ISLAMABAD: Pakistan cricket team survived a scare from minnows UAE on Wednesday, beating them by 41 runs at Dubai to qualify for the Super Four stage of the Asia Cup 2025 tournament.
Pakistan batted first but suffered early blows, losing both openers in the powerplay overs when the team's score was just nine. Fakhar Zaman and skipper Salman Ali Agha put in a 61-run partnership to bring some stability to the side before more wickets tumbled.
Zaman scored 50 off 36 balls while Agha made 20 runs and Mohammad Haris scored 18 runs off 14 balls. Pakistan were in deep trouble at 110-7 before bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi stepped to the crease. Afridi smashed 29 runs from 14 balls to ensure Pakistan finished at 146-9 after 20 overs.
"Pakistan defeat UAE by 41 runs and progress to the Super 4s in the ACC Men’s T20 Asia Cup 2025," the PCB wrote on X.
UAE, in response, were bundled out for 105 runs in 17.4 overs. Afridi, Rauf and leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed each took two wickets while all-rounder Saim Ayub and Agha each picked up a single wicket.
Rahul Chopra and Dhruv Parashar scored 35 and 20, respectively, to give the UAE a fighting chance before Pakistani bowlers dismissed them.
Pakistan and India become the only teams to advance to the Super Four stage of the tournament from their group. This means the two arch-rivals will clash once again in the next stage of the tournament.
