Pakistan Shaheens Reach Emerging Teams Asia Cup Final

Pakistan Shaheens showcased their dominance with an impressive 60-run victory over Sri Lanka A in the semi-final of the ACC Men’s Emerging Teams Asia Cup. The intense clash took place at the P Saravanamuttu Stadium in Colombo on July 21.

The hero of the match was undoubtedly Arshad Iqbal, who mesmerized everyone with his exceptional five-wicket haul. Supported by stellar performances from Omair Bin Yousuf and Mohammad Haris, Pakistan Shaheens secured their spot in the final.

The team now eagerly awaits the winner of the second semi-final between Bangladesh A and India A on July 22 to determine their formidable opponents in the title clash scheduled for July 23.

Batting first, Pakistan Shaheens faced some early challenges with the loss of opener Sahibzada Farhan. However, Saim Ayub and Omair Bin Yousuf steadied the innings with a crucial 37-run partnership.

Despite Sri Lanka A’s bowlers maintaining the pressure and taking wickets at regular intervals, Omair stood tall as the top scorer for his team. He showcased remarkable skill, smashing 88 runs off just 79 balls, including 10 boundaries and a powerful six.

Partnered with Tayyab Tahir and later skipper Mohammad Haris, Omair’s efforts led Pakistan Shaheens to a competitive total of 322 runs by the end of their innings.

Chasing 323 for victory, Sri Lanka A displayed resilience with Avishka Fernando and Sahan Arachchige forming a crucial 128-run partnership for the fourth wicket. Their explosive batting threatened to turn the game around, but Arshad Iqbal had other plans.

With incredible bowling figures of 5 wickets for just 37 runs, Arshad single-handedly dismantled the Sri Lankan batting order, achieving his maiden List A five-wicket haul.

As wickets tumbled, Sri Lanka A struggled to maintain the required momentum and was eventually bowled out for 262 runs in 45.4 overs. Arshad’s outstanding performance, along with the support of Mubasir Khan and Sufiyan Muqeem, ensured a dominant victory for the defending champions, Pakistan Shaheens.

The match’s highlight reel featured remarkable performances, with Omair Bin Yousuf being recognized for his crucial innings with the bat, and Arshad Iqbal being rightfully awarded the Player of the Match for his sensational bowling display.

Scores in brief:

Pakistan Shaheens 322 all out, 50 overs (Omair Bin Yousuf 88, Mohammad Haris 52, Mubasir Khan 42; Lahiru Samarakoon 2-42, Chamika Karunaratne 2-55, Pramod Madushan 2-56)

Sri Lanka A 262 all out, 45.4 overs (Avishka Fernando 97, Sahan Arachchige 97; Arshad Iqbal 5-37, Sufyan Muqeem 2-44, Mubasir Khan 2-45)