Abdul Samad’s blistering unbeaten 30 off 15 balls powered Pakistan into the Asian Games men’s cricket final as they beat Bangladesh by six wickets in a rain-reduced semi-final at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin, Japan on Thursday.
Chasing 112 in 13 overs, Pakistan recovered from 53-4 to reach 112-4 in 11.3 overs, with Samad and Hasan Nawaz putting on an unbeaten 59-run partnership for the fifth wicket.
Samad provided the decisive acceleration, hitting five fours and a six in his 15-ball innings. He took apart Mustafizur Rahman in the 10th over to swing the contest decisively Pakistan’s way.
With Pakistan needing 36 from the final four overs, Hasan took a single from the first ball before Samad launched Mustafizur over long-on for six and then struck four successive boundaries. The over yielded 23 runs, with Samad collecting 22 from the five balls he faced, as Pakistan moved from 76-4 to 99-4.
The target was reduced to 13 from 18 balls and Pakistan completed the chase with nine balls to spare.
Hasan provided able support, remaining unbeaten on 27 from 22 balls with two fours and two sixes.
Pakistan’s chase had begun uncertainly after captain Sahibzada Farhan was caught off Mahedi Hasan for one in the first over. Maaz Sadaqat made a brisk 15 from seven balls, including a six, before falling, while Saim Ayub hit 21 from 12 deliveries with a four and two sixes.
Usman Khan then departed for 14, leaving Pakistan at 53-4 inside seven overs and giving Bangladesh an opening.
Samad and Hasan, however, took control of the chase and guided Pakistan comfortably into Saturday’s gold-medal match.
Earlier, Bangladesh, sent in to bat, made 111-7 in their allotted 13 overs. Towhid Hridoy top-scored with 42 from 25 balls, hitting two fours and four sixes, while Saif Hassan made 19.
Bangladesh had slumped to 45-4 before Hridoy led a recovery. He shared a 53-run fifth-wicket partnership with Mosaddek Hossain, who made 11, but Pakistan’s spinners kept the batting side under pressure.
Left-arm spinner Sufyan Moqim returned 3-26, including the wickets of Hridoy and Mosaddek in the same over, while Arafat Minhas took 2-23. Saim was particularly economical, taking 1-3 from his two overs.
Pakistan will face the winner of the second semi-final between India and Sri Lanka in the gold-medal match on Saturday at the same venue.
Bangladesh will contest the bronze-medal match.
The semi-final was one of the first meaningful matches for both sides after their quarter-finals were abandoned without a ball being bowled because of rain, with all four quarter-finals affected by the weather.
