Third Twenty20 International updates:
PAK vs AFG 3rd T20-2023
In the third and final Twenty20 international, played on Monday in Sharjah, Pakistan won by a score of 66 runs, while Afghanistan won the series 2-1. Pakistan's revamped team made a solid 182-7 in 20 overs after losing the first two games by margins of six and seven wickets, then held Afghanistan to 116 in 18.4 overs. Saim Ayub, Pakistan's opener, spearheaded an improved batting display as Pakistan scored 182-7 against Afghanistan in the third and final Twenty20 international on Monday in Sharjah.
In Sharjah Stadium, Pakistan improved from their dismal scores of 92-9 and 130-6 in two losses thanks to a strong 40-ball 49 from Ayub that included two sixes and four boundaries. Shadab Khan, the captain, made 28 while Iftikhar Ahmed produced 31 from 25 balls with two sixes. Abdullah Shafique made 23 and was the other key run-scorer.
Afghanistan will aim for a series sweep over Pakistan in the third and final T20I on Monday in Sharjah after taking an unstoppable 2-0 lead. The Shadab Khan-led team, on the other hand, will strive for a consolation victory before returning home.
For the first time since the war-torn nation's debut in international cricket in 2009, Afghanistan won its maiden series against nearby Pakistan, a top-six International Cricket Council squad, on Sunday. At Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, it defeated Pakistan to go up 2-0 in a three-match series.
Prior to recall Imad Wasim's 64 not out off 57 balls and captain Shadab Khan's 32 to raise the final score to 130-6, Pakistan's inexperienced top order once again let them down.
Afghanistan's chase was started by Rahmanullah Gurbaz (44) and Ibrahim Zadran (38) before Najibullah Zadran hit a quick unbeaten 23 and Mohammad Nabi was 14 not out to lead their team to 133-3 with one ball remaining.
On the slow wickets at Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Pakistan struggled against the pace and spin of Afghanistan in the absence of five rested top players, including Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan.
Saim Ayub, who played in his maiden T20 match, edged Fazalhaq Farooqi's first ball of the match (2-19). By being caught leg before wicket by Farooqi in his first double-wicket maiden over, Abdullah Shafique made history by becoming the first male batter in T20 history to record a fourth consecutive duck, leaving Pakistan at 0-2.
Gurbaz gave Afghanistan a strong start when he hit Naseem (0-39) for a six and a boundary in the opening over. Gurbaz then helped Afghanistan win the match by scoring 56 runs alongside Ibrahim. Gurbaz was eliminated when Ibrahim refused a crisp single and his reverse lap shot went straight to Naseem at short third man.
Ibrahim was caught behind by fast bowler Ihsanullah (1-23) in the 18th over, but Najibullah and Nabi's aggressive hitting against Naseem in the last over sealed the victory.
