Afghanistan showcased another impressive run-chase to beat new-look Pakistan by seven wickets in the second Twenty20 international with one ball remaining and take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. (More Cricket News)
It is the first time that Afghanistan has won a serie🃏s against a top-six ranked ICC 💞team.
Pakistan chose to bat first but ﷺits inexperienced top-order again disappointed before recalled Imad Wasim smashed 64 not out off 57 balls and captain Shadab Khan made 32 to increase the final total to 130-6.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz (44) and Ibrah🐼im Zadran (38) led♐ Afghanistan's chase before Najibullah Zadran scored a rapid unbeaten 23 and Mohammad Nabi was 14 not out to guide their team to 133-3 with a ball to spare.
“It's a great honor and pleasure to lead this wonderful team,” Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan said. “Great effort with the ball, a🅷nd then we took 🦩it deep and finished it … We have players to finish it like Nabi and Najib.”
Needing 22 off ☂the last two overs, Najibullah and Nabi struck a six each in Naseem Shah's penultimate over w😼hich went for 17 and effectively ended Pakistan's hopes.
Afghanistan recorded a memorable six-wicket win against Pakistan ﷽on Friday after pinning down Shadab's team to 92-9.
In the absence of five rested frontline players, including Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, Pakistan continued to struggle against the pace and spin of Afghanistan on the slow wickets at Sharjah𝔍 Cricket Stadium.
Saim Ayub, who made his T20 debut in the first game, edged beh🙈ind the second ball of the game from Fazalhaq Farooqi (2-19). Abdullah Shafique became the first men's batter in T20 history to record a fourth straight duck♛ when he was trapped leg before wicket by Farooqi in his first double-wicket maiden over, leaving Pakistan at 0-2.
Mohammad H🌠aris (15) and Tayyab Tahir (13) also couldn't gauge the wicket well upfront. Azam Khan (1) was baffled by Rashid's sharp googly and was out lbw as Pakistan slipped to 63-5 in 11 overs.
Imad and Shadab then combined in a 67-run stand with Imad hittiꦉng two sixes and three fours before Shadab was run out off the last ball while going for a second run.
Gurbaz made a powerful start for Afghanistan when he smashed Naseem (0-39) for a six and a boundary in the first over and took the game deep by adding 56 runs with Ibrahim. Gurbaz was run out when h🐻is reverse lap shot went straight to Naseem at s🅷hort third man and Ibrahim declined a sharp single.
Fast bowler Ihsanullah (1-23) had Ibrahim caught behind in the 18th over but Najibullah and Nabi sealed the game with the🍒ir bellig��erent hitting against Naseem in the penultimate over.
“We were struggling again,” Shadab said. “When you lose three wickets in powerplay, you lose 70% of the games … The young players were nervous. They are playing for the first time for Pakistan, but we have to back them.꧑”
The third T20 is on Monday. AP
