SHARJAH: Haris Rauf’s late-inning flurry went in vain as Afghanistan beat Pakistan by 18 runs in the second PAK vs AFG game of the ongoing T20 tri-series on Tuesday.
Chasing 170, Pakistan were restricted to 151 for nine, losing the game by 18 runs.
Coming in to bat at 10th, Haris Rauf was the highest run-scorer for the Men in Green with an unbeaten 34 off 16, with the help of four sixes.
Saim Ayub’s struggles continuned at the top as he was dismissed for a duck. His opening partner Sahibzada Farhan was off to a quick start, scoring 18 off 13 balls, with the help of a four and two sixes.
However, he could not capitalise on the start and fell in the fourth over, leaving Pakistan struggling at 29/2 in 3.2 overs.
Fakhar Zaman and captain Salman Agha then stitched a 33-run partnerhip to take the Greenshirts to 62, before the former fell to Mohammad Nabi after scoring 25 runs off 18 balls.
Agha followed him in the next over, falling short of his crease while running for a double. He made 20 off 15 deliveries.
Hasan Nawaz made nine, Mohammad Haris stayed for one run while Mohammad Nawaz contributed 12 runs to the chase.
Shaheen Afridi was removed for a golden duck, and Faheem Ashraf made 14 off 18 balls, with Pakistan 111 for nine in 17 overs at one stage.
Haris Rauf and Sufiyan Muqeem then shared a last-wicket unbeaten 40-run partnerhip to reduce the losing margin for Pakistan.
Haris Rauf remained unbeaten on 34 alongside Muqeem (7) as Pakistan fell 18 runs short of the target.
Earlier, Ibrahim Zadran and Sediqullah Atal hit fifties as Afghanistan posted 169/5 against Pakistan.
Afghanistan had won the toss and opted to bat first against the Men in Green, who remain undefeated in the tri-series, also involving the UAE.
Opening the inning alongside Atal, Rahmanullah Gurbaz found it hard to get going and fell to Saim Ayub after scoring eight of 10 balls.
Ibrahim Zadran then joined Sediqullah Atal in the middle, and the two stitched a 113-run partnership, with both batter scoring fifties.
Atal fell to Faheem Ashraf after scoring 64 off 45 balls, with the help of three fours and as many sixes.
With the scorebaord showing 123/2 in 15.2 overs, Azmatullah Omarzai looked to carry forward the momentun set by Atal and Zadran.
However, he was dismissed by Ashraf on just four as Afghanistan were reduced to 145/3 in 17.3 overs.
Zadran became Faheem Ashraf’s third victim after a well-made 65 off 45 deliveries.
Ashraf then dimissed Mohammad Nabi for six to claim his fourth wicket in the game.
Karim Jannat and Rashid Khan remained unbeaten on eight runs each as they finished with 169/5 in their 20 overs.
For the Greenshirts, Faheen Ashraf bagged a four-fer while Saim Ayub picked up a wicket.
The national side downed the Rashid Khan-led side in the opening PAK vs AFG game of the tri-series, followed by a victory against the UAE in their second game.
Both sides made two changes each to their Playing XI, with Afghanistan resting Mujeeb Ur Rehman and Sharafuddin Ashraf to bring in AM Ghazanfar and Noor Ahmed.
Salman Ali Agha confirmed that Pakistan have brought back Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf to replace Hasan Ali and Salman Mirza.
Pakistan XI: Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan, Fakhar Zaman, Salman Agha (c), Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Haris (wk), Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, and Sufiyan Muqeem.
Read more: Mohammad Haris smashes bat after getting dismissed: Watch Video
Afghanistan XI: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Karim Janat, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan (c), Mohammad Nabi, AM Ghazanfar, Noor Ahmad, and Fazalhaq Farooqi.