Sharjah (Web Desk): Afghanistan opted to bat first against Pakistan after winning the toss in the fourth match of the T20 tri-series in Sharjah on Tuesday.
The series is serving as a preparatory tournament ahead of the upcoming Asia Cup, which is set to begin on September 9.
Pakistan have looked in strong form throughout the competition, having already recorded convincing wins over both Afghanistan and the United Arab Emirates.
In their opening match, a combined effort from pace spearhead Haris Rauf and captain Salman Ali Agha secured a 39-run victory against Afghanistan. Building on that momentum, Pakistan went on to defeat the UAE by 31 runs in their second fixture, with notable contributions from young batters Saim Ayub and Hasan Nawaz, who both scored half-centuries.
In the match against the UAE, Pakistan posted a score in excess of 200, thanks largely to a powerful finish from Hasan Nawaz after Saim Ayub had laid the foundation with a solid start.
The UAE’s Asif Khan responded with an explosive 77 off just 35 deliveries, but his efforts were not enough as veteran fast bowler Hasan Ali closed out the innings with figures of 3 for 47.
Under the guidance of white-ball coach Mike Hesson, Pakistan are in a phase of transition as they prepare for the next T20 World Cup. The team is moving forward without the services of former mainstays Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan.
In their most recent outing, the team also made changes to their bowling lineup, bringing in Hasan Ali and Salman Mirza in place of Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf, who had featured in the previous match against Afghanistan.
The final of the tri-series is scheduled to take place on September 7.