Courtesy: Geo News

Sharjah, United Arab Emirates: Afghanistan overcame late nerves in the closing overs to beat Pakistan by seven wickets in the second Twenty20 international on Sunday and take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-game series.

Courtesy: Geo News/ AFP

SHARJAH: In the first of a three-game series on Friday, veteran all-rounder Mohammad Nabi played a crucial role in guiding Afghanistan to a six-wicket victory over a newly revamped Pakistan team in the Twenty20 International.

Nabi took 2-12 and was ably assisted by Mujeeb Ur Rahman (2-9) and pacer Fazalhaq Farooqi (2-13) to restrict Pakistan to 92-9 after they won the toss and batted at Sharjah Stadium.

Nabi then kept his cool with a cautious run-a-ball 38 not out and added 53 for the unbroken fifth wicket with Najibullah Zadran (17 not out) to help Afghanistan overhaul the target in 17.5 overs.

Nabi hit his first boundary off his 27th ball and then hit two more in the next over from Naseem Shah before sealing the win with a six off Ihsanullah.

This becomes Afghanistan’s first win in four Twenty20 internationals against Pakistan.

Pace bowler Ihsanullah (2-17) dismissed Ibrahim Zadran (nine) with the first ball of his T20I career and then had Gulbadin Naib (nought) to leave Afghanistan tottering at 45-4 but Nabi and Najibullah made sure victory was achieved.

With five key players — skipper Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Fakhar Zaman, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf rested for the series — Pakistan handed T20I debuts to Saim Ayub, Tayyab Tahir, Ihsanullah and Zaman Khan.

Pakistan were 41-5 in the eighth over on a low and slow Sharjah Stadium pitch that gave assistance to Afghanistan’s three-pronged spin attack.

Imad Wasim top-scored with 18 while Ayub (17), Tahir (16) and skipper Shadab Khan (12) were the other main run-getters.

Ayub, known for his power hitting, smashed two boundaries and a six in his 15-ball knock while Wasim’s 32-ball innings did not feature a single boundary as he tried to rescue the innings.

Wasim and skipper Shadab Khan (12) added 19 for the sixth wicket, the highest partnership of the innings.

Recalled power hitter Azam Khan and Abdullah Shafique failed to score.

Pakistan´s other lowest T20I totals are 74 vs Australia in Dubai 2012, 82 vs West Indies in Dhaka 2014, 83 vs India in Dhaka 2016 and 89 vs England in Cardiff in 2010.

This is the first bilateral series between the two countries with the remaining matches also in Sharjah on Sunday and Monday.

Courtesy: Dawn News

The Pakistan Super League (PSL) has made a name for itself as a tournament of close finishes and the final of the eighth edition on Saturday was fit to crown the champion of any trophy.

The tournament came down to one delivery and in the end, Zaman Khan held his nerve and Lahore Qalandars made history to become the first team to successfully defend their PSL title.

History was certain to be made before even a ball was bowled though as Lahore skipper Shaheen Shah Afridi and Multan captain Muhammad Rizwan vied to become the first captain to lift the PSL trophy twice.

GREATEST. FINAL. EVER. @lahoreqalandars become the first team to successfully defend their HBLPSL title #HBLPSL8 | #SabSitarayHumaray | #MSvLQ

Afridi contributed with both bat and ball to ensure he is yet to face elimination as captain, a testament to his leadership and individual ability as well as Lahore’s think tank that surrounded the world’s premium left-arm pacer with a formidable support cast.

In the end, the season boiled down to the final delivery as Zaman defended 13 in the final over and three off the final delivery as Lahore won by one run — the league, the tournament, and the match summed up in chaotic scenes as Multan batsmen scrambled for three and 11 Lahore fielders scurried around to run them out as the panicked screams of a packed Gaddafi Stadium echoed through all of Lahore.

It seemed like the toss had taken place eons ago by the time the match finished, but Afridi’s decision to bat first seemed justified as Lahore had gotten off to a solid start.

Lahore’s batting had been overly reliant on Fakhar Zaman’s runs during the tournament and it looked like there would be another batting collapse once Fakhar was dismissed by leg-spinner Usama Mir in the 12th over for 39.

Rizwan had held back Mir until the 12th over, weary of the ball turning back into the hitting arc of the left-handed Fakhar.

That Mir dismissed Fakhar with his first delivery against him, a rank long-hop at that, showed why the best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry.

Lahore crumbled from 95-1 to 112-5 as they lost three wickets in four deliveries, spinners Mir and Khushdil Shah wreaking havoc in Lahore’s middle order.

Mir’s 3-24 in three overs somewhat justified Rizwan’s decision to hold him back but it also prevented the leggie from having enough to bowl his fourth over before the innings reached the slog overs.

And it was in the slog overs that Lahore took the game away from Multan. The Multan bowlers lost the plot and in the chaos, Afridi feasted.

The left-hander smashed 44 off only 15 deliveries as Lahore scored 85 in the final over.

A raucous partisan Gaddafi echoed with chants of “Afridi, Afridi, Afridi” and the world suddenly seemed 20 years younger.

Abdullah Shafique’s knock should also not be discounted and his 65 off 40 held the innings together.

Lahore’s bowling attack was easily the tournament’s finest, and it was always going to be an uphill task for Multan to chase down 201, but if any team could do it then it was Rizwan’s men.

Rizwan and Rilee Rossouw finished as the tournament’s highest and third-highest scorers with 550 and 453 runs respectively, and the duo combined to deadly effect once again.

They were threatening to take the game away from Lahore with the score at 105-1 before Rashid Khan did what he does to dismiss Rossouw for 52 off 32.

.@rashidkhan_19 - Genius at work! 🤫#HBLPSL8 | #SabSitarayHumaray | #MSvLQ pic.twitter.com/4tyCHZeB6J

— PakistanSuperLeague (@thePSLt20) March 18, 2023

The South African chopped on a Rashid delivery that kept low and was not overly pleased with the celebration he received from the leg-spinner.

Rashid then repeated the trick once again in the next over, dismissing Rizwan for 34 off 22 deliveries as David Wiese took a smart catch on the boundary.

Afridi had been smashed all over in his first two overs but came back superbly to claim four wickets in two overs to nullify Multan’s destructive middle order.

Abbas Afridi’s incredible 17-run cameo set the stage for a grand finale, but Zaman held his nerve to make Shaheen the league’s most successful captain.

𝐃𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 ✨

Zaman Khan is just built different 🙌#HBLPSL8 | #SabSitarayHumaray | #MSvLQ pic.twitter.com/2V38qNElmg

— PakistanSuperLeague (@thePSLt20) March 18, 2023

Courtesy: Dawn News/AFP

Indian superstar Virat Kohli hit his first Test century in over three years on Sunday, ending his long drought and sparking raucous celebrations at the world’s biggest cricket stadium in Ahmedabad.

“King Kohli”, one of cricket’s biggest names, admitted last year to mental health struggles as his magic with the bat deserted him. He also lost the Indian captaincy, one of the most high-pressure jobs in world sport.

But on Sunday, having already returned to form with ODI and T20 centuries in recent months, the long wait for his 28th Test ton ended in the fourth Test against Australia.

Resuming on 59 after reaching his first Test half-century on Saturday since January 2022, the landmark came after a patient innings of 241 balls as he eased Nathan Lyon for a single.

Appearing to tear up, the heavily tattooed 34-year-old acknowledged the crowd and the dressing room before kissing the locket on his gold chain as he smiled and looked up to the sky.

“A 600-kilo gorilla is off his back. He will grow a couple of inches taller by this evening,” shouted commentator and former India coach Ravi Shastri.

Australia’s stand-in-skipper Steve Smith applauded on the ground, and a placard in the crowd read “Here to see King Kohli ruling in his kingdom”, as children in India shirts bowed in respect.

Former England captain Michael Vaughan tweeted: “Good to see @imVkohli back scoring a Test ton … Love watching him Bat … Over three years since his last one .. My guess is a few might come along now”.

Courtesy: Geo News

Quetta Gladiators’ Jason Roy Wednesday scored a quick century and powered his side to an eight-wicket victory over the Peshawar Zalmi at the Pindi Cricket Stadium. Quetta Gladiators’ Jason Roy Wednesday scored a quick century and powered his side to an eight-wicket victory over the Peshawar Zalmi at the Pindi Cricket Stadium after the Gladiators managed to successfully chase the target of a record 241 runs.

Roy created history when pulled off an unbelievable run-chase for the Gladiators. His exuberant knock of 145 helped the Gladiators chase down 241 runs in 18.2 overs.

Courtesy: Geo News

LAHORE: A robbery took place at Pakistan cricketer Mohammad Hafeez’s residence during which the robbers stole foreign currency worth millions, it came to light on Tuesday.

According to the police, the robbers broke into the cricketer’s house in the middle of the night between Sunday and Monday.

Hafeez and his wife were both not in the house when the robbery took place. While Hafeez is busy with the Pakistan Super League, his wife is in Islamabad for some work.

The uncle of the cricketer’s wife filed a complaint at the Defence Police Station.

As per the first information report, the robbers have stolen $20,000, £4,000, €3,000, 5,000 AED.