Sport
Afghanistan down PNG to reach Super Eight, end NZ hopes
Rashid and his left-arm wrist spinning partner Noor Ahmad took over after the power play, consistently bamboozling the batsmen as they swung hopefully but ineffectually at the ball.
Afghanistan beat Papua New Guinea by seven wickets in Trinidad on Thursday to reach the Super Eight stage of the Twenty20 World Cup with a game to spare and end New Zealand’s slim hopes of progressing.
The Afghans had already effectively eliminated New Zealand after defeating them by 84 runs in Georgetown, and on Thursday they confirmed that they pose a threat to any opponent with another accomplished all-round display.
Spearheaded by standout left-arm seamer Fazalhaq Farooqi, the Afghan bowlers kept opponents under 100 runs for the third time in their three matches in the tournament, dismissing the Papuans, who had four batsmen run out, for 95.
Penetrating bowling from Alei Nao and Semo Kamea on a lively surface ensured the run chase was not straightforward but Gulbadin Naib’s 49 from 36 deliveries steered the Afghans safely to their target at 101-3 inside 16 overs.
“I want to congratulate all the people of Afghanistan because we have now officially qualified for the Super Eight and I feel proud,” said Farooqi, who was named Player of the Match for his 3-16.
“We just keep it simple and give 100%.”
After Rashid Khan had won the toss and opted to field first, his opposite number Assad Vala was the first man dismissed, run out for three after committing the elementary error of making his ground but leaving his bat in the air.
Farooqi, the tournament’s leading wicket taker, increased his tally by two from consecutive balls and Naveen-ul-Haq struck immediately from the other end to reduce Papua New Guinea to 17 for four.
Rashid and his left-arm wrist spinning partner Noor Ahmad took over after the power play, consistently bamboozling the batsmen as they swung hopefully but ineffectually at the ball.
The result was a second run out with both batsmen stranded at the same end and it was Chad Soper (9) who was forced to leave.
A third run out followed when Norman Vanua departed for a duck when his bat got stuck in the pitch as he tried to slide it past the crease.
Kiplin Doriga offered some resistance, hitting two fours to reach 27, but almost inevitably the innings ended with a final runout when Semo Kamea (2) was stranded with a ball remaining.
Papua New Guinea struck swiftly, dismissing openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz (11) and Ibrahim Zadran (0), who had shared century partnerships against Uganda and New Zealand.
But Naib and Mohammad Nabi calmed their team’s nerves by rotating the strike with a series of quick singles, taking Afghanistan past the 50 mark when they began to play more expansively, Naib ending the match in style with a six.
The Afghans progressed along with co-hosts West Indies, who they meet in their final round-robin match in St Lucia on Monday to decide who tops Group C.
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Sport
Afghanistan, Uzbekistan set for friendly cricket clash in Khost
The match will be played during a cricket league, and is part of the Cricket Development Support Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the ACB and the Cricket Federation of Uzbekistan in December last year.
The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has announced that it will host Uzbekistan’s national cricket team for a one-off T20 international on July 10 at the Rahmat Wali Masroori Cricket Ground in Khost province.
According to the ACB, the match will be played during a cricket league, and is part of the Cricket Development Support Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the ACB and the Cricket Federation of Uzbekistan in December last year.
The friendly match is scheduled to begin at 9:00 AM, with an Afghan XI taking on the visiting Uzbek side. The game will be broadcast live across Afghanistan and internationally through various linear and digital platforms.
Quoted by the ACB, Chief Executive Officer Naseeb Khan said the board remains committed to supporting emerging cricket nations such as Uzbekistan and is ready to extend similar assistance to other countries seeking to develop the sport.
He noted that the ACB has already organized capacity-building programs and training workshops for members of the Cricket Federation of Uzbekistan, while several Uzbek fast bowlers also participated in the ACB’s specialized Fast Bowling Camp last year.
Khan added that Uzbekistan has consistently maintained a friendly policy toward Afghanistan and that the two countries have strengthened cooperation in healthcare, politics, and trade in recent years. He said closer collaboration in cricket development would further deepen relations between the two neighboring nations.
Sport
Serbian Dejan Dedovic appointed head coach of Afghanistan national futsal team
Dedovic will lead Afghanistan’s preparations for upcoming regional and international competitions, overseeing the team’s technical development and training programs.
The Afghanistan Football Federation (AFF) has appointed Serbian coach Dejan Dedovic as the new head coach of the national futsal team on a two-year contract.
The agreement was signed during a ceremony attended by AFF officials, futsal committee members, technical staff, and sports journalists.
Dedovic will lead Afghanistan’s preparations for upcoming regional and international competitions, overseeing the team’s technical development and training programs.
The federation also announced several additions to the national team’s coaching staff. Iran’s Javad Asghari Moqaddam has been appointed technical director, while Morteza Mansour Samaei will serve as goalkeeping coach. Spain’s Uriel Masana has joined as assistant coach, Iran’s Sadeq Amani as fitness coach, and Brazil’s Joao Lira as team analyst.
In addition, the AFF renewed the contract of Mohammad Nasir Sedaqat as manager of the national futsal team.
The federation said it expects the newly assembled coaching staff to contribute to the continued development of Afghan futsal and strengthen the team’s competitiveness at the regional and international levels.
Sport
India clinch ODI series against Afghanistan
The India national cricket team defeated Afghanistan in the third and final One Day International (ODI), sealing the series with a 9-wicket victory and lifting the series trophy.
Afghanistan won the toss in the final match and opted to bat first.
Batting first, Afghanistan were bowled out for 218 in 44.2 overs, setting India a target of 219 runs.
Hashmatullah Shahidi played a superb innings, scoring 102 runs off 131 deliveries, anchoring the Afghan batting effort.
In reply, India made light work of the chase, reaching 219 for the loss of just one wicket in 28.4 overs, completing a dominant run chase.
India had already taken an unassailable lead in the series by winning the first ODI by 7 wickets and the second by 170 runs, before sealing a comprehensive 3–0 series sweep in the final match.
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