Pakistan won by 11 runs after stumbling to 135-8 in the virtual semi-final against Bangladesh in their men’s Asia Cup Super Four fixture at Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Thursday.
With that win, the Green Shirts bookëd their final date with archrivals India for the first time in the 17th iteration of the Asia Cup on Sunday.
Speaking at the post-match ceremony, player-of-the-match Shaheen Afridi said: “I attacked up-front as the team needed an early breakthrough — the three overs in the powerplay made all the difference.”
He dedicated his award to his wife and son.
The left-arm pacer scored a vital 19 of 13 balls and got 3-17 with the ball, striking in his signature manner in the very first over of the innings yet again.
Skipper Salman Ali Agha said, “If we can win these kinds of games, then we must be a special team.”
He commended Mohammad Haris’s crucial 31 runs down the order, terming him a “special player”.
On a pitch that spun prodigiously, Pakistan were staring down the barrel at 49-5 in the 11th over before Shaheen and Haris injected some momentum into the innings.
Mohammad Nawaz and Faheem Ashraf added some crucial runs as Bangladesh were horrendous in the field — dropping multiple chances, including POTM Shaheen.
