In a nail-biting encounter that went down to the final over, Afghanistan edged past the UAE to win the sixth match of the ongoing tri-series by four runs at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.
With a spot in the final already guaranteed, Afghanistan chose to rest several of their in-form players, including Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi, Sediqullah Atal and Fazalhaq Farooqi, for the match that had no impact on the standings, making six changes to their line-up from the previous game.
Batting first, stand-in captain Ibrahim Zadran once again top-scored for his side with a crafty 48. Opening the innings, he took his chances as Rahmanullah Gurbaz struggled to find his timing. Gurbaz, who has not been in the best form with the bat, forced Zadran to take on more of the scoring responsibility. A 38-ball 40 reflects Gurbaz’s struggles, but going into the final, time at the crease and some runs under his belt may help restore his confidence. Both openers were dismissed in quick succession after adding 98 for the first wicket. Karim Janat and Gulbadin Naib then played useful cameos to take the team’s total to 170.
