Friday 12 / September / 2025
DUBAI: Heavyweights Pakistan cruised to a 93-run win over Oman on Friday in a Group A match at the Dubai International Stadium to get ready for their blockbuster clash against defending champions India on Sunday.
Chasing 161 to win, Oman batters capitulated against some incisive and clinical bowling of the experienced rivals to be bowled out for 67 in the 17th over.
Except for Aamir Kaleem (13), Hammad Mirza (27) and Shakeel Ahmed (10), no Omani batter reached double digits to be bowled out for their second lowest T20I total after their 47 against England in the ICC T20 World Cup last year.
Spinners Saim Ayub and Sufyan Muqeem claimed two wickets each while Mohammad Nawaz and Abrar Ahmed claimed one each with pacers Shaheen Shah Afridi and Faheem Ashraf taking the other wickets to fall with Vinayak Shukla run out to a brilliant throw from Afridi.
Though the win was an easy outing for Pakistan, it was not before Oman bowlers came up with an encouraging show to restrict their fancied rivals to 160 in the maiden Asia Cup T20I clash.
Experienced Aamir Kaleem (3/31) and debutant Shah Faisal (3/34) picked three wickets apiece with Kaleem dismissing Pakistan top scorer Mohammad Haris (66) and skipper Salman Agha off successive deliveries. Shakeel Ahmed also impressed with a spell of 4-0-17-0
Faisal gave Oman a dream start after Pakistan opted to bat first by dismissing opener Saim Ayub leg before off the second ball of the match with the total at four. Sahibzada Farhan and Haris then put Pakistan back in the game with an entertaining 85-run stand.
Haris, who scored 66 off 43 deliveries, led from the front and was the primary contribution that helped Pakistan reach 160.
Either side of him, Pakistan struggled. They managed just two boundaries in the first five overs, which produced just 31 runs, with Saim Ayub falling for a golden duck. Sahibzada Farhan, put down early, scratched through his innings for 29 off 29, and it was left to Haris, promoted up the order, to inject impetus into the innings.
16 came off the final powerplay over, and that was the start of the onslaught. Until then, Haris had 16 in 18. His next 25 balls would produce 50 as Pakistan raced up close to eight runs per over, but once again, Oman pegged them back. Kaleem, the left arm Oman spinner, was the pick of the bunch as he had Haris drag on, before Salman Ali Agha lapped a full toss off his first delivery to deep midwicket.
It produced another barren spell for Pakistan and the boundaries dried up again. Fakhar Zaman struggled for timing and Hasan Nawaz, so often a hammer at the death, couldn’t get himself in, and holed out off his 15th ball for nine runs. It wasn’t until Mohammad Nawaz arrived in the 17th over, his cameo ensuring Pakistan got past the 150 mark.
Brief scores: Pakistan 160/7 (Farhan 29, Haris 66, Zaman 23; Kaleem 3/31, Faisal 3/34) beat Oman 67 all out in 16.4 overs (Kaleem 13, Mirza 27; Ayub 2/8, Muqeem 2/7, Ashraf 2/6)
