Pakistan beat UAE to post second win in T20 tri-series

Saim Ayub and Hasan Nawaz smacked blazing fifties to help Pakistan set up a 31-run victory against the UAE in their second match of the tri-series, which is also being billed as a preparatory tourney for the Asia Cup.

- Mohammad Abdullah

Riding on Ayub and Hasan's blitzkrieg innings, Pakistan posted a huge total of 207 all out and restricted the UAE to 176/8.

Pakistan rested their key bowlers Shaheen Afridi and Harris Rauf to test the bench strength. They brought in Hasan Ali and Salman Mirza.

But their depleted bowling attack proved to be too much for the UAE. In response, Muhammad Waseem and Mohammad Zohaib made an explosive start.

Both the openers added 38 runs for the first wicket in just four overs. Mohammad Nawaz triggered the collapse with the dismissal of Zohaib.

Ethan D'souza and Alishan Sharafu were sent back to the pavilion on the same score as the UAE lost three wickets for 54. The onus came on Waseem once again, who was waging a lone war.

Waseem fell short of the ground as Hasan Ali shattered the stumps and the hopes of the UAE as well. Most of the UAE batting revolves around Waseem.

Asif Khan and Dhruv Parashar flickered some hopes with a fighting 54-run stand. Asif was the more brutal of the two. He smashed a quickfire 35-ball 77 with the help of five fours and six sixes.

He could not get the support from the other side otherwise the result could have been the other way round.

Asif holed out to Sahibzada Farhan off Hasan Ali, but he showed the depth in the UAE batting lineup.