Insight Bureau: Mohammad Rizwan has catapulted Pakistan into the Asia Cup Super Four stage after his bowlers hit a record low 38 against Hong Kong minnows on Friday. Pakistan went 193-2 in a must-win Twenty20 international, with Rizwan (78 not absent) and Fakhar Zaman (53) hitting 116 after being invited to bat first on a slow and low court in Sharjah.
Pakistan spinners Shadab Khan and Mohammad Nawaz then shared seven wickets to tie Hong Kong in 10.4 overs and win by 155 runs. It was Hong Kong’s lowest T20 cap after 69 against Nepal in 2014 and also the lowest against Pakistan won by West Indies in 2018 with 60.
Pakistan joins Afghanistan, India and Sri Lanka in the second round of the six-nation tournament, which is serving as a build-up to the T20 World Cup in Australia in October/November. Pace bowler Naseem Shah struck twice in the third over of the Hong Kong innings, including skipper Nizakat Khan’s wicket for eight.
Hong Kong, who won all three qualifying games, failed to recover. Shadab returned numbers of 4-8 from his leg spin and Nawaz took three wickets with his left arm orthodox. Previously, Khushdil Shah had hit five sixes, including four in the final, to finish with his unbeaten 35 balls from 15 with a swing while Rizwan watched the blitz from the non-forward end in a partnership of 64. Hong Kong’s bowlers held the Pakistan opening check with a disciplined line and length and spinner Ehsan Khan got the key wicket from skipper Babar Azam for nine in the third over.
Azam hit a four from Ehsan’s off-spin, but the bowler soon retaliated with a catch and bowl to silence a pro-Pakistani crowd. Left-hander Fakhar joined Rizwan, a wicketkeeper batsman, and the two rebuilt the innings. Rizwan reached his fifty balls from 42 to lift the racquet to thunderous applause from the crowd. Fakhar also switched gears and reached his fifty with a towering six from Murtaza’s left-arm spin, but exited after a 41-ball stay alongside Ehsan. Khushdil then charged into the opposition’s bowling and finished the innings with three straight sixes. Afghanistan meet Sri Lanka in the Super Four opener in Sharjah on Saturday, while India meet rivals Pakistan for the second time in the tournament on Sunday.