Pakistan crashed to a surprising 18-run loss to Afghanistan in the 4th match of the Tri-Series in Sharjah. Pakistan had an opportunity to book their place in the final with a win last night but they fell short somehow and brightened Afghanistan’s chances to make it through to the finals. While there were positives for both sides, Pakistan were left scratching what went wrong for them. Here, we will list three reasons why Pakistan went down to Afghanistan yesterday.
Conceding 100+partnership for the second wicket puts Pakistan under pressure.
Pakistan were invited to field first and hoped to take early wickets. While they did manage to get the wicket of Rahmanullah Gurbaz early, the duo of Sediqullah Atal and Ibrahim Zadran joined forces and built a solid stand for Afghanistan. They did the same against UAE the other night and they did it now against Pakistan. Against UAE their partnership was 87 but last night they went beyond the 100-run mark and put on 113 runs which turned out to be match-winning.
While Pakistan did well initially to contain the runs in the powerplay, but the duo broke free in the middle overs. It seemed Pakistan started to leak runs from both ends with their spinners coming in for severe treatment. There seemed to be no planning in separating this duo and they laid a wonderful platform for Afghanistan to get a big total. Yes, Pakistan did well to come back through Faheem Ashraf and keep them down to 169 as 180 looked possible at one stage. But 169 on a pitch that was slowing down and aiding the spinners meant Afghanistan had a good chance of defending the score.
Going forward, Pakistan needs to tighten up this hole, and come back stronger as it is likely that these two sides will meet in the summit clash unless UAE pulls of a miracle. So, Pakistan will look to plan better and come back stronger for their next game against UAE and also a possible summit clash against Afghanistan. Although bowling was not that much of a worry for them.
Losing Wickets in Clusters pegs Pakistan back in the chase.
Chasing 170 for the win and a place in the finals, Pakistan needed to get a platform and get a solid start in the chase. But that was not the case as they lost wickets in clusters which derailed the momentum totally. They lost their openers Saim Ayub and Sahibzada Farhan inside the powerplay to Fazalhaq Farooqi. Post the powerplay as well, they lost wickets at clusters losing Fakhar Zaman and Salman Ali Agha inside the 10th over.
Thereafter, they lost 5 wickets from Over Number 11 to Over Number 17 to be 9 down in 17 overs. There was no momentum in the innings and no partnership as such. They lost 5/36 in 7 overs post the Drinks Break to completely lose the plot and match. Haris Rauf entertained one and all to top score with 34 runs off 16 balls as he reduced the margin of defeat. Otherwise, if one looks at it, it was a crushing loss for Pakistan. They were outplayed totally.
Looking ahead not just to this series, but Asia Cup 2025, Pakistan needs to be consistent with bat in hand. When they batted first, they put up good totals, as soon as it came to chasing, they faltered on a challenging track. The batting needs to be consistent and come good and cannot afford to have collapses and lose wickets in clusters. If they can avoid that they will be in a good position as they have got the bowling to trouble any opposition.
Afghanistan Spinners Outperforming Pakistan Spinners.
One of the other major reasons why Afghanistan won yesterday was that their spinners came to the party. Yes, the debutant Allah Ghazanfar went for 24 runs in 3 overs and got 0 wickets, but the other spinners stepped up to the plate. The trio of Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi and Noor Ahmad came to the party as they picked up 2 wickets apiece. The trio bowled 12 overs and picked 6 wickets for 70 runs with Rashid going for 30 in 4 overs while the other two went for 20 each.
Let’s compare that to Pakistan spinners and we will find that the part-timer Saim Ayub bowled well as he finished with 1/18 in 4 overs. But the two main spinners for Pakistan went for runs. Mohammad Nawaz went for 24 in 2 overs and Sufiyan Muqeem went for 33 runs in 3 overs. Plus, they did not complete their spells. In 5 overs that they bowled, Nawaz and Muqeem conceded 57 runs in 5 overs for 0 wickets. This was a big point and moment in the game.
Yes, Haris Rauf went for runs one can say but even Omarzai went for a lot for Afghanistan. But it is the spinners performance that is startling as the pitch favoured slow bowling yesterday. Pakistan needs to bowl better with spin in hand and more importantly play the spinners better in order to be successful in these conditions. Batting is their main bone of contention than their bowling one feels.
What Lies Ahead.
We have a day-off in this UAE Tri-Series. The action resumes Thursday, 4th September 2025 where Pakistan will square off with hosts UAE in Sharjah at 8:30 PM IST. UAE are in must-win territory to keep their hopes alive while a win for Pakistan will send them into the finals alongside Afghanistan.
So, can UAE pull off an upset and do the unthinkable by beating Pakistan? Or will Pakistan bounce back and win against UAE to advance to the finals? Only time will tell as we look forward to action on Thursday.
Also Read: UAE T20I Tri-Series 2025: 3 Reasons For UAE’s Comprehensive Loss Against Afghanistan.