Spinner Abrar Ahmed delivered a remarkable performance in the ongoing tri-series in the UAE, leading Pakistan to the final. Facing the host nation, UAE, Ahmed bowled exceptionally well, with 15 out of 24 deliveries being dot balls. He also claimed four crucial wickets, which enabled Pakistan to secure a convincing victory over UAE, marking their second consecutive win in the series. This defeat also signifies UAE’s third consecutive loss, effectively eliminating them from the tournament, having previously lost to Afghanistan.
Abrar Ahmed, making his debut in the UAE tri-series, seized the opportunity with impressive bowling. UAE, chasing a target of 172 runs, had a strong start with their opening batsmen. Ahmed broke the partnership, dismissing captain Muhammad Waseem (19) and giving UAE a significant setback. He then sealed the victory for Pakistan by taking two wickets in two balls in the 13th over.
In the match, Abrar Ahmed conceded only 9 runs in his 4 overs while taking 4 wickets. He dismissed three UAE batsmen within a span of 8 balls. Prior to this, Pakistan’s batsman Fakhar Zaman scored a half-century in the series.
In the fifth match of the tri-series, Pakistan, batting first against UAE, experienced an unstable start, losing 5 wickets at a score of just 80 runs. Fakhar Zaman and all-rounder Mohammad Nawaz stabilized the team’s innings, forging an unbeaten partnership of 91 runs in 51 balls for the fifth wicket. Consequently, Pakistan scored 171 runs for the loss of five wickets in 20 overs against UAE.
Fakhar Zaman scored an unbeaten 77 runs off 44 balls, which included 10 fours and 2 sixes. Mohammad Nawaz contributed with an unbeaten 37 runs off 27 balls, hitting 3 fours and 2 sixes. No other batsman could stay long at the crease. Haider Ali took 2 wickets for UAE. Junaid Siddiqui, Muhammad Rohid, and Dhruv Parashar each took one wicket. UAE, chasing the target, had a good start.
UAE, aiming to achieve the 172-run target, got off to a decent start. A partnership of 41 runs was established between captain Muhammad Waseem and Alishan Sharafu for the first wicket. However, Abrar Ahmed dismissed Muhammad Waseem, who had scored 19 runs off 19 balls. UAE’s innings then faltered, and the team could only manage 140 runs for the loss of 7 wickets in 20 overs.
Alishan Sharafu scored the highest for UAE, with 68 runs off 51 balls, which included 4 fours and 4 sixes. Dhruv Parashar remained unbeaten with 18 runs. Apart from Abrar Ahmed, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Mohammad Nawaz took one wicket each for Pakistan.