Walking in at 4 for 45 while chasing a tricky target of 92 against Pakistan at the slow Sharjah wickets, Mohammad Nabi knew what exactly his role was. The 38-year-old’s run-a-ball 38 proved crucial in Afghanistan registering their first T20 victory against Pakistan. The seasoned all-rounder, who has played for at least two dozen T20 franchises, said Afghanistan players are getting better by playing league cricket around the globe. “Congrats to everyone. Was a tough score to chase in these conditions. As a bowling unit, we wanted to keep them under 100. With the bat, I wanted to take responsibility and close the game. Most of the guys in our squad are playing big leagues, some have been here in the UAE for 15 days. So we were set. Thirty-eight on this wicket can feel like a hundred,” Nabi said in the post-match interview. This was the 𝓜𝓞𝓜𝓔𝓝𝓣! 👌The President @MohammadNabi007 finished the job in some style to make history and win the game for Afghanistan. 🤩🔥#AfghanAtalan | #AFGvPAK | #LobaBaRangRawri pic.twitter.com/QPdMimCEdB— Afghanistan Cricket Board (@ACBofficials) March 24, 2023 Nabi was named the player of the match for his all-round performance as he finished with figures of 2/12 with the ball before returning to contribute with the bat. Pakistan went into the match without five of their regular starters, including captain Babar Azam. “Tactics wise, we were fine. But sometimes this can happen due to youngsters being nervous. But they need to be given chances, they will come better. As professionals, we can't give excuses regarding conditions. We have to learn from the loss here. Ihsan, Zaman's bowling was a positive. Naseem and Imad's return was great too. We have give 100% and hopefully will do well in the next game,” Pakistan’s stand-in skipper Shadab Khan said.
