Pakistan beat Afghanistan by 39 runs in the T20I Tri-Series opener in Sharjah on Friday.

Captain Salman Agha hit a 36-ball 53* with three sixes and as many fours which lifted Pakistan to 182-7 in their 20 overs.

Pacer bowlers Haris Rauf took 4-31 and Shaheen Afridi 2-21, while spinners Mohammad Nawaz (2-23) and Sufiyan Muqeem (2-25) dismissed Afghanistan for 143 in 19.5 overs before a noisy capacity 16,000 crowd at the Sharjah stadium.

Afghanistan matched Pakistan with opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz, 27-ball 38 with a six and three fours, adding 51 for the second wicket with Sediqullah Atal, who made 23.

It was Rauf who changed the game with a two-wicket 12th over sending Atal and Karim Janat back without conceding a run.

Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan smashed five sixes and a four in his whirlwind 16-ball 39 but fell to Rauf to end his team’s fight.

Earlier, Pakistan was lifted by Agha’s fourth T20I half century.

Agha anchored the innings admirably well after opener Sahibzada Farhan smashed two sixes and a four in his 10-ball 21 after Pakistan won the toss and batted.

Agha added 53 for the fifth wicket with Nawaz whose 11-ball 21 had two sixes and a four as the duo helped Pakistan get 51 runs in the last five overs.

Pakistan play hosts UAE on Saturday.

All three teams face other each other twice with the top two playing the 7 September final.

© Agence France-Presse