The Pakistan cricket team toured the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in March 2023 to play three Twenty20 International (T20I) matches against the Afghanistan cricket team.[1] This was the first bilateral series in any format of international cricket between the two teams.[2]
| Pakistani cricket team against Afghanistan in UAE in 2022–23 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 |
 | ||
| Afghanistan | Pakistan | ||
| Dates | 24 – 27 March 2023 | ||
| Captains | Rashid Khan | Shadab Khan | |
| Twenty20 International series | |||
| Results | Afghanistan won the 3-match series 2–1 | ||
| Most runs | Rahmanullah Gurbaz (78) | Imad Wasim (95) | |
| Most wickets | Fazalhaq Farooqi (5) | Ihsanullah (6) | |
| Player of the series | Mohammad Nabi (Afg) | ||
In November 2022, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) signed a five-year agreement with the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) to play their home matches in the UAE.[3] On 7 March 2023, the ACB confirmed the dates for the tour,[4] with the matches scheduled to be played on 25, 27 and 29 March 2023.[5] However, two days later, changes were made to the schedule due to the availability of the Hawk-Eye technology.[6]
Afghanistan won the first T20I by 6 wickets.[7] It was Afghanistan's first win in international cricket against Pakistan.[8] They also went on to win the second T20I by 7 wickets and took an unassailable lead in the series.[9] It was Afghanistan's first bilateral series win over Pakistan, and their first bilateral T20I series victory against any of the top six teams.[lower-alpha 1][10] Pakistan won the third T20I by 66 runs.[11]
Background
Originally, Afghanistan were scheduled to play three ODI matches each against Australia and Pakistan, with the series being part of 2020–2023 ICC Cricket World Cup Super League.[12] On 12 January 2023, Cricket Australia (CA) withdrew from ODI series against Afghanistan on the grounds of restrictions on women and girls' education and employment in Afghanistan.[13] Australia forfeited the series and the 30 competition points were awarded to Afghanistan.[14]
This series was originally scheduled to take place in 2021 but was postponed following the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan.[15] On 23 January 2023, Both ACB and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) agreed to play three T20Is instead of ODIs as both were already qualified for the 2023 Cricket World Cup.[16]
Squads
For the series, Pakistan decided to rest their regular captain Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Rizwan, and Fakhar Zaman,[19] with Shadab Khan being named as captain.[20]
Following an erroneous announcement appointing Pakistan's batting coach Mohammad Yousuf as their new interim head coach, Yousuf opted out of the tour citing personal reasons.[21]
T20I series
1st T20I
v |
||
- Pakistan won the toss and elected to bat.
- Saim Ayub, Ihsanullah, Zaman Khan and Tayyab Tahir (Pak) all made their T20I debuts.
- Ihsanullah took a wicket in the first delivery of his T20I career.[22]
- This was Afghanistan's first ever win against Pakistan in any format of international cricket.[23]
2nd T20I
v |
||
- Pakistan won the toss and elected to bat.
3rd T20I
v |
||
- Afghanistan won the toss and elected to field.
- Sediqullah Atal (Afg) made his T20I debut.
- Shadab Khan became the first male cricketer from Pakistan to take 100 wickets in T20Is.[24]
- Najibullah Zadran was replaced by Azmatullah Omarzai after suffering a concussion during Afghanistan's batting innings.[25]
Notes
- At that time, top six teams were Australia, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, and South Africa.
References
External links
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