MUSCAT: Pakistan Shaheens beat Oman by 74 runs on Monday to get off the mark in the T20 Emerging Teams Asia Cup at the Oman Cricket Academy Ground.

After posting a decent 185-5, thanks to impressive batting shows by Qasim Akram (48), Rohail Nazir (41 not out) and Arafat Minhas (31 not out), Shaheens restricted Oman to 111-7 in the allotted 20 overs.

At the start of Shaheens’ innings, Oman’s Muzahir Raza got them in a spot of bother, dismissing openers Mohammad Haris and Yasir Khan for three runs each to leave the Shaheens reeling at 13-2 in 2.4 overs.

But Qasim then stitched a valuable 72-run third-wicket partnership with Omair Bin Yousuf (25 off 21, three fours) to steer Shaheens to 79-2 by the halfway mark before Omair departed in the following over.

Qasim smoked three towering sixes and two fours during his 38-ball stay on the crease and was denied a half-century when Samay Shrivastava castled him with the scorecard reading 106-4 in 13.3 overs.

Abdul Samad scored a 12-ball 20, which included two fours and one six. With 116-5 on the board in 14.5 overs, Rohail joined forces with Arafat as the duo put on a belligerent 69-run unbeaten stand for sixth wicket to propel the Shaheens to 185.

Rohail blazed his way to 41 off just 20 balls hitting three fours and two sixes while Arafat’s 15-ball knock featured two fours and as many sixes. Apart from Muzahir’s two wickets, Samay, Sufyan Mehmood and Wasim Ali picked up one wicket each.

In turn, Oman only managed a modest 34-1 in the powerplay as Qasim drew first blood for Shaheens as he pinned Aamir Kaleem for 11. Oman batters were further kept in check as they lost Karan Sonavale and skipper Jatinder Singh (24 off 29, two fours and six) in the seventh and ninth over, respectively as their team struggled to keep the required rate under control.

Wasim Ali (28 off 31, two fours) top scored for Oman as they only managed 57 runs in the last 10 overs finishing 111-7 in 20 overs.

Zaman Khan picked up 2-17 while Arafat, Mohammad Imran, Qasim, Shahnawaz Dahani and Sufiyan Moqim picked up one wicket each.

Published in Dawn, October 22nd, 2024