Asif Ali talks about his match-winning innings against Afghanistan
In Pakistan’s match against Afghanistan, Asif Ali made a spectacular performance with the willow. Ali struck a stunning 25* in a 7-ball knock to help Pakistan defeat Afghanistan by five wickets. The team played some brilliant cricket and deserved to win the match. This has now made them favourites to qualify for the semis as the group 2 toppers.
Pakistan needed 24 runs off the last two overs to win. At that point in the game, Asif Ali hammered Karim Janat for four sixes in the 19th over. It was a solid performance with the cricket bat and was enough to secure the deal. Ali was named Player of the Match for his outstanding effort, which saw Pakistan cross the finishing line.
In addition, the 30-year-old has spoken out about his performance. Ali complimented the Pakistan team as well as all of the people that supported them. Ali went on to say that he assured Shoaib Malik that he was confident in his ability to complete the match for the ‘Men in Green.’
“I would want to congratulate the Pakistan team and all of our supporters. I felt certain of completing it from this end, and that is what I told Shoaib Malik before he went out,” Ali remarked in an interview after being named Player of the Match in that game.
I assess the scenario and choose bowlers to take on accordingly: Asif Ali
Asif Ali also said that he analyses the match circumstances before deciding which bowlers to target. Ali finished by saying that he informed Shoaib Malik that he could attack Karim Janat and score 25 runs in one over. It was a great batting performance overall.
“I take a look at the scenario and then have a go at the bowlers appropriately. When came out on the field to bat, I was talking to Shoaib Malik and told him that I was sure of getting 20-25 in one over against Karim Janat, which I did,” Asif Ali went on to conclude by saying.
The Pakistani team has already won all three of its games and is on top of the group 2 points table. Babar Azam and his troops will next be seen in action on November 2nd, 2021, when they face Namibia. This match will take place at Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium.
Are Pakistan favourites to win the T20 World Cup, based on the current level of performances that we have seen so far?
England and Pakistan look as the top two teams in the T20 World Cup. They have both looked really solid in their respective groups. New Zealand also beat India and is now looking good, though they barely lost to Pakistan and will want to improve on that.
With that being said, there is still a spot left to be taken (if everything works as it stands now and there are no more upsets). Australia looks like the favourites to secure it but anything can happen in the game of cricket. Keeping that in mind, the Pakistani side will want to keep their perfect record intact.
Other contenders like India will want to try to push their chances. Even Afghanistan has looked solid with their performances and will be hoping to create a chance for themselves. It will not be easy but anything is possible in the game of cricket. Also, the game is not won on paper, as we have seen multiple times over the past few years.
Keeping that in mind, the tournament still has a lot to offer and things could get interesting in the days to come. The teams will be focused on being consistent and getting the job done in the long run. They will want to keep winning games and retaining the momentum that they have. On the other hand, they will want to test some of their other players, who would be vital assets to their success.
Let’s wait and watch how things go in the tournament, as we enter the business end of things and the going gets tough. For now, Pakistan and England are the teams to beat. It will be interesting to see how things develop in the days to follow.
