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That's all from our side then!! We hope you enjoyed Sportskeeda's coverage of this Pakistan tour of Afghanistan 2023. This is Soumarya Dutta signing off on behalf of Pradeep. Buh-bye and see you soon!
Babar Azam , Pakistan Captain - We're number 1 in ODI cricket now and the boys have been putting in a lot of effort. We had a small camp back home before this series and the credit goes to the players and the management. Afghanistan have one of the best spin attacks and we will take a lot of confidence from this into the Asia cup. Me and Rizwan tried to build a partnership and looked to accelerate once we were set. We looked to use some of the younger guys in the squad and try a different combination. We're giving them confidence in the run up to the Asia Cup and the World Cup.
Hashmatullah Shahidi, Afghanistan Captain- It was tough conditions to bat on especially compared to Hambantota and we ended up making mistakes. We've had a lot of learnings and we've have been learning from our mistakes. We know that we will be facing the similar teams in Asia cup and World cup and it has been our spinners who have done a great job for us. Our middle order needs to contribute and we lost three big players in that position due to injury.
Imam-ul-Haq is the Player of the Series! Here's what he has to say: Just the process, quite difficult in these conditions and their spinners are very good, they won't give you much and strike rotation had to be good, we had to run hard with the boundaries are big. It's working for me, I've listened my uncle, if we have to do well against spinners, had to play mostly on the backfoot. I want to thank team management, we worked hard for getting the fielding better and it's very important. Before the Asia cup, as a player it brings confidence and will take this into the big stage.
Mohammad Rizwan is the Player of the Match! Here's what he has to say: It was tough conditions, I talked to Babar when I walked in and we discussed about getting to 240 which will be a good score and we assessed the conditions like we did earlier and we wanted to take deep, go big in the end. It always helps as we play Asia cup after this, it's beneficial for us as a team. It's a different track, it was stopping and turning as well, but our fast bowlers have done well in recent times. It's difficult at times, but I'm adapting to the situation with respect to team requirement.
The post-match presentation is coming up!
Afghanistan 209 all out in 48.4 overs Mujeeb Ur Rehman 64(37) | Shadab Khan 3/45 Shahidullah Kamal 37(65) | Shaheen Afridi 2/37
Right, it took much longer than expected for Pakistan to wrap things up but they did it before the 50 overs in the end and clinched the series 3-0!! They've become the number one ranked side in the WORLD with that and it has been an absolutely clinical performance from them.
Afghanistan had a poor start to the run chase as they lost two early wickets in the powerplay. Riaz Hassan got through the early phase and stayed at the wicket for a while but he and skipper Shahidi departed in the same over to leave Afghanistan reeling at a tough position in the run chase. The likes of Nabi, and Gulbadin Naib didn't get in either and fell cheaply to spin. Afghanistan were reeling at 97/7 at that stage.
Mujeeb ur Rehman joined Shahidullah Kamal at the crease and they began building up a partnership. It soon turned into a counter-attacking stint as Mujeeb began an extraordinary rare-guard action against spin. He went on to make the fastest 50 in ODI cricket by an Afghan batter and fell for an incredible 64 of just 37 balls eventually. Kamal held up the other end with him and made a resolute 37 from 65 balls, in antithetical fashion almost. Once he was gone, Farid Khan joined Mujeeb and their vigil continued for a bit. They managed to propel the score past 200 in the end,
The Pakistan seamers were excellent up front as they hit the right lines and created the pressure. Ashraf got two early wickets and set the tone for the innings. The spinners came in after the powerplay and Shadab Khan along with Nawaz ran through the middle order, Salman Agha chipped in too and he picked up a wicket as well. Towards the end, Shaheen Afridi came in and he cleaned up the tail as he got rid of Farid Khan to end the game. Shadab was the pick of the bowlers as picked 3 wickets in spell of 10 overs.
Pakistan win by 59 runs and clinch the series 3-0!
48.4 Shaheen Afridi to Fareed Malik, OUT! OFF-STUMP GOES FOR A WALK! Shaheen says "I'll do it myself". Full toss on the stumps, Malik attempts another ramp shot as he exposes his stumps and misses, off-stump gets uprooted. Pakistan finish the whitewash, this has been another clinical performance from them, but credit to Afghanistan's tail for putting up a good fight in the end.
Fareed Ahmad b Shaheen Afridi 17(29b, 1x4, 0x6)
48.3 Shaheen Afridi to Fareed Malik, DROPPED! Nawaz of all drops a sitter at deep mid-wicket, should've been over but we continue. Short into the batter, Malik clubbed it to deep mid-wicket, Nawaz times his jump, juggles twice, but drops it the third time.
48.2 Shaheen Afridi to Fareed Malik, length delivery outside the off-stump, Malik backed away and had to reach for it, but misses again.
48.1 Shaheen Afridi to Fareed Malik, length delivery outside the off-stump, Malik walks long way across off-stump to ramp it, but was no where near to the pitch of the ball.
Farooqi opened up his arms and struck a boundary of the final ball of that over. This has been really good fight back from the Afghan tail and although they're loosing the game, they're looking to bat out the overs.
48
overs
209/9score
1
0
0
0
2
4
runs
Fazalhaq Farooqi*
6(8)
Fareed Malik
17(25)
Mohammad Nawaz
2/45
47.6 Mohammad Nawaz to Fazalhaq Farooqi, FOUR! That is struck really well and the frustration continues for Pakistan, they are being made to wait here for the last wicket. Length delivery on the stumps, Farooqi slams it straight down the ground, goes one bounce into the ropes.
47.5 Mohammad Nawaz to Fazalhaq Farooqi, length delivery on the off-stump, Farooqi slices it over the top of extra-cover, they scamper back for the brace.
47.4 Mohammad Nawaz to Fazalhaq Farooqi, length delivery on the stumps, Farooqi presses forward to smother.
47.3 Mohammad Nawaz to Fazalhaq Farooqi, DEAR OH DEAR! Almost a run-out there, huge mix-up but the throw comes to the wrong end. Malik was half-way down the track and sent back. Farooqi takes off too, Rizwan runs across, picks it up but fires the throw to the striker's end where Farooqi gets back in time.
47.2 Mohammad Nawaz to Fazalhaq Farooqi, tossed up a length delivery outside the off-stump, Farooqi presses forward but let's it go to the keeper.
47.1 Mohammad Nawaz to Fareed Malik, drops it short on the off-stump, Malik went back to pull but miscued it down to long-on, falls safely as they take the single.
Video
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Fazalhaq Farooqi
*
Mohammad Nawaz
R.Premadasa Stadium, Khettarama, Colombo
