Pakistan Shaheens triumphed in their first success in the ACC Men’s T20 Emerging Teams Asia Cup with a convincing victory of 74 runs against Oman on Monday afternoon here at the Oman Cricket Academy Ground in Muscat, where Pakistan Shaheens shone like stars both with bat and the ball. They set up a strenuous target for Oman and then squeezed them to a low score.
Pakistan Shaheens Set a Challenging Target
Pak Shaheens opting to bat first accumulated 185-5 in their 20 overs, while support for their cause came through some stern efforts by top players, although it was Qasim Akram who provided them a way first with 48 off 38 balls, which contained three sixes and two fours. His innings were supported and strengthened by a useful 72-run stand with Omair Bin Yousuf, who contributed 25 off 21 balls.
Shaheens showed some fight after losing openers Mohammad Haris and Yasir Khan early in the innings. Rohail Nazir, who featured in his first match of the tournament, threw a marvelous display with an unbeaten 41 off just 20 balls, which earned him the Man of the Match award. It was a link-up that clicked between Rohail and Arafat Minhas, who chipped in with a quick 31 off 15 balls. It was, however, the sensational stand of 69 runs by the duo for the sixth wicket, especially in the last two overs, that added quite a bit to the total, which stood at 38 runs in those last two overs.
Oman’s Struggle in the Chase
Chasing a daunting target of 185, Oman could never find their rhythm and were eventually bowled out for 111. The powerplay didn’t do much for them as they could manage only 34 for one run. Qasim Akram was still at the forefront, sending Aamir Kaleem packing for 11, the first wicket of Oman.
Oman’s middle order fought hard against a very disciplined Shaheen bowling attack. The fall of quick wickets of Karan Sonavale and skipper Jatinder Singh after their scores had reached 24 runs off 29 balls doused their chase further. Wasim Ali scored the top score of 28 runs off 31 balls for Oman, but that was not even close to bridging the gap as Oman could score only 57 runs in the last 10 overs.
Effective Bowling Display by Shaheens
Pakistan Shaheens’ bowlers produced a superb show, and their attack was led by Zaman Khan, who took 2 wickets for 17 runs. The rest of the bowling, which also included Arafat Minhas, Mohammad Imran, Qasim Akram, Shahnawaz Dahani, and Sufiyan Moqim, picked up one wicket each while ensuring that Oman’s batting line-up remained consigned to narrow limits.
The Shaheens’ disciplined bowling attack and strategic field placements left Oman with no room to accelerate their run rate, sealing their fate in the match.
Looking Ahead
With this win, the Pakistan Shaheens have ensured for themselves great momentum in the ACC Men’s T20 Emerging Teams Asia Cup. Their next contest will be against the UAE on Wednesday, October 23, at 2 PM Pakistan Time. The Shaheens are likely to keep the winning momentum and make sure that the last few games of the tournament do not disappoint them.
Key Performances
- Qasim Akram: 48 runs and one wicket
- Rohail Nazir: 41* off 20 balls
- Arafat Minhas: 31* off 15 balls and one wicket
- Zaman Khan: 2 wickets for 17 runs
The win over Oman has placed the Pakistan Shaheens back on course as they approach the tougher games scheduled for the coming days.
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