Sport
Afghanistan cricket team wins silver at Asian Games
India were crowned Asian Games men’s cricket champions on their first attempt and without needing to bat Saturday in an anti-climatic finish, consigning Afghanistan to a third consecutive silver.
India were declared winners of the final under an Asian Games-specific rule where the higher-ranked team takes the honors if the match cannot be finished, in this case due to rain, AFP reported.
Afghanistan made 112-5 under the floodlights in Hangzhou before the wet weather arrived after 18.2 overs.
With conditions not improving, the final was abandoned.
Despite the damp ending it completed a golden double for India after they beat Sri Lanka by 19 runs to be crowned women’s champions last week.
Twenty20 cricket has been played at the Asian Games twice before, at Guangzhou 2010 and Incheon 2014, with Bangladesh and then Sri Lanka crowned men’s winners.
Afghanistan were runners-up both times, but India did not take part.
Because they were among the higher-ranked teams, they both entered the tournament at the quarter-final stage in Hangzhou.
While India cruised through their knockout games, against Nepal and Bangladesh, the Afghans had to scrap hard to beat holders Sri Lanka and then Pakistan.
Afghanistan again had to knuckle down after India won the toss and chose to field, with a gritty unbeaten 49 from Shahidullah and captain Gulbadin Naib’s 27 not out ensuring they passed 100.
They faced a fiery introduction with pacemen Shivam Dube and Arshdeep Singh removing openers Zubaid Akbari and Mohammad Shahzad inside the first three overs.
The needless run-out of Noor Ali Zadran, going for a tight second run in the next over, compounded their problems after Ravi Bishnoi’s accurate throw from the ropes.
Back-to-back boundaries from Afsar Zazai finally got the scoreboard moving as he and Shahidullah put on 37 for the next wicket.
Bishnoi’s spin broke the partnership with Zazai bowled for 15, before Shahidullah and Naib shared a 60-run stand, before rain halted play.
In the bronze medal match, Bangladesh stunned Pakistan when Rakibul Hasan smashed a boundary off the final ball to book a six-wicket win.
Pakistan managed only 48-1 off five overs before rain halted play, with Bangladesh set a revised target of 65 under the DLS (Duckworth-Lewis-Stern) method.
They reached it with four wickets down in dramatic fashion, with Hasan’s heroics sparking wild scenes from the Bangladesh team.
Shamshad Eagles defeated Speenghar Warriors by six wickets in the sixth match of the Kabul Premier League at the Ayoubi Cricket Ground in Kabul on Tuesday.
Speenghar Warriors, who won the toss and elected to bat first, posted their total, of 143, before Shamshad Eagles produced a confident chase.
The Eagles reached the target with four balls remaining, securing a six-wicket victory and moving strongly in the Kabul Premier League standings.
Mohammad Shahzad was the standout performer for Shamshad Eagles and was named Player of the Match for his contribution to the Eagles’ successful run chase.
The result gives Shamshad Eagles valuable points as the tournament continues in Kabul.
The Kabul Premier League features six teams, with the tournament providing a platform for Afghanistan’s domestic players to showcase their talent.
Abasin Defenders produced a dominant performance in the Kabul Premier League on Tuesday, beating Band-e Amir Stars by 163 runs in the fifth match of the tournament in Kabul.
Batting first after winning the toss, Defenders posted an imposing 281 for five from their 20 overs.
Mohammad Amin led the charge with an unbeaten 103 from 46 balls, while Mohammad Akram added a rapid 68 from just 25 deliveries. The pair helped Defenders build a formidable total and put Band-e Amir Stars under immediate pressure.
Band-e Amir struggled to cope with the target and were bowled out for just 118 in 13.3 overs.
Azizullah Miakhil was the top scorer for Band-e Amir with 55 from 19 balls, while Mohammad Asif contributed 25 from 14 deliveries.
Qamar Shams was the standout bowler for Defenders, taking three wickets for just seven runs in 1.3 overs. Faridoon Dawoodzai also claimed two wickets for 13 runs.
The 163-run victory was one of the biggest wins of the Kabul Premier League so far and gave Abasin Defenders two points.
Mohammad Amin was named Player of the Match for his outstanding century.
Afghanistan will look to extend their dominance over Ireland when the two sides meet in the fourth ODI of their five-match series at the Civil Service Cricket Club, Stormont, in Belfast today.
Afghanistan lead the series 2-0 and have already secured an automatic place at the 2027 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup after their three-wicket victory over Ireland in the third ODI.
The opening match of the series was abandoned because of rain, but Afghanistan have since won two consecutive matches.
They beat Ireland by 92 runs in the second ODI before chasing down 207 in the third match, with Rashid Khan and Yamin Ahmadzai guiding the visitors home with an unbeaten partnership.
Rashid has been central to Afghanistan’s success. He produced a six-wicket haul in the second ODI and followed it with an all-round performance in the third, taking three wickets and scoring a crucial 37 not out. Rahmanullah Gurbaz also made a valuable 71 in the third match.
Ireland, meanwhile, will be determined to halt Afghanistan’s momentum.
Their batting has struggled against Afghanistan’s bowling attack, particularly the spin threat posed by Rashid and Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar. The hosts will need a stronger start from their top order and more substantial partnerships if they are to challenge the visitors.
With Afghanistan already assured of the series, the fourth ODI gives Ireland an opportunity to restore some pride and keep their hopes of finishing the series strongly alive. Afghanistan, however, will be aiming for another convincing performance and a 3-0 series advantage.
The match begins at 10:45am local time in Belfast, which is 2:15pm Kabul time. It will be played over 50 overs at Stormont.
Afghanistan will enter the contest with confidence after a run of strong results, while Ireland face the challenge of finding a way through an attack that has repeatedly exposed their batting weaknesses.
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