Watch: Afghanistan left-arm pacer Fazalhaq Farooqi pierced Pakistan opener Fakhar Zaman’s defence with a wobble-seam nip-backer, knocking back the top of off stump during the second ODI between Afghanistan and Pakistan in Hambantota on August 24.
Chasing 301, Pakistan were cruising as openers Fakhar Zaman and Imam-ul-Haq had stitched a stand of 52 in 53 balls before Fazalhaq Farooqi pulled a rabbit out of his hat with the final ball of the eighth over.
He ran in hard and pitched the ball on the fourth stump. The wobble-seam delivery landed and jagged back in. Fakhar tried to play the vicious delivery with an angled bat and that led to his undoing.
He knocked off Fakhar’s stumps with a dream delivery, giving Afghanistan their first breakthrough. Fakhar departed for a 34-ball-30, knocking five fours during his brief stay.
Earlier, Afghanistan had posted 300-5, thanks to a record 227-run partnership between openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran. Gurbaz took the bowlers to the cleaners en route to a run-a-ball 151, the highest score by a wicketkeeper against Pakistan. He eclipsed MS Dhoni’s 122-ball 148 in 2005.
The match went to the wire, and Pakistan finally won by one wicket to clinch the series.
Watch Fazalhaq Farooqi breach Fakhar Zaman’s defence and rattle his off stump with a magic delivery
“That’s the perfect ball to bowl to Fakhar”#AfghanAtalan | #AFGvPAK | #SuperColaCup | #ByaMaidanGato pic.twitter.com/BfsMVrAePW
— Afghanistan Cricket Board (@ACBofficials) August 24, 2023
