In the semi-final of the ACC Men’s Emerging Teams Asia Cup, Pakistan Shaheens showed their strength by defeating Sri Lanka A with a 60-run victory. The game took place on July 21 at the P Saravanamuttu Stadium in Colombo. Arshad Iqbal became the hero of the match with an outstanding performance, taking five wickets.
Pakistan Shaheens faced some challenges early on when they lost their opener Sahibzada Farhan. However, they found stability through a crucial partnership of 37 runs between Saim Ayub and Omair Bin Yousuf. Omair was the top scorer with an impressive 88 runs off 79 balls, including 10 boundaries and a powerful six. With contributions from Tayyab Tahir and skipper Mohammad Haris, Pakistan Shaheens set a competitive total of 322 runs.
In response, Sri Lanka A put up a good fight, with a significant 128-run partnership between Avishka Fernando and Sahan Arachchige. However, Arshad Iqbal’s fantastic bowling changed the game in favor of Pakistan Shaheens. He took five wickets for just 37 runs, leading the team to restrict Sri Lanka A to 262 runs.
With this dominant victory, Pakistan Shaheens secured their spot in the final. They will face the winner of the second semi-final between Bangladesh A and India A in the title clash on July 23.
