Pakistan suffer dramatic collapse as Afghanistan dominate T20I opening match

Early struggles for Pakistan

Pakistan’s new young side suffered a dramatic collapse as they crawled to 92/9 in 20 overs. After opting to bat first, the visitors lost their opening wicket in the 3rd over as Saim Ayub got bowled out on 17. The first wicket opened the floodgates as the Men in Green lost wickets at regular wickets to give Afghanistan momentum. Mujeeb Ur Rahman was the pick of the bowlers for the hosts as his spell of 2/9 in 4 overs broke Pakistan’s batting spine.

Afghanistan ready for the challenge

Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) chief executive Naseeb Khan said the best available players had been chosen. Former captain Mohammad Nabi, who stepped down after the Twenty20 World Cup in November, is also part of the squad. Wily spinner Rashid Khan will lead the Afghanistan team in the T20I series against Pakistan.

Afghanistan in good form

Rashid Khan-led Afghanistan is coming off a successful bilateral series against the UAE, where they won the series 2-1. Whereas, Pakistan will be looking to bounce back after their disappointment at the T20 World Cup, where they finished runners-up to Australia.

InsideSport’s cricket correspondent

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My journey with InsideSport started in 2023, however, my love for cricket goes a long way back. My journalism career is still a young one and is into its fourth season, all dedicated to sports writing. I have played cricket and did pretty well in school and college. My passion for the sport combined with a short competitive career was enough to help me understand that I have a notable future ahead of me in cricket writing. With InsideSport, I take on the challenge of working on live blogs, writing interesting match reports, and coming up with unique story angles to drive the audience to the website. My favourite Indian cricketers are Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, and MS Dhoni. Amongst the overseas players, I love Australian pacer, Brett Lee. My interest lies in following all the ICC events, keeping myself abreast of all the cricket updates, and following the Indian Premier League with due diligence. Apart from cricket, I have an interest in Kabaddi and follow the Pro Kabaddi League. In my free time, I like cooking, biking, and spending time with my family and friends.

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