Afghanistan ride on Shahidi, Asghar fifties

Afghanistan batsman Hashmatullah Shahidi. Pic/AFP

Hashmatullah Shahidi (97) missed out on his maiden ODI hundred by just three runs after skipper Asghar Afghan hit a combative 67 off 56 balls as Afghanistan scored a fighting 257 for six against Pakistan in a Super Four match of the Asia Cup, here yesterday.

Shahidi needed a boundary off the last ball to complete his century but Hasan Ali denied him the milestone with a incoming yorker which the left-hander could not put away. With his skipper Asghar, Shahidi shared a match-changing 94-run stand for the fourth wicket.

Shahidi shifted gears with ease after largely remaining patient in his unbeaten and career-best knock which came off 118 balls. He was bowled off a no ball when he was on 76 in the penultimate over. Five of his seven boundaries came during the last 14 balls of the Afghan innings. Asghar had joined left-handed Shahidi at the crease after left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz (3-57) removed the top three Afghan batsmen - Mohammad Shahzad (20), Ihsanullah (10) and Rahmat Shah (36).

In his 67-run knock, Asghar showed both aggression and patience and Shahidi was determined, holding one end tight. Asghar chose right deliveries to go for big shots, hitting five sixes and two fours. Shahidi and Asghar were tested by the Pakistan pace duo of Hasan Ali and Usman Khan but they refused to be intimidated by the raw pace. They were sensible in defending the balls.

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