Shaheen, Naseem join celebration as Pakistan A reaches Emerging Asia Cup Final

Pakistan A secured a spot in the ACC Men’s Emerging Asia Cup 2023 final after a convincing 60-run victory over Sri Lanka A in Colombo on Friday.

The win was celebrated joyously by Pakistan’s senior team members, including Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah. Upon the junior team’s return to the hotel after the semi-final, they were warmly welcomed by the senior players, who commemorated the occasion with a cake-cutting ceremony.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) shared a delightful video of the celebration on their social media channels, capturing Afridi and Shah in high spirits with the victorious A team.

🇵🇰 men’s team 🤝 🇵🇰 Shaheens

Shaheens’ win in the #ACCMensEmergingTeamsAsiaCup semi-final celebrated in star-studded company 🤩 pic.twitter.com/X3IHAH48sh

— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) July 21, 2023

During the semi-final, Pakistan A displayed their dominance by setting a total of 322, presenting Sri Lanka A with a challenging target of 323 runs. Despite a brave effort from the Sri Lankan side, they fell short, all out for 262 runs in 45.4 overs.

The standout performer for Pakistan A was young pacer Arshad Iqbal, who achieved figures of 5-37. Contributing to the victory, Mubasir Khan and Sufiyan Muqeem took two wickets each.

Omair Bin Yousuf and skipper Mohammad Haris delivered impressive performances, both scoring half-centuries to help Pakistan post the massive total.

Now, all eyes are on the highly anticipated final, where Pakistan A will face their long-time rivals, India A. The match is scheduled for Sunday, July 2023, at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.