After all the off-field drama and an hour’s delay in getting on the park, Pakistan finally found their way into the Super Four stage from Group A of the Asia Cup 2025, defeating hosts United Arab Emirates (UAE) by 41 runs at the Dubai International Stadium here on Wednesday.
It was a result that looked far from straightforward for large parts of the contest, but performances from Fakhar Zaman with the bat and Shaheen Shah Afridi in both innings tilted the game in Pakistan’s favour.
Asked to bat first, Pakistan endured another shaky start. Saim Ayub, desperate to avoid a hat-trick of golden ducks, fell for a silver duck — dismissed on his second ball. Abdullah Shafique followed soon after, as Junaid Siddique breathed fire with the new ball to reduce the Men in Green to a precarious position inside three overs.
Fakhar Zaman, however, counter-attacked with authority. Batting at number three, he mixed aggression with composure to carve out a crucial half-century. His 50 came off 36 balls and included two fours and three sixes. Along with skipper Salman Ali Agha, who laboured for 20 off 27 balls, he added 61 runs for the third wicket to give Pakistan temporary stability.
But once Salman perished trying to break free, Pakistan faltered again. The middle-order failed to respond, as Simranjeet Singh Kang’s orthodox left-arm spin returned figures of 3-26, while Siddique also ran through the batting. Mohammad Haris, demoted to number seven despite a match-winning fifty earlier in the tournament, managed 18 off 14.
It was only Shaheen Shah Afridi’s late cameo that dragged Pakistan to respectability. The left-arm quick smashed an unbeaten 29 off 14 balls, striking two sixes and a boundary in the final over to lift Pakistan to 146/9 in their 20 overs.
The total, though modest, proved more than enough for Pakistan thanks to a disciplined bowling and fielding performance. Fakhar’s effort and Shaheen’s batting cameo were complemented by Pakistan’s bowlers sharing the spoils. The UAE chase unravelled dramatically after a steady start, collapsing from relative control to losing their last seven wickets for just 20 runs.
Shaheen returned with the ball to remove Harshit Kaushik, who was strangled down the leg side after a review. Sahibzada Farhan’s direct hit from mid-wicket caught Simranjeet Singh short, while Haris Rauf dismissed Haider Ali to end the UAE’s hopes. The final wicket came via a runout, capping a stunning collapse.
All of Pakistan’s frontline bowlers chipped in, except Mohammad Nawaz, and collectively they never allowed the UAE to dictate terms. The 41-run victory sealed Pakistan’s place in the Super Four alongside India, while UAE bowed out despite spirited spells from Siddique and Simranjeet.
Brief scores:
Pakistan 146/9 in 20 overs (Fakhar Zaman 50, Shaheen Shah Afridi 29 not out; Junaid Siddique 4-18, Simranjeet Singh 3-18) beat UAE 105 all out in 17.4 overs (Rahul Chopra 35, Dhruv Parashar 20; Abrar Ahmed 2-13, Haris Rauf 2-19) by 41 runs.
