Mohammad Nawaz scripts history with maiden hat-trick against Afghanistan

Pakistan all-rounder dismantled Afghanistan’s batting lineup with a maiden hat-trick in the T20Is during their tri-series final against Afghanistan on Sunday.

He became the first spinner from Pakistan to achieve the feat in the shorter format.

The left-arm spinner was brought into attack in the sixth over as Afghanistan were put to chase 142 in the ultimate game of the series.

Bowling his first over in the game, Mohammad Nawaz conceded just one run in his first four balls.

He gave Pakistan a major breakthrough when he removed Darwish Rasooli for a duck on the fifth ball, followed by Azmatullah Omarzai in the next delivery, the final of the over.

After Saim Ayub went for seven in the seventh over, Mohammad Nawaz returned to bowl the eighth over of the innings.

Read more: Pakistan set 142-run target for Afghanistan in tri-series final

He dismissed Ibrahim Zadran (9) on the very first ball to complete his maiden hat-trick in the T20Is.

His wicket-taking flurry did not end there as the Pakistan all-rounder removed Karim Jannat for a duck two balls later to sink Afghanistan to 32/6 in eight overs in the tri-series final.

With the hat-trick, Mohammad Nawaz became just the third Pakistan player to achieve the feat in T20I cricket.

Before Nawaz, pacers Faheem Ashraf and Mohammad Hasnain have bagged hat-tricks for Pakistan in T20Is