Pakistan Shaheens, also known as the their A team, received praised from all quarters of the country after their resounding win over India A in the Emerging Asia Cup 2023 final in Colombo on Sunday.
Pakistan crushed India by 128 runs by bowling out the Boys in Blue for 224 after Tayyab Tahir's 108 helped them post a mammoth 352 for 8 in 50 overs.
Pakistan equal record with 2 titles
This was Pakistan's second title triumph in a row, matching Sri Lanka's record tally of 2 Emerging Asia Cup trophies.
From the toss, everything went south for India, which asked Pakistan to bat first — a decision which was a tad puzzling because the chasing team had lost eight matches in the tournament.
However, Pakistan A, which fielded as many as eight players with international experience, was in the mood to give a return gift to India A, which fielded a purely U-23 side with no experience in top-flight cricket.
Bigwigs pay tribute to Pakistan Shaheens
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Shareef and senior team captain Babar Azam were one of the first ones to pay tribute to the Shaheens on this famous win.
"Yet another exciting news from the sports arena. This time it is our young cricketing heroes who downed India to win the crown of Emerging Asia Cup.
"This just goes to show how passionate & resolute our youths are. I am determined more than ever before to prioritize the promotion of sports through maximum facilitation. Well done boys. Keep the flag high," PM Sharif tweeted.
"Delighted to see our rising stars winning the Emerging Asia Cup. Congratulations to the entire Shaheens squad. Well done!" Babar tweeted.
