Pakistan sealed their spot in the Super 4s of the Asia Cup with a 41-run win over the UAE in Dubai on Wednesday, a contest that had everything — a delayed start, heated off-field drama, inspired spells of bowling, and a few nervy passages of play. The result knocked UAE out of the tournament.
It was far from a straightforward day for Salman Ali Agha’s side. Pakistan arrived late at the ground amid uncertainty over their participation following the “handshake row” with match referee Andy Pycroft during the India clash. The game eventually began an hour behind schedule after behind-the-scenes negotiations, but what followed kept fans hooked.
Put in to bat, Pakistan laboured through the early exchanges as UAE’s bowlers rose to the occasion. Amritsar-born left-arm spinner Simranjeet Singh (3/26) and pacer Junaid Siddique (4/18) delivered one of the finest combined efforts by an Associate side against a Test-playing nation. They rattled Pakistan’s top and middle order, leaving them tottering before a late recovery.
Senior opener Fakhar Zaman (50 off 36) stood tall amid the early collapse, stroking a fluent half-century even as wickets kept tumbling at the other end. Junaid sent back Saim Ayub for his second successive duck and removed Sahibzada Farhan cheaply, while Simranjeet accounted for Nawaz with a sharp arm ball — celebrating with his now-trademark “Siddhu Moosewala” thigh-slap.
With the ball gripping and bouncing off the surface, Pakistan’s innings seemed to be running out of steam. But lower-order cameos from Mohammed Haris (18) and Shaheen Shah Afridi (29 not out off 14) injected much-needed momentum, with Afridi’s big hits lifting Pakistan to a fighting 146 for nine.
In response, UAE never quite found fluency with the bat. While there were moments of resistance, Pakistan’s bowlers kept striking at regular intervals to tighten their grip on the contest. The eventual 41-run margin reflected their ability to close out games under pressure, even on days when their batting faltered.
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