Sharjah, September 4, 2025 — Fakhar Zaman’s explosive unbeaten knock and Abrar Ahmed’s brilliant bowling performance carried Pakistan to a 31-run victory over the UAE in the fifth match of the tri-series at Sharjah Cricket Stadium.
Batting first, Pakistan raced to 28 in less than three overs, but Sahibzada Farhan (16 off 11) fell after a bright start. Soon after, Saim Ayub (11) and captain Salman Ali Agha (7) departed, leaving Pakistan struggling at 50-3 after the powerplay.
Fakhar then held the innings together. He added 24 runs with Mohammad Haris before Haris (14) was trapped LBW by Haider Ali, who also dismissed Hasan Nawaz (4) shortly after. At 80-5, Pakistan looked in trouble.
But Fakhar (77* off 44, 10 fours, 2 sixes) and Mohammad Nawaz (37* off 27) rescued the side with an unbeaten 91-run partnership, guiding Pakistan to a strong 171-5 in 20 overs. It was Fakhar’s 12th T20I half-century and a timely return to form.
UAE began their chase confidently, reaching 41-0 after six overs. But Abrar Ahmed’s spin turned the game. He removed captain Muhammad Waseem with his first ball and later struck twice in the 13th over, dismissing Asif Khan and Rahul Chopra. He ended with career-best T20I figures of 4-9 in four overs, completely dismantling the hosts.
Alishan Sharafu (67 off 51) fought hard, but Shaheen Afridi dismissed him in the 17th over, and UAE eventually managed only 140-7. Pakistan sealed a comfortable win and booked a spot in the final against Afghanistan on September 7.
Scores in brief:
Pakistan 171-5 (Fakhar Zaman 77*, Mohammad Nawaz 37*; Haider Ali 2-17)
UAE 140-7 (Alishan Sharafu 67; Abrar Ahmed 4-9, Shaheen Afridi 1-23)
Player of the Match: Abrar Ahmed
