CHENNAI: Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran and Rahmat Shah scored sensible half-centuries after Noor Ahmed’s 3/49 led Afghanistan to upset Pakistan by eight wickets in the ICC World Cup 2023.
Pakistan opening batters Abdullah Shafique and Imam-ul-Haq justified their captain’s decision to bat first by putting up a 56-run partnership.
Azmatullah Omarzai gave the first breakthrough to Afghanistan by sending Imam-ul-Haq back ending his brief innings of 17 off 22.
Babar Azam then joined Abdullah Shafique and piled up 54 runs for the second wicket, before Noor Ahmed dismissed the latter to claim his first World Cup wicket.
Shafique scored 56 off 75, knitted with five boundaries and two sixes.
Mohammad Rizwan also fell prey to Noor Ahmed in the next over at a total of 120.
Babar Azam scored an anchoring half-century, his 30th in the format, and raised two 43-run partnerships with Saud Shakeel and Shadab Khan, before becoming the third victim of Noor Ahmed.
Azam played a cautious 74-run knock from 92 deliveries, with the help of four boundaries and one six.
Iftikhar Ahmed joined Shadab Khan at a total of 206 in the 42nd over and attacked Afghanistan bowlers with a blistering innings of 42 off 27, featuring two boundaries and four sixes.
Meanwhile, Shadab Khan scored 40 off 38 with the help of one four and a six.
Together they added 73 runs off 45 balls to lift Pakistan’s total to 282, before falling in the final over.
Noor Ahmed returned with figures of 3-49, while Naveen-ul-Haq picked two wickets.
