Sport
Afghanistan to ‘sort out’ batting, fielding lineup ahead of first World Cup match
Afghanistan is set to face West Indies in its 2nd warmup match prior to the start of their first match in the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 on October 25.
The warm up match is set to be played in ICCA Oval 1, Dubai on Wednesday evening.
Afghanistan lost its first warmup match to South Africa as they were reduced to only 104/8 in their 20 overs and lost the match by 41 runs. Although Afghanistan’s bowling attack started well, with Nabi and Mujeeb turning things around, the South African batsmen targeted Afghanistan’s bowlers which caused to them to lose at least 30 runs.
The batters were also restricted and felt the heat as the South Africans ended up controlling the match.
The Afghan team has high hopes of defeating the Windies on Wednesday in what they hope will be a confidence booster before embarking on their official journey at the World Cup.
Afghanistan will look to strengthen their batting by sorting out the batting order. Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Mohammad Shahzad and Hazratullah Zazai are the men who have had some impressive performances over the last two years for the national team and in franchise cricket.
If Afghanistan are to prove on their batting, they will need two of these batters to do well and at least one other batter to support them.
A middle order which includes captain Mohammad Nabi, Najeebullah Zadran and Asghar Afghan will also try to post a big score.
In the bowling department, Mohammad Nabi will look to bowl Rashid Khan Wednesday to observe where and how to utilize him at the main event; while Rashid will need to assess the conditions and prepare himself for the next event.
Hamid Hassan however did not complete his full quota and injured his finger, but will be looking to bowl some overs and mark his presence before their first official match.
Mohammad Nabi will also be looking to test the medium pace of Karim Jannat in the middle overs as an additional seam bowling option in the line-up, while Fareed or Gulbadin Naib will also be kept in check to test their medium fast bowling abilities before going to the first match against B1 on Oct 25.
Said Rahman Ahmadzai, fielding coach of the National U19 team said Wednesday that the warm up match was important and must be considered as the final opportunity to select the best XI for the first match.
“The batters focused on big hitting in the first inning (against South African) which was not right” said Ahmadzai.
He added: “The mistakes that we made in the first match must not be repeated, good batting, bowling and fielding must be done which is very important for the team’s performance”.
Ahmadzai also pointed out that the spin bowling attack approach could prove beneficial in these conditions.
“UAE pitches are spin bowling friendly; the ball is not coming good on the bat and sometimes the wickets make it difficult for the batsmen to read the ball well”.
He also added that around 150 runs are a defendable score in these conditions but while bowling first, the team must restrict the opposition to around 130 runs to be able to chase the target down.
Afghanistan defeated West Indies 2-1 in a 3-match T20I series in Lucknow two years ago and will be mentally ready going into this match.
Sport
Aino Mina edge Omar Zawak 5-4 in Afghanistan Champions League
Aino Mina secured a dramatic 5-4 victory over third-placed Omar Zawak in Match 57 of the sixth season of the Afghanistan Champions League Roshan in Kabul on Sunday.
Aino Mina, who were seventh in the points table before the match, scored five goals through Nabi Muqadas and Hedayatullah, who each netted twice, and Omid Sahel.
Omar Zawak responded with goals from Khatam Shirdel, Shadab Malekzada, Bilal Ahmad and Azamuddin Hajizada, but could not prevent defeat.
The match also saw Aino Mina receive one yellow card and one red card, while Omar Zawak were shown two yellow cards. Aino Mina recorded eight fouls, two offsides and four corners, compared with Omar Zawak’s 10 fouls, nine offsides and three corners.
The victory gave Aino Mina a valuable three points as they continued their campaign in the 10-team competition.
The sixth season of the Afghanistan Champions League Roshan is being broadcast live on Ariana Television, bringing the action to football fans across the country.
Sport
ACL: Istiqlal Kabul and Sarsabz Yashlar play out 1-1 draw
Istiqlal Kabul and Sarsabz Yashlar shared the points after playing out a 1-1 draw in the 56th match of the sixth season of the Afghanistan Champions League Roshan in Kabul on Sunday.
Sarsabz Yashlar opened the scoring in the 21st minute, with Firooz Rahmani finding the net to give his side an early advantage. However, Istiqlal Kabul responded after the break, as Haroon Noori scored in the 54th minute to bring his team level.
Despite both sides having opportunities to secure a winning goal, neither could find the breakthrough, and the match ended with the score tied at 1-1.
Sarsabz Yashlar had more corners, while Istiqlal Kabul recorded more fouls and offsides. Both teams received two yellow cards each, and neither received a red card.
The result leaves Istiqlal Kabul at the bottom of the 10-team tournament standings, while Sarsabz Yashlar remain in eighth place.
With the competition continuing, both teams will be looking to improve their results in their remaining matches as they seek to climb the league table.
The sixth season of the Afghanistan Champions League Roshan is broadcast live on Ariana Television.
Sport
Afghanistan rise above England to match their highest-ever ODI ranking
Afghanistan previously reached seventh place in May 2025, and their latest rise marks another milestone in the team’s progress in international cricket.
Afghanistan have climbed to seventh place in the latest International Cricket Council (ICC) men’s ODI team rankings, overtaking England and matching their highest-ever position in the format.
According to the rankings released on Saturday, October 24, Afghanistan have 94 rating points, moving one place up to seventh. England, the 2019 Cricket World Cup champions, have dropped to eighth with 93 points, while Sri Lanka occupy sixth place with 95 points
Afghanistan previously reached seventh place in May 2025, and their latest rise marks another milestone in the team’s progress in international cricket.
Tri-Series Triumph Boosts Afghanistan
Afghanistan’s improved ranking follows their impressive performance in the recently concluded tri-series featuring Zimbabwe and Bangladesh. Afghanistan defeated Zimbabwe by seven wickets in the final on Friday, October 23, to secure the title.
After winning the toss, Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza elected to bat first. However, Afghanistan’s bowling attack restricted Zimbabwe to 169 runs.
Raza was Zimbabwe’s leading scorer, making 68 off 83 deliveries, including three fours and three sixes. Rashid Khan led Afghanistan’s bowling effort with three wickets, helping dismantle Zimbabwe’s batting lineup.
Zadran and Rahmat Lead Successful Chase
Afghanistan comfortably chased down the target, reaching 170 for three in 34.3 overs.
Ibrahim Zadran anchored the innings with an unbeaten 70 off 96 balls, while captain Rahmat Shah contributed 43 off 63 deliveries to guide Afghanistan to victory.
Rashid Khan’s bowling performance and Zadran’s composed batting proved crucial in securing the championship and strengthening Afghanistan’s position in the global rankings.
England Slip After Sri Lanka Defeat
Meanwhile, England have fallen to eighth place following a disappointing ODI defeat against Sri Lanka.
England failed to defend a formidable target of 430 runs, as Sri Lanka completed the second-highest successful run chase in men’s ODI cricket history.
Afghanistan’s rise above England highlights the team’s continued progress on the international stage and provides further momentum as they build toward future major tournaments, including the 2027 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup.
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