Pakistan Shaheens beat Hong Kong in the quarter-final of the ongoing Asian Games 2023 by 68 runs to secure their place in the event’s semi-final in Hangzhou, China on Tuesday.
Despite their early struggles, where they had lost five wickets for 54 runs, the lower middle-order and tailenders helped the Green Shirts post a competitive total on the board.
During their batting, the fans were entertained with a hysterical moment when Khushdil Shah lost his wicket after playing a poor knock of 13 off 16 balls, Arafat Minhas came to bat.
On his way to the crease, the batter took an unexpected fall and hit the ground. However, he was quick to respond and quickly regained himself.
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Earlier, chasing a target of 161 runs, Hong Kong were dismissed for 92 runs in 18.5 overs.
Khushdil Shah was the pick of the bowlers for Pakistan with figures of 3-13 in four overs.
Minhas, Sufiyan Muqeem and captain Qasim Akram claimed two wickets each.
Meanwhile, batting first, Aamer Jamal played a belligerent knock, scoring 41 runs in 16 balls. His explosive innings included two fours and four sixes while Minhas scored 25 runs in 16 balls with the help of two fours and as many sixes.
Pakistan will face the winner of the match between Afghanistan and Sri Lanka in the semi-final.
The Shaheens directly qualified for the quarters of the Asian Games by virtue of being one of the top four ICC ranked sides in the continent.
It must be noted that the Pakistani squad is filled with experienced players who have played international matches.
The squad includes 15 players of which seven have already represented Pakistan in international cricket. These include Aamir Jamal (2 T20Is), Arshad Iqbal (1 T20I), Asif Ali (21 ODIs, 55 T20Is), Haider Ali (2 ODIs, 33 T20Is), Khushdil Shah (10 ODIs, 24 T20Is), Shahnawaz Dahani (2 ODIs, 11 T20Is) and Usman Qadir (1 ODI, 23 T20Is)
Pakistan Shaheens squad
Qasim Akram (captain), Omair Bin Yousuf (vice-captain), Aamir Jamal, Arafat Minhas, Arshad Iqbal, Asif Ali, Haider Ali, Khushdil Shah, Mirza Tahir Baig, Mubasir Khan, Muhammad Akhlaq (wk), Rohail Nazir (wk), Shahnawaz Dahani, Sufiyan Muqeem and Usman Qadir