Agency, September 26: Pakistan have marched into the ACC Asia Cup final after edging past Bangladesh by 11 runs in their last Super Four game on Thursday night.
Batting first at the Dubai International Stadium, Pakistan posted 135/8 in 20 overs. Mohammad Haris top-scored with 31, while Mohammad Nawaz (25) and Salman Agha (19) added valuable runs. Taskin Ahmed was the pick of the Bangladeshi bowlers, taking 3 wickets.
In reply, Bangladesh fell short, finishing on 124/9 despite a fighting 30 from Shamim Hossain. Nurul Hasan and Rashid Hossain chipped in with 16 apiece, but Pakistan’s bowling proved too strong. Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf ripped through the batting order with three wickets each, while Saim Ayub grabbed two.
The win took Pakistan to 4 points from 3 matches, sealing second spot in the Super Four and eliminating Bangladesh from the tournament.
The stage is now set for a blockbuster final on Sunday: India vs Pakistan, their first-ever Asia Cup title clash.