Pakistan have had a chaotic opening day at the Hong Kong Sixes, where they suffered a defeat in a final-ball thriller against UAE and then went on to beat India with four wickets to spare, picking up their first two points.
The six-a-side tournament began on October 30, with Pakistan scheduled to play their group members, UAE and India. Batting first against UAE, the title-defenders set a 106-run target on the back of an 18-ball, 68-run partnership between captain Abbas Afridi and Abdul Samad. The total, however, proved to be insufficient as the UAE gunned it down on the last ball.
UAE edge Pakistan in a final-ball thriller
UAE lost their first wicket in the first over, and Ansh Tandon, batting with captain Khalid Shah, was sent packing by the Pakistan captain. Khalid’s partners kept changing, but he remained largely unfazed, shouldering the bulk of the chase. As per the tournament rules, players must retire after completing their half-century and can only return after the rest of the batters have been dismissed or retired out. Khalid, after reaching 55 with a six, went back to the pavilion and returned before the final over.
Zahid Ali struck the winning boundaries to take UAE over the line.
Pakistan bounce back against India
Facing India next, Pakistan were more stringent about conceding runs, as India could only reach 88 runs. Shashank Singh struck a 14-ball 40, while none of the other batters could cross the 20-run mark.
Pakistan made quick work of the chase, taking only 3.5 overs to chase it down. Khawaja Nafay and Abbas Afridi scored 59 off 14 balls between them as the side cruised steadily towards the win.
With two defeats in as many games, India were eliminated, while Pakistan and UAE progressed to the semi-finals. Pakistan will face Hong Kong in the semi-final, while UAE will be up against Australia.
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