Pakistanis struggle for win over Afghans

KABUL Under-23 to struggle for a sensational win in a low-scoring match of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Emerging Teams Cup in Singapore on Monday, an official said.

Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) spokesman Farid Hotak told Pajhwok Afghan News the national side was asked to bat first in the 50-over encounter after Pakistan won the toss.

Hashmatullah Shahidi hit a superb 52 to guide Afghanistan to 142, with Mohammad contributing 21 and Asghar Stanikzai 18 runs.

Pakistan managed to recover from early setbacks and reached the target in the 49^th over for the loss of eight wickets, the ACB spokesman said, adding Hameed Hasan, Hamza Hotak and Mohammad Nabi took two wickets each.

In their first match, Afghanistan edged past Nepal in an action-packed encounter on Saturday. The inaugural edition of the Emerging Teams Cup is aimed at promoting the careers of cricketers in Test-playing countries and leading Associate nations.

The tournament features U-23 teams of Test-playing nations such as India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, which are competing with emerging countries like Afghanistan, the United Arab Emirates, Singapore and Nepal.

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