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Afghanistan’s Farooqi leads T20 World Cup pack so far with most wickets
Afghanistan’s next match will be against Papua New Guinea (PNG) on Friday, June 14.
Afghanistan’s Fazalhaq Farooqi is currently the top wicket-taker in the T20 World Cup 2024. With nine scalps from two games, Farooqi is leading the pack.
If Farooqi keeps on the same path, he will join fellow Afghanistan cricketer Mohammad Nabi as top wicket-taker at a T20 World Cup.
Nabi scooped his accolade at the 2016 T20 World Cup.
Twenty-three year old Farooqi, who hails from Baghlan, has risen to relative fame over the past few years, after having played his debut T20I in March 2021 against Zimbabwe in Abu Dhabi.
Farooqi’s monumental achievements in the Uganda and New Zealand matches are however a new take on Afghanistan’s original stance.
For years, the team’s blueprint was Mujeeb Ur Rahman with the new ball, Mohammad Nabi after the powerplay, and Rashid Khan later on. This was especially applicable to T20s.
The three played such a big role that Afghanistan became synonymous with spinners.
Of late, though, it is becoming more and more evident that Afghanistan are no longer just about their spinners.
For the second successive match at T20 World Cup 2024, Afghanistan’s victory was set up by their openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran, and left-arm seamer Farooqi.
In the first match against Uganda, Gurbaz and Ibrahim added 154 in just 14.3 overs to help Afghanistan post 183 for 5. Later, Farooqi dismantled Uganda with a career-best 5 for 9.
If one overlooked their performance by saying it came against an inexperienced side in Uganda, the trio did a repeat against New Zealand on Friday evening.
Apart from being playful, Farooqi is however, someone who is extremely confident in his ability as a bowler.
Talking about Farooqi’s bowling, skipper Rashid Khan said after Saturday’s match: “He is giving us the base we want. Especially in T20s, the powerplay is very important. And the way Farooqi has bowled in the last two games is amazing. He is a very skilful bowler.
“He still needs to improve a lot of things but once he understands how skillful he is, he is going to be very dangerous in future.”
Afghanistan’s next match will be against Papua New Guinea (PNG) on Friday, June 14.
The match starts at 5pm Kabul time and will be broadcast live on Ariana Television.
Fans can however tune in at 4.30pm to watch the pre-match show.
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China’s special envoy for Afghanistan visits Türkiye, Pakistan and Afghanistan
According to China’s Foreign Ministry, Yue held consultations in Türkiye with Cihad Erginay, Director General for South Asia at the Turkish Foreign Ministry, discussing issues of mutual interest.
China’s Special Envoy for Afghanistan Affairs Yue Xiaoyong visited Türkiye, Pakistan and Afghanistan from July 30 to August 8, 2026, as Beijing continues diplomatic engagement on regional issues.
According to China’s Foreign Ministry, Yue held consultations in Türkiye with Cihad Erginay, Director General for South Asia at the Turkish Foreign Ministry, discussing issues of mutual interest.
During his visits to Pakistan and Afghanistan, Yue also held talks with officials from both countries on ways to improve and develop relations between Kabul and Islamabad.
China did not provide further details about the discussions.
The visit comes as relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan remain strained by ongoing security and political tensions, with both sides facing challenges in their bilateral ties.
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Afghanistan received more than $11 billion in humanitarian aid over the past five years
Afghanistan has received more than $11 billion in humanitarian assistance since the Islamic Emirate returned to power in August 2021, according to United Nations figures cited by the BBC.
Despite the substantial aid, the gap between humanitarian needs and available funding remains wide, with the United Nations warning that millions of Afghans continue to require assistance.
The decline in international funding, a growing number of people in need and the return of millions of Afghan migrants from neighboring countries have added pressure to the country’s humanitarian situation.
Afghanistan’s humanitarian crisis deepened following the collapse of the previous government in August 2021. The depreciation of the national currency, the loss of hundreds of thousands of jobs and reductions in some international support programs further strained the economy and living conditions.
UN data shows that Afghanistan received about $5.2 billion in humanitarian assistance in 2021, followed by around $3.8 billion in 2022 and nearly $2 billion in 2023.
For 2024 and 2025, the United Nations appealed for more than $3 billion to address humanitarian needs in Afghanistan. However, funding fell short of the amounts requested.
The assistance has largely been directed toward food, healthcare, support for returnees and other urgent humanitarian needs.
The United Nations continues to classify Afghanistan as one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises, stressing that sustained international support remains essential for millions of Afghans who continue to need assistance.
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Afghanistan expresses condolences over deadly Indonesia earthquake
The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) has expressed deep sorrow over a powerful earthquake that struck eastern Indonesia, killing at least 53 people and forcing around 5,000 others to evacuate.
A magnitude-7.7 earthquake struck Flores Island and surrounding areas on Saturday, blocking roads and triggering landslides, Indonesian authorities said.
In a statement, Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs conveyed its sympathy and condolences to the government and people of Indonesia over the casualties caused by the earthquake.
It also wished a speedy recovery to those injured in the incident.
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