Leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed mystified United Arab Emirates batters with a career-best return of 4-9 as Pakistan sealed its place in the final of the T20 tri-series with a 31-run victory. 

Fakhar Zaman tuned up for next week’s Asia Cup with an unbeaten 77 off 44 balls — the left-hander’s first T20 half-century after 15 games — and propelled Pakistan to 171-5 against some sloppy UAE fielding after captain Salman Ali Agha won the toss and elected to field Thursday.

Ahmed, playing his first game of the series, then baffled UAE top-order batters with his carrom balls and googlies before restricting them to 140-7 and the trend of teams successfully defending the totals continued for fifth successive game.