Qasim Akram’s exceptional bowling performance, claiming a maiden six-wicket haul in List-A cricket, combined with impressive batting displays by Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Haris, Sahibzada Farhan, and Saim Ayub, propelled Pakistan Shaheens to a commanding 184-run victory over UAE A at the P Saravanamuttu Stadium in Colombo.
Having secured a four-wicket win against Nepal in their previous match, the defending champions continued their winning streak in the ACC Men’s Emerging Teams Asia Cup.
Chasing a target of 310, the UAE A team made a promising start with openers Aryansh Sharma and Jonathan Figy stitching a 59-run partnership. However, once the breakthrough was made, the UAE A batsmen struggled against the spin duo of Qasim Akram and Sufiyan Muqeem. Apart from Nilansh Keswani and Ethan D’Souza, no other batsman managed to reach double figures. Qasim’s right-arm off-spin accounted for six wickets, conceding just 26 runs in his 10 overs, while Sufiyan claimed three wickets.
Earlier, Pakistan Shaheens posted a formidable total of 309 runs after being put into bat. The opening pair of Saim Ayub and Sahibzada Farhan provided a solid foundation with a 98-run partnership. Sahibzada scored an impressive 63 off 55 balls, including 10 fours and one six, while Saim contributed a brisk 56 off 63 deliveries. Kamran Ghulam and captain Mohammad Haris continued the momentum with an 87-run partnership for the fourth wicket. Haris scored 55, while Kamran notched up a quickfire 63 off 53 balls. However, the late middle-order collapsed, with UAE A picking up wickets towards the end of the innings.
In their pursuit of the target, UAE A faltered against the disciplined bowling of Qasim Akram and Sufiyan Muqeem. They were eventually bowled out for 125 runs in just 29.5 overs. Aryansh Sharma top-scored for UAE A with 37 runs, while Jonathan Figy contributed 25. Qasim’s remarkable figures of 6-26 earned him the Player of the Match award.
Pakistan Shaheens will face India A on 19 July at the R Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo, aiming to continue their winning momentum in the tournament.
Scores at a glance:
Pakistan Shaheens: 309 all out in 49.2 overs (Kamran Ghulam 63, Sahibzada Farhan 63, Saim Ayub 56, Mohammad Haris 55; Jash Giyanani 4-50, Matiullah Khan 2-53)
UAE A: 125 all out in 29.5 overs (Aryansh Sharma 37, Jonathan Figy 25; Qasim Akram 6-26, Sufiyan Muqeem 3-36)
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