth-watering sub-continental clash. The two neighbours have been in scintillating form so far in this year's competition and in this match everyone will be expecting more of the same from both these teams.
... MATCH DAY ...
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