HONG KONG: Pakistan inflicted a crushing six-wicket defeat on arch-rival India to reach the quarter-finals of Hong Kong Sixes.The Green Shirts’ Asif Ali scored his second fifty to guide his team into the knockout stage. He smashed two boundaries and seven maximums before getting retired.
Set to chase 120 in six overs, Pakistan started their batting with Mohammad Akhlaq and Asif. Akhlaq had a slow start but Asif fired from the other end to keep the chase on.Akhlaq also accelerated later on and scored 40 off 12 balls. His knock included three boundaries and four sixes.
Captain Faheem Ashraf finished the chase with a firing cameo of 22 off five balls.Pakistan hasn’t lost any wickets in two matches so far. Earlier, they beat UAE in their first match of pool C.Earlier, Pakistani bowlers conceded 119 runs and took two wickets. 41-year-old Bharat Chipli, a former Indian First Class cricketer, scored 53 off 16 balls. During his stay, he smoked six boundaries and four maximums.Faheem picked up two wickets for 50 runs in his two overs.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has “eased its stance” against Fakhar Zaman after the left-handed batter submitted his response to a show-cause notice issued to him following his controversial X post criticising the selectors, sources told Geo News.
The difficulties of the opening batter are likely to end soon as Fakhar clarified his position in a reply to the PCB’s show-cause notice, the sources said, adding that positive signals have been received from the cricket board to resolve the matter.
They revealed that the top cricketing body is expected to make progress on Fakhar’s issue in a few days.Additionally, newly-appointed white-ball skipper Mohammad Rizwan had also given his opinion on Fakhar’s return to the national team after assuming the captaincy role.
The left-hander was nowhere in the list of players who had secured their places in the central contract and 15-member squads for the upcoming white-ball series against Australia and Zimbabwe, consisting of ODIs and T20Is, which would be played from November 4 to December 5.
PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi opened up about the reasons behind the decision in a press conference in Lahore three days ago.Naqvi also insisted on his non-interference in selection matters.”The selection committee will decide who will be included or omitted from the team. I have never requested for player’s inclusion or exclusion, the committee is fully empowered, and I have complete confidence in it,” the PCB chief said in response to questions about Fakhar’s future.
He confirmed that the batter’s fitness along with his controversial post on X against the selection committee were factors in his omission.In his X post, Fakhar had slammed the selectors for dropping Babar for the rest of the Test series against England after the latter played first match which Pakistan lost by an innings and 47 runs.
Captain Faheem Ashraf finished the chase with a firing cameo of 22 off five balls.Pakistan hasn’t lost any wickets in two matches so far. Earlier, they beat UAE in their first match of pool C.Earlier, Pakistani bowlers conceded 119 runs and took two wickets. 41-year-old Bharat Chipli, a former Indian First Class cricketer, scored 53 off 16 balls. During his stay, he smoked six boundaries and four maximums.Faheem picked up two wickets for 50 runs in his two overs.
