Shaheen Shah Afridi took 2 for 29 in his four overs. (PCB)Pakistan vs Afghanistan, T20 World Cup Warm-Up Highlights: Pakistan vs Afghanistan warm-up match called off due to rain after Afghanistan posted 154/6 on board. In reply, Pakistan could only bat 2.2 overs of their 20 overs and were 19/0 when the game was called off.
Shaheen Shah Afridi was breathing fire right from the first over as he managed to dismiss Rahmanullah Gurbaz with a toe crushing yorker for a golden duck. The 22-year-old followed it up with another wicket off his second over, cleaning up the other Afghan opener, Hazratullah Zazai and putting the opposition on the back foot.
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Pakistan will take on Afghanistan in a warm up game. (Twitter/Pakistan Cricket)
The inevitable has happened. After more than 30 minutes of the game being halted, the match has been called off at the Gabba.
Meanwhile, not a bad idea or time for a recap: Shaheen Shah Afridi back with a bang, picks 2/29 in T20 World Cup warm-up match
Oh dear, this shower looks more persistent. The players are making their way out. And the covers are on again. Pakistan, 19/0.
Five wides and another wide off the second over, from Azmatullah Omarzai. Mohammad Nabi looks frustrated. Between them, Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan have scored only six runs, 13 have come as extras. 19/0 after two overs.
Fazalhaq Farooqi concedes seven in his first over without Mohammed Rizwan scoring a single off his bat. Five wides and two more wides in that first over.
150 up for Afghanistan. Ghani takes on Afridi with another pull gone behind for four followed by a smash wide off long off for another. Captain Mohammad Nabi completes his half century. Afghanistan finish at 154/6.
Consecutive fours for Mohammad Nabi to begin Haris Rauf's final over. 61 run partnership now between him and Usman Ghani. 143/6 after 19 overs.
14 off that Afridi over. Usman Ghani pulls and gets the reward, an edge that goes through the short fine leg for four. Mohammad Nabi gets another boundary off a dab over backward point. 132/6 after 18 overs.
And just as quickly we're back on. Shaheen Shah Afridi into his third over.
Almost instantly as the players vacated the field, the rain stopped. Some teaser. The ground staff has taken the covers off and play can be expected to resume very soon.
The Afghanistan captain takes the aerial route vs Naseem Shah. Clears front leg off a slower delivery. 12 off the over, 119/6 after 17 overs. And, the rain has stopped play at the Gabba.
100 up for Afghanistan. Mohammad Nabi (24 off 23) and Usman Ghani (13 off 10) in the middle with four overs to go. How much can they go for from here? 107/6 reads the scoreboard.
Usman Ghani slashes it hard to backward of square on the off-side. First four for him. 11 off that Mohammad Wasim Jr over. 99/6 after 15 overs.
Afghanistan's misery continues to mount as Haris Rauf picks up his second wicket. Cleans up Azmatullah Omarzai. Afghanistan are 88/6 after 14 overs.
Mohammad Nabi has had enough. Backs up a little and pulls it hard to edge one behind for four off Naseem Shah. This is how Afghanistan will have to approach now. 73/4 after 12 overs.
Still no boundaries for Afghanistan. Shadab concedes just three off his first over. 62/4 after 11 overs.
Afghanistan cross the fifty mark. Captain Nabi beats the mid off to collect his first boundary of the game. 59/4 after 10 overs.
Mohammad Nawaz gets Najibullah Zadran. Caught by Naseem Shah, running left to long on. 49/4, Afghanistan.
Afghanistan struggling here against the raw pace and bounce generated from the Pakistan bowlers. Ominous signs for the rest of the teams in the tournament. That, looks a beast of a bowling attack. 29/3 after six overs.
Update from the Afghanistan camp is that Rahmanullah Gurbaz who had been hit on the foot in the first over has now left the venue for scans.
Haris Rauf strikes in his first over. Darwish Rasooli, unable to get a hold of the short and quick one. Caught by Mohammad Nawaz. 20/3, Afghanistan after five overs.
Afghanistan are 19/2 after four overs. Naseem Shah has mounted pressure from the other end as well. Eight runs off his second over. Good comeback after conceding a boundary off his second delivery to Ibrahim Zadran.
Another one for Shaheen Shah Afridi. Two in two overs now. Cleans Hazratullah Zazai. Almost gets another one on the last delivery of the over. Afghanistan, 11/2 after three.
Afghanistan get their first boundary and first three of the match. Seven runs off that Naseem Shah over. 8/0 after two.
Shaheen Shah Afridi strikes in the first over. A toe crusher to Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who is deemed lbw by the on field umpire. 1/1 after the first over.
Hazratullah Zazai and Rahmanullah Gurbaz in the middle for Afghanistan. Shaheen Shah Afridi has the new ball. Time for the action at Gabba.
Afghanistan: Darwish Rasooli, Hazratullah Zazai, Ibrahim Zadran, Usman Ghani, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi(c), Azmatullah Omarzai, Rahmanullah Gurbaz(w), Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Qais Ahmad, Rashid Khan, Mohammad Saleem Safi, Fareed Ahmad Malik, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi
Pakistan: Babar Azam(c), Mohammad Rizwan(w), Shan Masood, Fakhar Zaman, Asif Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Nawaz, Shadab Khan, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah, Mohammad Wasim Jr
Pakistan win the toss and elect to bowl first.
The last time Pakistan played Afghanistan was in the 2022 Asia Cup. A high stakes fixture in Sharjah that ended up with Pakistan's one wicket win and some real ugly scenes between the players and the fans in the stands. Hopefully those won't be on display today, but with the two sides having no shortage of star studded players, one can expect the fireworks on the pitch in terms of a proper contest. Stay tuned for all the updates here.