Pakistan qualified for the semi-final stages of the ongoing Asian Games 2023 after defeating Hong Kong by 69 runs at the ZJUT Cricket Field in China.
Batting first, the Men in Green posted a total of 161 runs on the board, thanks to a fighting innings of 41 runs off 16 balls from Aamer Jamal.
Pakistan was struggling in the second quarter-final after losing four wickets on just 51 runs in the eighth over, with Omair Yousuf scoring 21 runs off 21 balls.
Middle-order batters Asif Ali and Arafat Minhas played really well, scoring 25 runs each to help the side reach a defendable total at the end of the first innings.
In response, the Hong Kong team did not take a solid start, losing five wickets on just 55 runs, with Khushdil Shah taking three wickets in the four-over spell.
Arafat Minhas, who displayed a fantastic innings with the bat, also performed well with the ball, taking two wickets and conceding 19 runs in four overs.
Sufyan Muqeem also took two crucial wickets and conceded 11 runs to help the side defend the total and restrict the opposition to 92 runs in 18 overs.
