Imad Wasim and Wahab Riaz's heroics keep Pakistan alive
Gulbadin's miscalculation and costly overs undo spin quartet's choke as Afghanistan stumble under pressure
Gulbadin's miscalculation and costly overs undo spin quartet's choke as Afghanistan stumble under pressure
Scorer: @Thilak_Rama | Commentator: @saurabh_42
6.15pm: Okay, that was a nail-biter and a half. We've rubbed the edges of our seats raw, and we'll take a quick lie-down. For Pakistan, 'IT' is very much still on. Their World Cup is alive and roaring still. Meanwhile, the World Cup today is also very much alive, with New Zealand having just lost a wicket against Australia. Hop on over to that match here. But from Peter Della Penna, Thilak and myself, it's goodbye from this game.
Sarfaraz: "Thanks to the crowd, they cheered us all the way. It is a great win for us. Not an easy pitch to bat on, but credit goes to Imad - the way he batted, the way he handled pressure, hats off to him. We knew it was not an easy chase, their bowlers used the conditions very well. Babar and Imam played very well, we needed a partnership in the middle that didn't happen, but we got it in the end. A full team effort. We all knew it's not an easy task in the World Cup, but we took it match by match. Shaheen Afridi is improving day by day, he's working very hard. The other bowlers also bowled really well. All are in good nick. (On India vs England) Obviously we'll all watch, hopefully the better team will win."
Gulbadin: "We fought very well and gave 100% but in the end we missed an opportunity to win the match. But credit goes to Pakistan. Imad played really well and Shadab gave him the strike well. We're playing these kind of teams, so you'll face these situations. But if you win the match... as you saw we lost at the end of the innings. Bad luck for us today, Hamid Hasan was injured. The wicket was slow and turning, credit to Nabi, Mujeeb, Rashid and Sami also. But we missed Hamid. I said at the start of the tournament 30-40 is not enough, you need 60-70 or 100, then you can put a good total. But each batsman, including me, should go one step forward. We are learning a lot, so hopefully we'll do well in the future. Thank you to the tremendous crowd here."
6.02pm: The emotions of this match have spilled over. Monga reports from the ground that there is rioting in the stands: "They are still rioting. Bottles are flying across. 650ml juice and soft drinks bottles. They are full, and they are being hurled at each other." Good god!
Ram: "be ready for ind vs pak and aus vs nz semifinals!!"
6pm: The umpiring should also be a topic of discussion. It hurt Afghanistan immeasurably today. But they need to learn how to use their reviews. Meanwhile Pakistan are now in 4th place on the points table, a point ahead of England.
Imad Wasim is the Man of the Match. "When I went in, Rashid Khan was bowling brilliantly. I couldn't pick him to be honest. But we knew that if we play 50 overs, we'll win. Gulbadin was the only bowler to be targetted, the wicket was turning square. If you take risks against them you can lose your wicket. Thank you very much to the crowd, it feels like home here. This is for the crowd. If we win the next game, you never know what happens. This win gives us confidence as well."
And Monga pings from the ground: "Scenes! pitch invasion. Nabi accidentally tackled by a security officer. More people entering the ground. More than 10 now".
5.56pm: Afghanistan will be hurting after this, while Pakistan will be jubilant. They've pulled off another great escape. Gulbadin will have a lot to answer for. His decision to bowl will need some explaining when the spinners were doing so well, Shinwari had overs left, and had given up just 2 in his last over. For now though, it's all a big sea of green at the stadium and joy for Pakistan.
third man up.
6 needed off 6. Within one hit for Wahab. But Imad on strike, and that's what Pakistan will want. Gulbadin is back for the last over. Last attempt at redemption?
A match riddled with political tension off the field was eventually won by a player who wasn't going to be there when the Afghanistan captain's gamble failed
There had been melee between the fans outside the stadium before the match began, and it also carried on outside after the eviction
Gulbadin's miscalculation and costly overs undo spin quartet's choke as Afghanistan stumble under pressure
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