Sport
Afghanistan beats Zimbabwe by 48 runs in first T20I series match
An entertaining 87 from Rahmanullah Gurbaz and another half-century from skipper Asghar Afghan ensured Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe comfortably by 48 runs in the first T20I of Abu Dhabi Sunshine T20I Series at Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium.
Earlier in the day, Zimbabwean skipper Sean Williams won the toss and opted to bat first, ACB reported.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz set the tone for Afghanistan with a blistering knock of 87 off just 45 deliveries as he successfully took on the Zimbabwean bowlers hitting some great strokes in the process while skipper Asghar Afghan complimented him with a quick-fire 55 off just 38 deliveries.
The home side set a challenging target of 199 for the visitors eventually.
In response, an all-round bowling performance from Afghanistan meant Zimbabwe could only manage 150/7 thereby losing the contest by 48 runs as Afghanistan took a lead of 1-0 in the series.
According to ACB, Tinashe Kamunhukamwe was the top-scorer for his team with a knock of 44 while Sean Williams and Sikandar Raza contributed with 22 each- albeit not enough to hand them a victory.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz was named Player of the Match for his blistering third half-century in the format.
The second match of the Abu Dhabi Sunshine T20 Series will be played on Friday, 19th March 2021 at the same venue.
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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