Captain Abbas Afridi delivered a match-winning performance with an explosive unbeaten 55 off just 12 deliveries, guiding Pakistan to a thrilling victory over Kuwait in their Hong Kong Sixes tournament opener at Mission Road Ground, Mong Kok on Friday.
Chasing Kuwait’s imposing 123-2, Pakistan achieved the target with extraordinary power-hitting, as Afridi’s remarkable innings featuring eight sixes and one boundary proved decisive in the successful run chase.
Pakistan’s pursuit began aggressively with openers Khawaja Nafay and Mohammad Shahzad adding 34 runs before Shahzad retired hurt on 14. Despite Abdul Samad’s first-ball dismissal, Afridi transformed the chase with devastating stroke play, reaching his half-century in spectacular fashion.
The skipper’s assault intensified during the final overs, smashing consecutive sixes in the fifth over off Yasin Patel as Pakistan accumulated 38 runs. After retiring hurt upon completing his fifty, Afridi handed responsibility to Shahid Aziz, who contributed an unbeaten 23 off five balls including three sixes. Nafay finished with 25 off 11 deliveries, providing crucial support throughout the innings.
Kuwait had earlier posted a competitive total through aggressive batting. Meet Bhavsar anchored their innings with an undefeated 41 off 14 balls, smashing five sixes and two boundaries. Usman Patel provided late acceleration with 31 off nine deliveries, while opener Adnan Idrees contributed 17 and Bilal Tahir added 24.
Bhavsar’s onslaught proved particularly damaging, plundering 22 runs from Abdul Samad’s over through three sixes and a boundary. The final over yielded 39 runs as Usman Patel dismantled Afridi’s bowling with powerful hitting.
For Pakistan, Maaz Sadaqat claimed the crucial wicket of Tahir while conceding just 13 runs from his single over, providing a brief respite in Kuwait’s explosive innings.
The six-over format produced extraordinary entertainment with both teams combining for 249 runs, showcasing the aggressive nature of this abbreviated cricket tournament.
