Sport
Weather washes out Afghanistan v Oman T20 World Cup warm up match
The weather denied a thrilling contest between Oman and Afghanistan in their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 warm-up match on Wednesday at Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad.
The match had been delayed due to rain before Oman lit up the stadium as they posted 154 for three from their 20 overs, with captain Aqib Ilyas top scoring.
That was where the game ended, however, with the rain stopping Afghanistan from beginning their reply as the match was abandoned.
Aqib Ilyas’ 66 not out was the highlight of a soggy meeting between Oman and Afghanistan which was abandoned after only Oman had batted.
Oman got off to a fast start having been put into bat, crashing 35 runs of the first four overs before Pratik Athavale departed for 15 attempting one pull shot too many as he was dismissed by Azmatullah Omarzai.
That brought Aqib Ilyas to the crease and there he stayed until the end of Oman’s innings.
He first put on a 62-run partnership with Kashyap Prajapati who built his runs steadily as Aqib led the scoring.
A mix-up saw both batters at the same end with Kashyap easily run out by Rashid Khan for 35.
Zeeshan Maqsood was keen to add to his 45 made against Papua New Guinea on Monday, hitting a four off his third ball.
But Aqib’s impactful scoring ensured he ended as his side’s top scorer this time out, bringing up his 50 off 40 balls as Zeeshan was dismissed lbw by Naveen-ul-Haq with the final ball of the innings for 35.
Aqib’s 66 came off 48 ball withs seven fours and three sixes before the covers came on and the rain called an early end to proceedings in the only warm-up match of the day.
Scores in brief
Afghanistan v Oman – Queen’s Park Oval, Port of Spain, Trinidad
Oman 154/3 in 20.0 overs (Aqib Ilyas 66 not out, Zeeshan Maqsood 35; Azmatullah Omarzai 1/23, Naveen-Ul-Haq 1/26)
Result: Match abandoned
Afghanistan’s second warm up match will be on Friday against Scotland at the same venue.
Broadcasting news!
Ariana Television Network (ATN) announced last week that it has secured the rights to broadcast this year’s T20 World Cup in Afghanistan.
News, updates and information on the event will be published regularly on Ariana News website and digital platforms so be sure to stay tuned.
Afghanistan’s cricket stars Rashid Khan and Azmatullah Omarzai have maintained their positions at the top of the latest ICC Men’s ODI rankings.
Rashid Khan remains the No. 1 ODI bowler in the world with 714 rating points.
Pakistan’s Abrar Ahmed is second with 675 points, while South Africa’s Keshav Maharaj has moved up to third with 667 points.
New Zealand’s Mitchell Santner is fourth with 644 points, followed by India’s Kuldeep Yadav on 623.
Meanwhile, Azmatullah Omarzai continues to hold the top position in the ICC ODI all-rounder rankings with 337 points, giving Afghanistan two players at No. 1 in different ODI categories. Sikandar Raza of Zimbabwe and Mehidy Hasan Miraz of Bangladesh follow him in the list.
Abu Muslim Farah beat Omar Zawak Herat 4-0 in the 30th match of the sixth season of the Roshan Afghanistan Champions League, delivering an impressive performance.
The match was played today (Wednesday) at the Afghanistan Football Federation Stadium.
Samiullah Naderi scored Abu Muslim Farah’s opening goal in the final minutes of the first half.
Abu Muslim Farah continued their attacking play in the second half, with Aman Sardari scoring the team’s second goal in the 69th minute with a spectacular header.
Omid Rajabi and Mirois Ghafouri then added two more goals to complete a 4-0 victory for Abu Muslim Farah.
Amanullah Sardari, captain of Abu Muslim Farah, was named Player of the Match against Omar Zawak Herat.
Abu Muslim Farah will face Ariana Khost in their next match on October 2, while Omar Zawak Herat will take on Istiqlal Kabul on the same day.
The sixth season of the Roshan Afghanistan Champions League is being broadcast live on Ariana Television.
The Afghanistan Cricket Board’s High Performance Center is set to launch a nationwide fast-bowling talent identification program, titled “Afghan Thunder,” across several provinces throughout October.
According to the ACB, the program will begin in Kunduz on October 4, with assessments continuing in Herat, Kandahar, Kabul, Khost, Paktia and Kunar before concluding in Nangarhar on October 27.
The board says eligible participants must be between 19 and 26 years old, at least 180 centimeters tall, hold a valid electronic National ID (e-Tazkira) and be capable of bowling at speeds of at least 140 kilometers per hour.
The assessment schedule is as follows: Kunduz on October 4–5, Herat on October 9–10, Kandahar on October 12, Kabul on October 14–15, Khost on October 19, Paktia on October 21, Kunar on October 25 and Nangarhar on October 27.
The ACB has encouraged eligible players who believe they have the potential to develop into high-level fast bowlers to take part in the Afghan Thunder Fast-Bowling Talent Hunt Program on the designated dates.
The board says the initiative aims to identify promising fast-bowling talent from across Afghanistan and provide talented players with a pathway into the country’s high-performance cricket system.
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