The day at the Asia Cup was quite unique. It seemed for a time that there might be no cricket at all in Dubai. And although while the groups appeared to be set up to ensure at least two India-Pakistan matches, the UAE appeared to be the team most likely to advance to the Super Fours when it did, an hour later than expected.
With the promise of more Pakistan and the certainty of another India-Pakistan match on September 21, a late afternoon that started with the prospect of not seeing Pakistan again in this Asia Cup gradually evolved into an evening that held the same anxiety.
Both on and off the pitch, it was a close shave. Packing their baggage and holding their breath, the Pakistani squad waited for Lahore’s clearance in their hotel during the afternoon. When his side was 114 for 7 with 13 balls remaining in the innings, their coach Mike Hesson would don the identical outfit in the dugout hours later. Salman Ali Agha, who lost the toss, went on to say that Pakistan had desired to bat first anyhow. They reached 146 thanks to Shaheen Afridi’s 29* off 14 balls, which felt, at best, below par given the surrounding conditions.
It is sufficient to remark that the margin of victory does not accurately represent the amount of the game that the UAE controlled. Ball-tracking overturned the on-field decision against Sahibzada Farhan, which would have given them a wicket on the second ball. Muhammad Rohid Khan frequently beat the outside edge with his quick and bouncy bowling. Those moments would have turned out differently on an other day.
Pakistan was in disarray after Junaid Siddique hit his second consecutive four-fer, but Fakhar Zaman‘s 13th T20I fifty kept the innings together.
It was a tough negotiation, similar to the one earlier in the day when team manager Naveed Cheema, captain Salman Agha, and head coach Mike Hesson sat together with match referee Andy Pycroft to discuss the big issue. Even though the meeting was captured on camera but was not broadcast with the audio, it nevertheless helped Pakistan’s bowling find its voice later that evening as they thrashed the United Arab Emirates with six wickets for 20 runs.
Haris Rauf, who was not given much credit in Pakistan’s opening two matches despite being their top wicket-taker in Twenty20 Internationals, contributed two of those. He had conditioned himself to uncertainty by bowling in the nets for days. He was therefore unlikely to be disturbed by an hour of mayhem before to the game.
“You see, there was no pressure on me. Because I have no control over these things,” Haris remarked after the fact. “The board made these judgements; they can handle it well, but it is a headache for them. All I could think about was the game. The management is more knowledgeable and has handled the remaining issues outside of it quite effectively.
Indeed, it’s never simple for a player to miss a game. However, you can see what the squad needs in the end. My role is to support the team; they performed the team as required. This team has a large number of young players. As a senior player, you give them greater confidence the more you support them. They performed admirably.
“With spinners, we won the tri-nation series. The effectiveness of the spinners is increasing. Every team is acting in the same way. The management is responsible for it. I wait for the chance. I’m on the team. Being a part of the team is crucial.
The opposing side’s left-arm spinner, Simranjeet Singh, bowled brilliantly throughout the middle overs, even softly dismissing Fakhar. However, Shaheen’s final batsmanship yielded 18 runs in the final over, Pakistan’s largest innings-long outburst, and eventually the difference. a late change, similar to their practice session, which didn’t start until 6:25 p.m., five minutes ahead of time. The match was postponed by an hour because of the PCB’s impasse with the ICC.
However, the UAE was prepared. By 5:00 p.m., they had come, warmed up as though nothing was uncertain, and performed accordingly.
Did you witness our warm-up and bowling? At the news conference following the game, UAE captain Muhammad Waseem questioned, “We didn’t care if we were delayed or not.” “You witnessed our effort and our bowling. That [delay] was not on our agenda. We arrived as usual, warmed up as instructed by our coach and trainer, and then played the game. That’s all.
Despite the commotion, Pakistan’s fielding was largely responsible for their final victory. Just minutes after the UAE captain became the top T20I run scorer among batsmen from Associate Nations, Mohammad Nawaz, who had been quiet with the ball during the tournament, came alive at point, running back to make a spectacular grab and dismiss Waseem.
Pakistan held on in the end. They now hold the third-lowest number successfully defended in the Asia Cup at 146 for 9. Shaheen even claimed his first PowerPlay wicket of the competition on a day when his bat made all the difference. Timely, but a bit late.
Pakistan’s story at this Asia Cup may be that they will arrive late and in installments, but they will nonetheless arrive. Their next encounter with India will be the true test.
India
