Sport
Afghanistan fall short by 4 runs in World Cup thriller against Australia
Rashid Khan’s blistering 48 helped Afghanistan in getting close to the target in their final match of T20 World Cup against hosts Australia but they still fell short by four runs.
Sent to bat first by Afghans who won the toss, Australia didn’t get off to the kind of start they would have liked as they lost both of their openers Cameron Green and David Warner with just 48 runs on the board. Green opened the innings in absence of regular captain Aaron Finch, who was ruled out with a hamstring injury. Steve Smith, who replaced Tim David in this match, also departed soon, leaving Australia reeling at 52/3.
Mitchell Marsh took over the reigns after that with an excellent knock of 45 from 30 deliveries. Marcus Stoinis also added valuable 25 runs from 21 deliveries. But the real difference was made by Glenn Maxwell, who smashed an unbeaten 54 from 32 deliveries. Australia kept losing wickets at regular intervals but Maxwell stuck around and lifted them to a competitive total of 168/8.
Naveen-ul-Haq’s three wickets were pivotal in putting a lid on an Australian side needing as big a total as possible to help their troubled title ambitions. Fazalhaq Farooqi took two wickets, while Rashid Khan adnd Mujeeb-ur-Rahman each picked up one.
Afghanistan’s wicketkeeper-batter Rahmanullah Gurbaz showed his talent and potential once again as he took on the Australian pacers to play a breathtaking cameo of 30 from 17 deliveries at the top of the order. Gurbaz smashed two fours and as many sixes during his knock, and he was finally dismissed while attempting a big shot off Kane Richardson.
Gulbadin Naib shared a 59-run stand with Ibrahim Zadran for the third wicket but with a flurry of four wickets in nine balls – two to Adam in his last over – Australia wrested back control of the match
Rashid Khan also showed his batting talent once again as he smashed 48 from just 23 deliveries to take Afghanistan close to the target. His knock consisted of three fours and four huge sixes, and gave the Afghan fans something to cheer for.
Australia needed to win by a big margin in order to stay in a safe position in the semi-final race. This win has given them valuable two points but it hasn’t improved their NRR much.
If England win their next match against Sri Lanka, Australia will get eliminated from this World cup.
Sport
Afghanistan dominate Ireland to win T20I series
Afghanistan proved too strong with bat and ball against Ireland as they claimed a 57-run victory in Sharjah on Monday to edge the T20I series 2-1.
A superb 72 not out from Ibrahim Zadran, backed up by the bowling of Azmatullah Omarzai, gave the hosts victory in the final match of Ireland’s tour against Afghanistan.
“It is a great series win for us,” said Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan, going on to praise the performance of his young side.
The Irish were unable to chase down a target of 156, with Omarzai’s four wickets for just nine runs helping bowl the tourists out for 98 inside 18 overs.
Ireland won the first T20I of the mini-series last week but consecutive wins on Sunday and Monday ensured Afghanistan recovered to take the three-game series, after earlier winning the ODI series 2-0.
For the third consecutive time, Khan won the toss against Ireland and as he did in Monday’s 10-run win, he elected to bat first.
Batting at three, 22-year-old Zadran anchored Afghanistan’s innings with his career-best T20I score of 72, which boosted the hosts to a total Ireland could not match.
Opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz rounded off a T20I series he will hope to forget on a personal level, after scores of zero and three in the first two matches, when Harry Tector took a superb diving catch to dismiss him for six at the start of the third over.
Afghanistan were then ticking along nicely with Zadran and Sediqullah Atal at the crease, until Atal chipped a turning ball straight back to Gareth Delany.
In the very next over, Omarzai, on back-to-back golden ducks, was dropped by Delany on one but departed just two deliveries later, after lobbing Curtis Campher to Josh Little.
Mohammad Ishaq’s arrival steadied the ship for Afghanistan as he mounted a crucial fourth-wicket stand of 54 with Zadran, until the No 5 mistimed a lob on 27 and Paul Stirling snaffled up the ball.
With just over five overs left, Zadran kept the scoreboard moving along for Afghanistan.
Ijaz Ahmadzai ably deputized him at the end with 10 runs from three balls, including a monster six in the last over, before he was run out trying to get his partner back on strike for the final delivery.
Ireland’s run chase never really got underway, especially after Naveen-ul-Haq bowled both Andy Balbirnie and Lorcan Tucker with consecutive deliveries in the second over.
Some resistance came from Campher and Delany’s 36-run sixth-wicket stand but the visitors were never really allowed to form any partnership of great merit by Afghanistan’s pace attack.
Omarzai, 23, claimed the key wickets of Tector and George Dockrell, before removing Mark Adair and Barry McCarthy as Afghanistan took apart the Irish batting line-up.
Naveen-ul-Haq then bowled Ben White with a slower ball, bringing a close to affairs and securing Afghanistan a tight series win ahead of this summer’s T20 World Cup.
Despite defeat, Ireland will still view the tour as an historic success after they won their very first test match on March 1. – AFP
Sport
Ireland beat Afghanistan by 38 runs in first T20I
Ireland defeated Afghanistan by 38 runs to take 1-0 lead in their three-match T20I series in Sharjah on Friday.
Sent to bat first by Afghans who won the toss, Ireland posted 149-6, with Harry Tector scoring 56 off 34 (not out). Captain Paul Stirling hit 25 while Andy Balbirnie made 22.
Rashid Khan, who returned to competitive cricket after months of absence due to back injury, picked up three wickets, giving away 19 runs in the four overs he bowled.
Nangeyalia Kharote picked up two wickets, giving away only 16 runs in his four overs.
Chasing 150, Afghanistan lost Rahmanullah Gurbaz in the very first bowl of their innings. They lost Sediqullah Atal and Azmatullah Omarzai in the second over.
Wickets continued to fall and Afghanistan were all out in the 18.4 overs, having made 111 runs. Mohammad Ishaq (32) was their top-scorer, followed by Mohammad Nabi who made 25.
The second T20I between the sides will be played on Sunday at the same venue.
Sport
Rashid back in team for T20I series against Ireland
The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has announced the names of 15 national cricket team players for the T20 international series against Ireland.
Included in the team is Rashid Khan. This comes after a break of a few months following back surgery.
Rashid will also captain the team.
Afghanistan and Ireland cricket teams will face each other at Sharjah Stadium on March 15, 17 and 18 after playing the ODI series and one off test match.
List of Afghanistan players:
Rashid Khan (Captain), Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmanullah Garbaz, Sediq Atal, Ijaz Ahmadzai, Ishaq Rahimi, Mohammad Nabi, Nangyal Kharotai, Azmatullah Omarzai, Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb-ur-Rahman, Wafadar Momand, Farid Malik, Naveen-ul-Haq and Fazal Haq Farooqi.
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