Pakistan secured a thrilling 11-run victory over Bangladesh in the Asia Cup Super 4s match at Dubai on Thursday, successfully defending a modest total of 135 to reach the tournament final against arch-rivals India.
Bowlers shine for Pakistan
Captain Salman Ali Agha praised his team’s performance, highlighting the bowlers’ crucial role in the win. “If you win these kinds of games, then we must be a special team. Everyone played really well. There is some improvement needed in batting, but we will work on that,” he said during the post-match presentation.
Shaheen Shah Afridi was named Player-of-the-Match for his all-round contribution, scoring 19 runs off 13 balls and taking 3 wickets for 17 runs. Agha noted Afridi’s impact, saying, “Shaheen is a special player. He does what the team needs of him. Very happy for him. We were 15 runs short, but the way we bowled up front created pressure. More often than not, you will win games if you bowl like this.”
Afridi added, “Early on, as a team, we need breakthroughs, and I go for that. In a small total, you need early breakthroughs and we planned that. Three overs in the powerplay – that is the difference.” On his batting contribution, he said, “After early wickets, team decided to let me go and take on bowlers. Those sixes turned momentum to our end. We are ready for the final.”
Bangladesh’s batting falters
Bangladesh’s stand-in captain Jaker Ali attributed their consecutive losses to poor batting performances. “As a batting unit, last two games we lost it. We did good work with the bowling unit. Yesterday also, the batting cost us the game,” he said. Reflecting on his leadership experience, Jaker added, “I tried to take those chances and adjust to the captaincy. Our bowlers Rishad and then Saif with the bat, unfortunately, didn’t get much support.”
Upcoming final
The win marks Pakistan’s first-ever Asia Cup final appearance against India. The two teams will meet for the third time in the tournament, following previous encounters in the group stage and Super Fours.
Pakistan’s bowlers and fielders will look to carry this momentum into Sunday’s final, while Bangladesh faces a disappointing exit after consecutive losses in the Super 4s stage.