Tempers flare to reveal ugly side in an otherwise great match

Pakistan's Asif Ali lost his cool and angrily waved his bat at Afghanistan bowler Fareed Ahmad in an unseemly spat after his dismissal in a tense finale during Wednesday's Asia Cup thriller.

Naseem Shah hit two sixes at the start of the final over as Pakistan won by one wicket with four balls to spare in their tricky chase of 130, setting up a final with Sri Lanka.

But tempers flared when fast bowler Fareed struck twice in the 19th over including the key wicket of big-hitting Asif.

The batter, who hit two sixes in a brisk 16 off eight balls, was caught at short fine-leg in an attempt to hook a bouncer and became embroiled in a row with Fareed as he made his way off the field.

An incensed Asif gestured in the direction of Fareed with his bat before players intervened along with the umpire to defuse the tension.

Photo: AFP

Pakistan vice-captain Shadab Khan, who top-scored with 36, played down the incident, saying it happened "in the heat of the moment" and was best left on the field.

Afghanistan skipper Mohammad Nabi was fielding in the deep and said he didn't know what happened in the middle.

Pakistan's win knocked out Afghanistan as well as rivals India in the process. Afghanistan and India meet in a dead rubber in Dubai on Thursday.

Flames spread beyond control off the field

Alongside Asif Ali's obscene gesture, social media is flooded with visuals of Pakistan and Afghanistan fans abusing, taunting and mocking each other inside the Sharjah stadium after the Asia Cup game on Wednesday night. Videos of the riots-like situation have surfaced where fans from both sides can be seen indulging in violence and damaging Sharjah Stadium.

Former Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar took to Twitter to accuse the Afghan fans. 

"This is what Afghan fans are doing. This is what they've done in the past multiple times. This is a game and its supposed to be played and taken in the right spirit." Akhtar wrote while tagging former chief executive of the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) Shafiq Stanikzai in his tweet. 

Stanikzai replied to Akhtar by presenting a different set of pictures.

"Watch these photos and the video carefully then judge, also let the Match referee decide in accordance to the Cricket law before you use humiliating words to the entire nation and it's your second time u r doing so. I hope ke ab ap apology ke hemat karogi [I hope you would have the courage to apologise this time]."