Pakistan on Saturday defeated Afghanistan by one wicket in a thrilling encounter of the Under-19 Tri-Nation Series.
The tournament is being used a key preparation for the next month’s U19 World Cup co-hosted by Zimbabwe and Namibia.
In the second match of the tournament, played in Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe, Afghanistan were bowled out for 226 runs in their allotted 50 overs. Usman top-scored for Afghanistan with 75 runs, while captain Mahboob Khan added 49. For Pakistan, Usman Khan claimed four wickets, while Mohammad Siyam and Daniyal Ali picked up two wickets each.
In reply, Pakistan struggled in the chase, with skipper Farhan Yousuf scoring 65, while no other batter managed to stay at the crease for long.
However, wicketkeeper-batter Hamza Zahoor rescued Pakistan from a precarious position.
Hamza first added 36 runs with Daniyal Khan. Pakistan was nine wickets down at 201, but Hamza held his nerve and guided the team to victory with three balls to spare.
He played a match-winning knock of 68 runs off just 51 balls, hitting eight fours and one six.
It should be noted that Pakistan won the eight-team Asia Cup in Dubai earlier this month, beating India by 191 runs in the final.
