Summary

  • Afghanistan beat Pakistan by eight wickets, with six balls to spare

  • Afghanistan's first ODI win over Pakistan & their highest successful ODI chase

  • Zadran (87), Gurbaz (65), Rahmat (77*) & Hashmatullah (48*) all play sublime knocks

  • Pakistan post 282-7 - Babar 74, Abdullah 58; Noor 3-49

  • Iftikhar (40) & Shadab (40) make stand of 73 off 45 balls to boost total late on

  1. Pak 189-4published at 39 overs

    Another piece of fortune for Pakistan as Shadab Khan miscues a shot down the ground but it is short of the long-on fielder.

    That's a nice shot from Babar Azam though. He uses the depth of his crease well to create a short ball and pull into the mid-wicket fence.

    Remarkably that is his first boundary since the 20th over.

  2. Pak 183-4published at 38 overs

    Cries of "catchhhh itttt" from the Afghanistan fielders as Babar Azam sends a sweep up in the air.

    It doesn't carry out to the square-leg fielder though and the Pakistan skipper just helps himself to a single.

    Pakistan are very much in milking mode at the moment.

  3. Postpublished at 12:08 British Summer Time 23 October 2023

    Carlos Brathwaite
    Ex-West Indies all-rounder on BBC Test Match Special

    What you don't want to do is pull the trigger to try and get 300 and only just scrape past 200 like Australia did. I would like to see Shadab and Babar go through the gears. Right now, 250 is the target and if they can get there, they should look to push on.

  4. Pak 178-4published at 37 overs

    Hashmatullah Shahidi is rotating his spinners here, trying to keep Pakistan guessing and force a mistake.

    Mujeeb Ur Rahman replaces Rashid Khan and Babar Azam and Shadab Khan milk him for six.

  5. Pak 169-4published at 36 overs

    Mohammad Nabi is done for the day. With the ball anyway.

    He finishes with 1-31 from his 10 overs.

    Here's how he picked up the wicket of Saud Shakeel.

  6. Postpublished at 12:02 British Summer Time 23 October 2023

    Carlos Brathwaite
    Ex-West Indies all-rounder on BBC Test Match Special

    A well played 50 by Babar Azam, but there is a bigger picture at hand. If he gets out now Pakistan will struggle to get to 250.

  7. 50 runs

    50 for Babar Azampublished at 35.3 overs

    Pak 169-4

    A single for Babar Azam takes him to a 30th ODI half-century.

    It comes up off 69 balls with just three boundaries.

    A lot rests on his shoulders here.

  8. Pak 167-4published at 35 overs

    Yeesh. Babar Azam just flat bats Rashid Khan back into the pitch but it bounces up and backwards, but, thankfully for Pakistan, over the stumps and into the hands of Ikram Alikhil.

    Four singles from Rashid's over.

  9. Postpublished at 11:56 British Summer Time 23 October 2023

    Pakistan have promoted the returning Shadab Khan above Iftikhar Ahmed.

    He joins captain Babar Azam in the middle.

  10. Postpublished at 11:54 British Summer Time 23 October 2023

    Carlos Brathwaite
    Ex-West Indies all-rounder on BBC Test Match Special

    Another Pakistan middle order start, another wicket thrown away.

  11. wicket

    WICKETpublished at 34 overs

    Shakeel c Rashid b Nabi 25 (Pak 163-4)

    Saud Shakeel, what are you doing?

    The left-hander was just starting to look comfortable, playing a nice reverse sweep fine for four.

    It brings about a change in the field for Afghanistan as they look to bolster the point region.

    They keep a long-on in place, but the mid-wicket area is clear, and Shakeel tries to go into it but that is a difficult shot on this slow wicket.

    He doesn't time it properly and Rashd Khan is able to make the ground and take a relatively comfortable catch from long-on.

  12. Postpublished at 11:49 British Summer Time 23 October 2023

    Carlos Brathwaite
    Ex-West Indies all-rounder on BBC Test Match Special

    It is night and day how Rashid Khan bowls to right-handers compared to left-handers.

    He looks more comfortable bowling to right-handers, they seem more in his zone. It always feels a little rushed to left-handers, as if he is not exactly sure which ball to bowl.

  13. Pak 158-3published at 33 overs

    Noor Ahmad does get a rest, with Rashid Khan returning.

    Saud Shakeel picks up his second boundary as he rocks back and cuts past a diving short third. It should have been stopped though.

    Rashid is not happy. He's shaking his head.

  14. Postpublished at 11:46 British Summer Time 23 October 2023

    Carlos Brathwaite
    Ex-West Indies all-rounder on BBC Test Match Special

    That's the intent Pakistan needed.

    Yes, Afghanistan are bowling well and yes it is a tough pitch to score on, but Pakistan have to think, 'What are the deliveries I can score off?'.

    At the moment it looks like the shorter the ball the easier it is to rock back and maximise it.

  15. Pak 151-3published at 32 overs

    A boundary!

    It is the first Mohammad Nabi has conceded and the first Pakistan have hit in 47 balls.

    It is a good shot from Saud Shakeel, latching onto a little bit of length from Nabi to pull away to the mid-wicket fence.

  16. Pak 145-3published at 31 overs

    Is Noor Ahmad starting to tire a little here? Possibly. It is understandable at 18.

    He sends down another leg-side wide, and another, which is actually pulled back for a front-foot no-ball instead.

    Babar Azam tries to heave the free-hit over long-on but skies it to mid-wicket and can only take a single.

  17. Postpublished at 11:37 British Summer Time 23 October 2023

    Simon Mann
    BBC Test Match Special commentator

    This is a fascinating game. It's very different from any other game we have seen at this World Cup so far, with the spinners holding sway.

  18. Pak 139-3published at 30 overs

    This is brilliant stuff from Mohammad Nabi. He's just consistently dropping it on a spot and making it hard for Pakistan to score freely.

    He's got figures of 0-15 after seven overs. Extremely tight stuff.

    Pakistan were 56-0 in the first 10 overs, and then 44-1 and 39-2 in the next 10-over periods. Afghanistan are battling back well.

  19. Postpublished at 11:34 British Summer Time 23 October 2023

    Geoff Lemon
    BBC Test Match Special commentator

    Pakistan will be reasonably happy with their position so far. Afghanistan are not a convincing chasing side for me.

  20. Pak 137-3published at 29 overs

    A looser over from Noor Ahmad as he twice sends down leg-side wides.

    Much better from Pakistan too as they work five singles off the other balls too.

    They have only hit five boundaries in the 19 overs since the powerplay ended though. It has been disciplined bowling from Afghanistan, but the intent is sometimes lacking from Pakistan.