Pakistan’s T20 series loss to Bangladesh has certainly put Faheem Ashraf’s performance under scrutiny, especially in the context of the second T20I.

Here’s what Faheem Ashraf “did” in the context of Pakistan’s series loss:

Second T20I (Series Decider for Bangladesh):

• Batting Heroics (in vain): This is where Faheem Ashraf truly stood out, though ultimately on the losing side. Pakistan’s top order crumbled, leaving them in a dire situation at 15 for 5 within the first five overs, and later 47 for 7. Faheem Ashraf then launched a remarkable counterattack, smashing an aggressive 51 runs off just 32 balls, including four fours and four sixes. He formed crucial partnerships with Abbas Afridi (41 runs for the 8th wicket) and Ahmed Daniyal (33 runs for the 9th wicket), almost taking Pakistan to an improbable victory. He was dismissed in the penultimate over, leaving Pakistan needing 13 runs off the last over, which they couldn’t achieve. His innings was widely praised as a heroic effort given the circumstances.
• Bowling: In the second T20I, Faheem Ashraf bowled 3 overs, conceding 20 runs and taking 1 wicket. He dismissed Bangladesh opener Mohammad Naim.

First T20I:

• Batting: In the first match, Pakistan was bundled out for a mere 110 runs. Faheem Ashraf’s batting was not a significant factor in this game, as the entire team struggled.
• Bowling: In the first T20I, Faheem Ashraf bowled 3 overs for 29 runs with no wickets.

Overall Impact on the Series:

While Faheem Ashraf played a brilliant, fighting innings in the second T20I that almost pulled off an impossible win, the larger narrative is that Pakistan’s top-order batting failed consistently across both matches. In the first T20I, Pakistan was bowled out for 110, which Bangladesh chased down easily. In the second, despite Faheem’s efforts, the early collapse was too significant to overcome.

Therefore, the question “Faheem Ashraf, what did he do?” likely comes from a place of frustration over the overall team performance, even though Faheem Ashraf himself provided a glimmer of hope with his batting in the second match. His individual performance in the second game was outstanding, but it wasn’t enough to compensate for the widespread batting failures that led to Bangladesh securing their first-ever T20I series win against Pakistan.

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