Pakistan’s Under-19s completed a perfect group stage at the ACC Men’s Under-19 Asia Cup on Tuesday, beating Nepal by 101 runs in Al Amerat, Oman, to set up a semi-final against Bangladesh on Thursday, 12 November. The meeting brings together the teams that have won the last three editions of the tournament between them: Bangladesh in 2023 and 2024, Pakistan in 2025.
Ahmed Hussain leads the way again
Ahmed Hussain was the player of the match, scoring 89 from 73 balls and then taking four wickets for 35 runs. Pakistan had slipped to 64 for three after being asked to bat first, before Ahmed and captain Farhan Yousaf rebuilt the innings with a 135-run stand for the fourth wicket. Yousaf made 74 from 95 balls, and Pakistan reached 275 for seven from their 50 overs. Nepal made a steady start, reaching 43 without loss after the first powerplay, but lost their last seven wickets for 70 runs and were bowled out for 174 in 43.4 overs. Rohit Chand top-scored for Nepal with 37.
The same hands that won the title
Ahmed’s performance carried a direct link to last December’s final in Dubai, where Pakistan beat India by 191 runs to win the title. In that final, Sameer Minhas scored 172 from 113 balls and Ahmed made 56 as Pakistan posted 347 for eight, before India were bowled out for 156. Ahmed is one of the players from that winning side still driving this campaign. Usman Khan is another: he scored 35 in last year’s final and opened this campaign with an unbeaten 139 against the UAE.
Three wins, three different tests
Pakistan’s group stage was won in three different ways. They opened with a nine-wicket win over the UAE, chasing 225 in 37.3 overs. Then came the tightest game of the group, a three-wicket win over India on Sunday: Pakistan recovered from 61 for five to chase 209, with Hamza Zahoor unbeaten on 100 from 108 balls, winning with 11 balls to spare. The Nepal game was the most comfortable, a 101-run win built on a big total. Pakistan finished top of Group A with six points from three wins and a net run rate of 1.186, ahead of India on four points.
Bangladesh arrive in form
Bangladesh reached the semi-final the hard way. They lost their opening game to Afghanistan by 113 runs, then beat Sri Lanka by 45 runs and Malaysia by 205 runs, piling up 303 for eight against Malaysia with an unbeaten century from Ahsan Al Mumin and seven wickets from Tafiul Alam Tamim. They won the title in 2023 and again in 2024, beating India by 59 runs in the 2024 final, so Thursday’s game is a meeting of the last two champions. Afghanistan topped Group B without losing a game and meet India in the other semi-final on the same day. The final is on Saturday, 14 November.
What Thursday decides
The winners meet in Saturday’s final, and Pakistan need two more wins to keep the trophy they won in Dubai. The semi-final is a proper test: Bangladesh have already shown they can recover from a heavy defeat, and their batting posted 303 in their last group game. Pakistan’s answer has been balance: a century from Usman Khan, a hundred under pressure from Hamza Zahoor, and now an all-round match from Ahmed Hussain.
Pakistan’s senior team are playing at home at the same time. They declared on 434 in the first Test against Sri Lanka in Rawalpindi, where four debutants played in the side, and the second Test moves from Lahore to Rawalpindi because of smog. More sports news from Pakistan.
