Asif Ali's late blitz leads Pakistan to victory against Afghanistan

Asif Ali smashed four sixes in the penultimate over to help Pakistan achieve a hard-fought five-wicket win over Afghanistan in the Twenty20 World Cup in Dubai.

With Pakistan needing 24 runs off the final two overs, Asif lifted paceman Karim Janat's first, third, fifth and sixth balls over the boundary to help Pakistan overhaul a tricky 148-run target.

Asif finished with 25 off just seven balls with four sixes and a single, leaving Janat and all the other Afghan players frustrated.

The win gave Pakistan a third win in as many games in Group 2 of the Super 12 stages, almost assuring a semi-final place, needing just one more win from their last two games.

Afghanistan scored a fighting 147-6 in their 20 overs with Gulbadin Naib and skipper Mohammad Nabi scoring 35 each.

Skipper Babar Azam anchored Pakistan's innings with a 47-ball 51 but his dismissal — bowled by spinner Rashid Khan — turned the game on its head in the 17th over with Pakistan needing 26 off the last three overs.

Paceman Naveen-ul-Haq conceded just two runs in the 18th over and dismissed Shoaib Malik for 19 but Asif quashed all hopes of an Afghanistan win.

Pakistan's task was to handle spinners Rashid and Mujeeb Ur Rahman in their chase with the evening dew making life tough for bowlers.

Mujeeb dismissed Mohammad Rizwan (eight) while Nabi accounted for Fakhar Zaman (30) before Rashid's wickets of Mohammad Hafeez (10) and Babar.

Earlier, Gulbadin Naib and Nabi lifted Afghanistan from a wobbly start.

Naib smashed a 25-ball 35 not out while Nabi scored an undefeated 32-ball 35 as they helped Afghanistan recover from 76-6 with an unbroken seventh wicket stand of 71 after they won the toss and batted.

All six top Afghanistan batsmen were caught playing rash shots but Nabi and Naib added 54 runs in the last five overs to give their team a fighting total.

Naib hit two fours and a six off paceman Hasan Ali to take 21 off the 18th over and the pair scored 15 in the 19th bowled by Haris Rauf.

Naib's knock had four boundaries and a six while Nabi hit five boundaries.

Left-arm spinner Imad Wasim was the pick of Pakistan's bowlers with 2-25, dismissing dangerous opener Hazratullah for a five-ball duck.

Najibullah Zadran (22) and Janat (15) were other contributors.

Pakistan kept the same eleven which beat India and New Zealand in their first two matches while Afghanistan were also unchanged from their first game rout of Scotland.

The top two teams from each of the two groups will qualify for the semi-finals.

Squads:

Pakistan: Mohammad Rizwan, Babar Azam(c), Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Asif Ali, Shadab Khan, Imad Wasim, Hasan Ali, Haris Rauf, Shaheen Shah Afridi

Afghanistan: Hazratullah Zazai, Mohammad Shahzad, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi(c), Asghar Afghan, Gulbadin Naib, Karim Janat, Rashid Khan , Naveen-ul-Haq, Mujeeb Ur Rahman

Ball by ball updates of the match are available below the line:

Pakistan beat Afghanistan by 5 wickets

Pakistan after 19 overs: 148/5

Karim Janat to Asif Ali: 6 runs

Karim Janat to Asif Ali: 6 runs

Karim Janat to Asif Ali: No run

Karim Janat to Asif Ali: 6 runs

Karim Janat to Asif Ali: No run

Karim Janat to Asif Ali: 6 runs

Pakistan after 18 overs: 124/5

Naveen-ul-Haq to   Shadab Khan: No run

Naveen-ul-Haq to Shoaib Malik (19 runs): Caught behind!

Naveen-ul-Haq to Shoaib Malik: No run

Naveen-ul-Haq to Shoaib Malik: No run

Naveen-ul-Haq to Asif Ali: 1 run

Naveen-ul-Haq to Shoaib Malik: 1 run

Pakistan after 17 overs: 122/4

Rashid Khan to Babar Azam (51 runs): Bowled!

Rashid Khan to Shoaib Malik: 1 run

Rashid Khan to Babar Azam: 1 run

Rashid Khan to Shoaib Malik: Wide/1 run

Rashid Khan to Shoaib Malik: 2 runs

Rashid Khan to Shoaib Malik: 6 runs

Rashid Khan to Shoaib Malik: No run

Pakistan after 16 overs: 110/3

Karim Janat to Shoaib Malik: 1 run

Karim Janat to Shoaib Malik: 4 runs

Karim Janat to Babar Azam: 1 run

Karim Janat to Shoaib Malik: 1 run

Karim Janat to Babar Azam: 1 run

Karim Janat to  Shoaib Malik: 1 run

Pakistan after 15 overs: 101/3

Rashid Khan to Shoaib Malik: 1 run

Rashid Khan to Babar Azam: 1 run

Rashid Khan to Shoaib Malik: 1 run

Rashid Khan to Shoaib Malik: No run

Rashid Khan to  Babar Azam:  1 run

Rashid Khan to Mohammad Hafeez (10 runs):  Caught out!  Gulbadin Naib takes an easy catch at long-on

Pakistan after 14 overs: 97/2

Mohammad Nabi to Babar Azam: No run

Mohammad Nabi to Babar Azam: 2 runs

Mohammad Nabi to Babar Azam: No  run

Mohammad Nabi to Babar Azam: 2 runs

Mohammad Nabi to Mohammad Hafeez: 1 run

Mohammad Nabi to Babar Azam: 1 run/No ball

Mohammad Nabi to Mohammad Hafeez: 1 run

Pakistan after 13 overs: 89/2

Rashid Khan to Babar Azam: No run

Rashid Khan to Babar Azam: 4 runs

Rashid Khan to Mohammad Hafeez: 1 run

Rashid Khan to Babar Azam: 1 run

Rashid Khan to Mohammad Hafeez: 1 run

Rashid Khan to Babar Azam: 1lb

Pakistan after 12 overs: 81/2

Mohammad Nabi to Mohammad Hafeez: No run

Mohammad Nabi to Mohammad Hafeez: No  run

Mohammad Nabi to Mohammad Hafeez: 4 runs

Mohammad Nabi to Mohammad Hafeez: 2 runs

Mohammad Nabi to Mohammad Hafeez:  No run

Mohammad  Nabi to Fakhar Zaman (30 runs): LBW!

Pakistan after 11 overs: 75/1

Rashid Khan to Babar Azam: no run

Rashid Khan to Fakhar Zaman: 1 run

Rashid Khan to Fakhar Zaman: no run

Rashid Khan to Fakhar Zaman: no run

Rashid Khan to Babar Azam: 1 run

Rashid Khan to Fakhar Zaman: 1 run

Pakistan after 10 overs: 72/1

Karim Janat to Babar Azam: 4 runs

Karim Janat to Babar Azam: 2 runs

Karim Janat to Fakhar Zaman: 1 run

Karim Janat to Babar Azam: 1 run

Karim Janat to Fakhar Zaman: 1 run

Karim Janat to Babar Azam: 1 run

Pakistan after nine overs: 62/1

Naveen-ul-Haq to Babar Azam: 1 run

Naveen-ul-Haq to Babar Azam: 2 runs

Naveen-ul-Haq to Babar Azam: 4 runs

Naveen-ul-Haq to Fakhar Zaman: 1 run

Naveen-ul-Haq to Babar Azam: 1 run

Naveen-ul-Haq to Babar Azam: 4 runs

Pakistan after eight overs: 49/1

Karim Janat to Fakhar Zaman: No run

Karim Janat to Babar Azam: 1 run

Karim Janat to Fakhar Zaman: 1 run

Karim Janat to Babar Azam: 1 run

Karim Janat to Babar Azam: 2 runs

Karim Janat to Babar Azam: No run

Pakistan after seven overs: 44/1

Mujeeb Ur Rahman to Babar Azam: 1lb

Mujeeb Ur Rahman to Fakhar Zaman: 1 run

Mujeeb Ur Rahman to Fakhar Zaman: 2 runs

Mujeeb Ur Rahman to Babar Azam: 1 run

Mujeeb Ur Rahman to Babar Azam: No run

Mujeeb Ur Rahman to Fakhar Zaman: No run

Pakistan after six overs: 38/1

Naveen-ul-Haq to Fakhar Zaman: 1 run

Naveen-ul-Haq to Fakhar Zaman: No run

Naveen-ul-Haq to Fakhar Zaman: 4 runs

Naveen-ul-Haq to Babar Azam: 1 run

Naveen-ul-Haq to Fakhar Zaman: 1 run

Naveen-ul-Haq to Fakhar Zaman: No run

Pakistan after five overs: 31/1

Mujeeb Ur Rahman to Babar Azam: No run

Mujeeb Ur Rahman to Babar Azam: No run

Mujeeb Ur Rahman to Babar Azam: No run

Mujeeb Ur Rahman to Fakhar Zaman: 1 run

Mujeeb Ur Rahman to Babar Azam: 1 run

Mujeeb Ur Rahman to Babar Azam: No  run

Pakistan after four overs: 29/1

Mohammad Nabi to Fakhar Zaman: 6 runs!

Mohammad Nabi to Fakhar Zaman: 4 runs

Mohammad Nabi to Babar Azam: 1 run

Mohammad Nabi to Fakhar Zaman: 1 run

Mohammad Nabi to Babar Azam: 1 run

Mohammad Nabi to Fakhar Zaman: 1 run

Pakistan after three overs: 15/1

Mujeeb Ur Rahman to Babar Azam: 2 runs

Mujeeb Ur Rahman to Fakhar Zaman: 1 run

Mujeeb Ur Rahman to Fakhar Zaman: No run

Mujeeb Ur Rahman to Mohammad Rizwan (8 runs): Caught out! Naveen-ul-Haq takes a tremendous catch

Mujeeb Ur Rahman to Mohammad Rizwan: No run

Mujeeb Ur Rahman to Babar Azam: 1 run

Pakistan after two overs: 11/0

Mohammad Nabi to Mohammad Rizwan: 4 runs

Mohammad Nabi to Mohammad Rizwan: No run

Mohammad Nabi to Babar Azam: 1 run

Mohammad Nabi to Mohammad Rizwan: 1 run

Mohammad Nabi to Babar Azam: 1 run

Mohammad Nabi to Mohammad Rizwan: 1 run

Pakistan after one over: 3/0

Mujeeb Ur Rahman to Mohammad Rizwan: 1 run

Mujeeb Ur Rahman to Mohammad Rizwan: No run

Mujeeb Ur Rahman to Babar Azam: 1 run

Mujeeb Ur Rahman to Babar Azam: No run

Mujeeb Ur Rahman to Mohammad Rizwan: 1 run

Mujeeb Ur Rahman to Mohammad Rizwan: No run

Pakistan need 148 to beat Afghanistan

Afghanistan after 20 overs: 147/6

Shaheen Shah Afridi to Gulbadin Naib: 1 run

Shaheen Shah Afridi to Gulbadin Naib: No ball

Shaheen Shah Afridi to Mohammad Nabi: 1 run

Shaheen Shah Afridi to Gulbadin Naib: 1lb

Shaheen Shah Afridi to Mohammad Nabi: 1 run

Shaheen Shah Afridi to Gulbadin Naib: 1 run

Shaheen Shah Afridi   to Mohammad Nabi: 1 run

Afghanistan after 19 overs: 140/6

Haris Rauf to Gulbadin Naib: 4 run 

Haris Rauf to Mohammad Nabi: 1 run

Haris Rauf to Mohammad Nabi: 4 runs

Haris Rauf to Mohammad Nabi: 4 runs

Haris Rauf to Gulbadin Naib: 1 run 

Haris Rauf to Mohammad Nabi: 1 run 

Afghanistan after 18 overs: 125/6

Hasan Ali to Mohammad Nabi: 1 run

Hasan Ali to Gulbadin Naib: 1 run/no ball

Hasan Ali to Gulbadin Naib: 4 runs

Hasan Ali to Gulbadin Naib: 2 runs

Hasan Ali to Gulbadin Naib: 2 runs

Hasan Ali to Gulbadin Naib: 4 runs

Hasan Ali to Gulbadin Naib: 6 runs!

Afghanistan after 17 overs: 104/6

Haris Rauf to Gulbadin Naib: 1 run

Haris Rauf to Gulbadin Naib: No run

Haris Rauf to Gulbadin Naib: No run

Haris Rauf to Gulbadin Naib: No run

Haris Rauf to Mohammad Nabi: 1 run

Haris Rauf to Gulbadin Naib: 1 run

Afghanistan after 16 overs: 101/6

Shaheen Shah Afridi to Mohammad Nabi: No run

Shaheen Shah Afridi to Gulbadin Naib: 1  run

Shaheen Shah Afridi to Mohammad Nabi: 1 run

Shaheen Shah Afridi to Gulbadin Naib: 1 run

Shaheen Shah Afridi to Gulbadin Naib: 4 runs

Shaheen Shah Afridi to Gulbadin Naib: Wide

Shaheen Shah Afridi to Gulbadin Naib: No run

Afghanistan after 15 overs: 93/6

Hasan Ali to Gulbadin Naib: 1 run

Hasan Ali to Gulbadin Naib: No run

Hasan Ali to Gulbadin Naib: No run

Hasan Ali to Mohammad Nabi: 1 run

Hasan Ali to Mohammad Nabi: No run

Hasan Ali to Mohammad Nabi: 4 runs

Hasan Ali to Mohammad Nabi: Wide

Afghanistan after 14 overs: 86/6

Haris Rauf to Mohammad Nabi: 1 run

Haris Rauf to Mohammad Nabi: No run

Haris Rauf to Mohammad Nabi: 4 runs

Haris Rauf to Mohammad Nabi: Wide

Haris Rauf to Mohammad Nabi: No run

Haris Rauf to Mohammad Nabi: No  run

Haris Rauf to Mohammad Nabi:  4 runs

Afghanistan after 13 overs: 76/6

Shadab Khan to Gulbadin Naib: No run

Shadab Khan to Najibullah Zadran (22 runs): Caught behind! 

Shadab Khan to Najibullah Zadran: 6 runs!

Shadab Khan to Mohammad Nabi: 1 run

Shadab Khan to Mohammad Nabi: No run

Shadab Khan to Mohammad Nabi: 2 run

Afghanistan after 12 overs: 67/5

Hasan Ali to Najibullah Zadran: No run

Hasan Ali to Najibullah Zadran: No run

Hasan Ali to Najibullah Zadran: No run

Hasan Ali to Najibullah Zadran: No run

Hasan Ali to Najibullah Zadran: No run

Hasan Ali to Najibullah Zadran: No run

Afghanistan after 11 overs: 67/5

Shadab Khan to Mohammad Nabi: No run

Shadab Khan to Mohammad Nabi: No run

Shadab Khan to Mohammad Nabi: No run

Shadab Khan to Mohammad Nabi: No run

Shadab Khan to Najibullah Zadran: 1 run

Shadab Khan to Mohammad Nabi: 1 run

Afghanistan after 10 overs: 65/5

Imad Wasim to Najibullah Zadran: No run

Imad Wasim to Mohammad Nabi: 1 run

Imad Wasim to Mohammad Nabi: No run

Imad Wasim to Mohammad Nabi: No run

Imad Wasim to Mohammad Nabi: No run

Imad Wasim to Karim Janat (15 runs): Caught out! Fakhar Zaman takes an easy catch

Afghanistan after nine overs: 64/4

Shadab Khan to Najibullah Zadran: 4 runs

Shadab Khan to Najibullah Zadran: No run

Shadab Khan to Najibullah Zadran: No run

Shadab Khan to Najibullah Zadran: 4 runs

Shadab Khan to Najibullah Zadran: No run

Shadab Khan to Karim Janat: 1 run

Afghanistan after eight overs: 55/4

Imad Wasim to Karim Janat: 1 run

Imad Wasim to Karim Janat: 1 run

Imad Wasim to Karim Janat: No run

Imad Wasim to Najibullah Zadran: 1 run

Imad Wasim to Najibullah Zadran: No run

Imad Wasim to Najibullah Zadran: No run

Afghanistan after seven overs: 51/4

Shadab Khan to Karim Janat: No run

Shadab Khan to Karim Janat: No run

Shadab Khan to Karim Janat: No run

Shadab Khan to Karim Janat: No run

Shadab Khan to Karim Janat: 4 runs!

Shadab Khan to Karim Janat: No run

Afghanistan after six overs: 49/4

Hasan Ali to Najibullah Zadran: 4 runs

Hasan Ali to Najibullah Zadran: No run

Hasan Ali to Karim Janat: 1 run

Hasan Ali to Karim Janat: No run

Hasan Ali to Karim Janat: No ball

Hasan Ali to Karim Janat: 4 runs

Hasan Ali to Rahmanullah Gurbaz (10 runs): Caught out!  Skipper Babar Azam takes another important catch

Afghanistan after five overs: 39/3

Haris Rauf to Karim Janat: 6 runs!

Haris Rauf to Karim Janat: No run

Haris Rauf to  Karim Janat: No run

Haris Rauf to Asghar Afghan (10 runs): Caught out! Haris Rauf takes a catch to dismiss the third batter

Haris Rauf to Rahmanullah Gurbaz: 1 run

Haris Rauf to Rahmanullah Gurbaz: 2 runs

Afghanistan after four overs: 30/2

Imad Wasim to Asghar Afghan: 4 runs

Imad Wasim to Asghar Afghan: 6 runs!

Imad Wasim to Asghar Afghan: No run

Imad Wasim to Asghar Afghan: No run

Imad Wasim to Rahmanullah Gurbaz: 1 run

Imad Wasim to Rahmanullah Gurbaz: 6 runs!

Afghanistan after three overs: 13/2

Shaheen Shah Afridi to Asghar Afghan: No run

Shaheen Shah Afridi to Asghar Afghan: No run

Shaheen Shah Afridi to Mohammad Shahzad (8 runs): Caught out! Skipper Babar Azam takes a fine catch

Shaheen Shah Afridi to Mohammad Shahzad: No run

Shaheen Shah Afridi to Mohammad Shahzad: 4 runs

Shaheen Shah Afridi to Mohammad Shahzad: Wide

Shaheen Shah Afridi to Mohammad Shahzad: No run

Afghanistan after two overs: 8/1

Imad Wasim to Rahmanullah Gurbaz: No run

Imad Wasim to Rahmanullah Gurbaz: No run

Imad Wasim to Mohammad Shahzad: 1 run

Imad Wasim to Hazratullah Zazai (0 runs):  Caught out! Haris Rauf takes an excellent catch

Imad Wasim to Hazratullah Zazai: No run

Imad Wasim to Mohammad Shahzad: 1 run

Imad Wasim to Mohammad Shahzad: Wide

Afghanistan after one over: 5/0 

Shaheen Shah Afridi to Hazratullah Zazai: No run 

Shaheen Shah Afridi to Mohammad Shahzad: 1 run

Shaheen Shah Afridi to Hazratullah Zazai: 1lb

Shaheen Shah Afridi to Mohammad Shahzad: 1 run

Shaheen Shah Afridi to Mohammad Shahzad: No run

Shaheen Shah Afridi to Hazratullah Zazai: 1lb

Shaheen Shah Afridi to Hazratullah Zazai: Wide

Afghanistan have won the toss and will bat first