DUBAI – Pakistan secured a dominant 69-run victory over the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in a Group-A match on Monday, advancing to the semi-finals of the ACC Men’s U19 Asia Cup.
Pakistan posted a challenging total of 314 for three in 50 overs after being asked to bat, thanks to a stellar performance from opener Shahzaib Khan. Shahzaib continued his fine form, scoring 132 runs off 136 balls, including 11 fours and six sixes. He shared a massive 183-run partnership with Riazullah, who scored 106 off 91 balls, hitting nine fours and three sixes. Their partnership followed a strong 94-run opening stand with Usman Khan (41). After Shahzaib’s dismissal in the 46th over, Riazullah added a quickfire 37 runs with Faham-ul-Haq (20 not out) in the final overs.
In reply, UAE’s chase faltered early, with the side slipping to 57 for three. However, Ethan D’Souza and Muhammad Rayan fought back with a 113-run partnership for the fourth wicket. D’Souza top-scored with 84 off 102 balls, including 11 fours, while Rayan contributed 50 off 66 balls, featuring three sixes. Despite their efforts, UAE’s resistance ended at 245 for eight, well short of the target.
Abdul Subhan was the standout bowler for Pakistan, taking 6 wickets for 57 runs in his 10-over spell, triggering a collapse from 170 for three to 245 for eight. His performance earned him the player of the match award.
With this victory, Pakistan topped Group-A, followed by UAE, India, and Japan. In Group-B, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh each won two matches, while Afghanistan and Nepal remain winless. The top two teams from each group will progress to the semi-finals.
Pakistan will face Japan in their final league match on Wednesday at the Dubai International Sports Stadium.
