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Sylhet: Afghanistan has genuine hopes of succeeding at the ICC Under-19 World Cup 2016, but those aspirations took a blow at the first hurdle.
Its batsmen faltered on Thursday, eventually being bundled out for 126 in 41.2 overs, and the sub-continental derby went the way of Pakistan, who won its Group B clash by six wickets at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium.
Put in, Afghanistan struggled from the outset. It was reduced to 29 for 3 before Tariq Stanikzai and Ikram Faizi steadied ship with a 69-run stand for the fourth wicket, Tariq notching up a 76-ball 53.
However, once the stand was broken, Afghanistan encountered a slide it never recovered from. It lost seven wickets for just 28 runs to set Pakistan a target of 127, with Shadab Khan (4-9) and Hasan Mohsin (3-24) its chief tormentors.
When it chose to bat, Pakistan presumably hoped to capitalise on the early assistance on offer for the pacemen. And it did, as Afghanistan was reduced to 29 for 3 within eight overs as Mohsin, the right-arm paceman, ran riot.
Mohsin first had Naveed Obaid bowled, the batsman swinging and missing only to see his stumps disturbed for nought. Ihsanullah Janat (1), the captain, then meekly popped one to point, and when Karim Janat, who had till then dispatched five cracking fours with timing and panache, sent one to the slip cordon for a 32-ball 27, Afghanistan's struggles were all too evident.
Brief scores
Afghanistan U19 - 126 all out
Pakistan U19 - 129 for 4
Result - Pakistan U19 won by 6 wickets
