Rashid, Nabi help Afghanistan sweep series

Afghanistan 189 for 5 (Shahzad 44, Tarakai 40, Shenwari 39, Mustafa 2-29) beat UAE 145 for 8 (Mustafa 58, Anwar 56, Rashid 3-14, Nabi 3-30) by 44 runs
Scorecard

Mohammad Nabi and Rashid Khan picked up six wickets between them to snuff out United Arab Emirates' challenge in a 190-run chase; Afghanistan won by 44 runs to complete a 3-0 whitewash in Dubai on Sunday.

Rohan Mustafa and Shaiman Anwar's second-wicket stand of 86 off 51 balls helped UAE nudge ahead of the asking rate and set themselves up for a win. But the wickets of Anwar and Muhammad Usman in the space of four deliveries upped the asking rate and eventually led to a clutch of wickets.

Nabi, the offspinner, was among the wickets for the first time in the series. He finished with 3 for 30, while Rashid, the legspinner, who scythed through the lower order, finished with 3 for 14 to take his wickets tally in the series to six. UAE didn't have anyone to build on the twin fifties, with the third-highest score being Rameez Shahzad's 15.

Afghanistan's top order gave a good account of themselves before the spinners did their bit. Mohammad Shahzad (44) and Najeeb Tarakai (40) justified Asghar Stanikzai's decision to bat first by putting on 67 in just 7.5 overs. Then they lost three wickets in the space of 18 deliveries, Mustafa taking two of those in an over. But Usman Ghani (27) and Samiullah Shenwari (39) picked up the momentum again. Najibullah Zadran ended with a flourish, making an unbeaten 11-ball 18, as Afghanistan hit 63 off the last six overs.