PAK VS AFG - Super Four, Match 4 (A2 v B2), Asia Cup 2022

Just to sum it up: Pakistan have done what only Pakistan could have. They mess up a chase, they collapse, and then somehow, from somewhere, find a way to undo all the mess. Oh, to be a Pakistani fan is no joke. Trust this team to stretch your heart to its utter limit. But it's worse being an Afghanistan fan tonight. It's not everyday that you see tears on a cricket ground, but tonight was that night. It was that bad for them. Phew, okay, hope you had your share of fun in reading us, as I, Vineet Anantharaman, sign off on behalf of Akshay Maanay and our scorer, Naga. Until tomorrow, and a couple of dead rubbers to help get our pulse rates back to normal, ta ta!!

Shadab Khan | MoM: It has been going well. We have the experience because of the PSL and the home series that we played here. I didn't see a lot of difference in the pitch. It was a bit low and it was a good pitch. I played a rash shot, and I should have finished it off. It was tough for the new batsmen and so I should have played longer. The pitch here helps the spinners. That is why we tried to bowl tight and bowl dot balls. When you pick wickets, you will stop the run-rate. If I don't give runs, Nawaz picks wickets and vice versa. We are flexible with our batting order. Nawaz and me are sent as per the team requirement. Both Babar and me felt that I should be sent up today. Nawaz and me have been playing together since club cricket. I have always seen him as a batsman. The world has not seen his full potential with the bat yet. Naseem's sixes remind us of Miandad's and Afridi's last-over sixes. All our bowlers bat a lot in the nets. You never know which bowler will win you matches; all of them have the calibre to win you matches with the bat.

Babar Azam | Winning captain: To be honest, the dressing room was very tensed. The team was walking in and out of the dressing room. Excellent with the way Naseem Shah finished it off. Sharjah is always low-scoring, and Mujeeb and Rashid Khan are two of the best bowlers. We just wanted to take the match deep. The way we started with the ball was excellent. In our batting, we didn't execute our plans very well, but Naseem was outstanding. At the back of the mind, I have seen Naseem play like this earlier, and I had the belief in him. This moment reminds me of Javed Miandad's six. We would like to continue this momentum and not repeat our mistakes. Every day is a different day, and we would like to take it day by day.

Mohammad Nabi | Losing captain: Yes the bowling and the fielding was brilliant, but we didn't finish well and we didn't hold our nerves. We didn't leave the game at any stage. The boys fought on every ball. Again, it was the end, both with the bat and with the ball. We thought that we chased well against Bangladesh. We knew it would be tough chasing 130 here, and that's why we looked to bowl dot balls. We didn't give easy singles. The plan on the last two deliveries was to bowl slower bouncers or bowl yorkers, but he (Farooqi) didn't execute his plans. We will try our best to play the last game with the same energy. We have a game tomorrow now. Thanks for the support, it was lovely from the fans here.

Bhargav: Why was Naseem Shah on strike for 18.6? The rule was changed for batters crossing while catch being taken right ---- that rule comes into effect from October 2022.

Naseem Shah: When I went in to bat I had the belief to hit the sixes. I practice (hitting sixes) and I knew they would bowl yorkers as they had the field up. There needs to be belief, we keep practising in the nets and I also changed my bat, it worked. When I went in Asif was there and my job was to give him strike but once he got out the onus was on me. There is very little belief when you are nine down but I had the self-belief and this will be a memorable game for me. This was an important match as we knew a win today and we would be in the final.

The unbeaten stand of 13 between Naseem & Hasnain is the highest tenth wicket partnership involving a #10 and #11 in a successful run chase in T20Is

Last four Pakistan vs Afghanistan contests
AC 2018: Pak won with 3 balls to spare
ODI WC 2019: Pak won with 2 balls to spare
T20I WC 2021: Pak won with 6 balls to spare
AC 2022: Pak won with 4 balls to spare

Second one wicket win for Pakistan in T20 Internationals
Previous: 174/9 vs SL (172/7) Colombo RPS 2015

Aarush: We have seen, what is arguably the best cricket tournament since 2015. Every team seems matched up, equal to their rivals. Wonderful pitches, nail-biting finishes. For me, it doesn't matter who wins this tournament, because quality cricket certainly has won.

21:33 Local Time, 17:33 GMT, 23:03 IST: There is madness, there is drama, there are nail-biters, there are cliffhangers, there are chokes, there are comebacks, there are revenges, there are heartbreaks, and then there is this. This is as complete a package as things can get. India have been sent packing. Afghanistan have been eliminated. And it's all thanks to Naseem Shah, keeping his head, and finding that sweet spot on his bat, twice, in a stunning steal. Pakistan, all through their chase, were very tentative. Apart from Shadab Khan, and maybe Asif Ali at the end, none of the other batsmen got going. And then they collapsed as well, losing six wickets for just 32 runs. Alas, Farooqi, who had bowled brilliantly until that point, crumbled under pressure in the final over, and that is all that matters now. Here come the presentations ..

Fazalhaq Farooqi to Naseem Shah, SIX, it just wouldn't happen for Afghanistan. Pakistan just won't let them. Asia Cup 2018, World Cup 2019, T20 World Cup 2021, and tonight, Pakistan continue stealing matches out of Afghanistan's mouths. Farooqi misses another yorker by a little too much, and Naseem Shah, a certified #11, just hangs back, tonks it over long-off, and all of Pakistan's dug-out charge into the middle ..

Fazalhaq Farooqi to Naseem Shah, SIX, full toss, a juicy full toss. And just like that, Naseem has put Pakistan on the brink. Whodathunk. Absolutely slices it into the sightscreen

11 runs | 6 balls. For all those of you interested in some spice, Fareed had a mouthful as a send-off to Asif Ali, who turned around, retaliated, but thankfully the umpires got in.

Fareed Ahmad to Naseem Shah, 1 run, 140kph, heaved, dratgging it off his bat's inside-half, to long-on

Mohammad Hasnain, right handed bat, comes to the crease

Fareed Ahmad to Asif Ali, out Caught by Karim Janat!! That's the nail. That's the coffin. Surely. Surely. Absolute gun delivery this -- with third man and fine leg in the ring, Malik bangs it short, and Asif - after getting hurried, and surprised - pulls, top-edges, and short fine leg backtracks to take it over his head. Asif Ali c Karim Janat b Fareed Ahmad 16(8) [6s-2]

Fareed Ahmad to Asif Ali, THATS OUT!! Caught!!

Fareed Ahmad to Asif Ali, SIX, yea, slot ball, and Asif, after watching all the madness from the other end, just goes about normal business. Wow. Leg-cleared, bat swung, and cow corner

Fareed Ahmad to Naseem Shah, 1 run, wafts, typically tailender-like. Gets a big outside-edge to third man, but more importantly, gets Asif Ali back on strike

Fareed Ahmad to Naseem Shah, wide, Afghanistan review: Ahmad gets it to angle back in from round the wicket off a back of a length, and it slips down leg after Naseem glances and misses. The umpire gives it a wide, and UltraEdge shows a massive gap betweeb bat and ball

Naseem Shah, right handed bat, comes to the crease