COLOMBO: In a high-stakes quarter-final at the Asian Team Championship, Pakistan 1, comprising of Mohammad Asif and Awaisullah Munir, emerged victorious over compatriots Shahid Aftab and Mohammad Sajjad with a convincing 3-1 victory on Friday.

The much-anticipated all-Pakistan clash delivered intense drama. The duo of Asif and Awaisullah seized the initiative in a tightly contested opening frame, edging out Pakistan 2 74-53 despite a valiant 53 break from their opponents [74(52)-53(53)].

Shahid and Sajjad responded emphatically, dominating the second frame 27-66 to level the match. However, the experience duo of Asif and Awaisullah shone through in the critical moments.

They reclaimed control with a decisive 61-22 win in the third frame before sealing victory in commanding fashion, capped by a superb 62 break in the fourth frame [78(62)-1].

The result propels defending singles champion Awaisullah and Asian 6-Red bronze medallist Asif into a semi-final showdown against Malaysia on Saturday.

National champion Shahid and veteran Sajjad, exit the tournament after a spirited campaign that included a comeback win against Bahrain on Thursday and a decisive 3-0 victory over Sri Lanka 2 in the group stage earlier on Friday.

Asif-Awaisullah duo earlier downed Sri Lanka 1 to maintain their perfect record.

Published in Dawn, June 28th, 2025