Sport
Afghanistan’s Omarzai named ICC Men’s ODI Cricketer of the Year
He also enjoyed a strong year in T20Is and franchise cricket, but it was in ODIs where he proved most influential.
Afghanistan all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai has been named ICC Men’s ODI Cricketer of the Year following a brilliant performance through 2024.
With his right-arm pace bowling and multifaceted batting game, the 24-year-old helped propel the Afghanistan team to a new level.
He also enjoyed a strong year in T20Is and franchise cricket, but it was in ODIs where he proved most influential.
He finished 2024 as his national team’s second-highest run scorer (behind Rahmanullah Gurbaz) and second-highest wicket taker (behind AM Ghazanfar), with Afghanistan winning four of their five ODI series last year.
Omarzai’s individual excellence wasn’t enough to earn Afghanistan a series win away in Sri Lanka at the start of the year, but he was central to four straight ODI series wins for Afghanistan, as his team won against Ireland, South Africa, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe.
The Afghanistan all-rounder was a standout performer with bat and ball throughout the year, scoring his runs at an average of 52.12 and bagging his wickets at 20.47.
But his brilliance lay not just in the overall numbers but in his individual performances, starting off in his very first ODI of the year, where he smashed an unbeaten 149 in a remarkable rearguard effort in defeat against Sri Lanka.
His destructive 86* from just 50 deliveries against South Africa was another memorable performance, with his rapid scoring helping set up a crushing win in the second ODI to win the series.
Omarzai repeatedly stood up when Afghanistan needed big contributions, but there are few better examples than with his series-defining performance in the third ODI against Bangladesh in Sharjah in November.
With the series on the line, Azmatullah bowled economically before delivering a death-overs masterclass to deny the Tigers the strong finish they were looking for, cleaning up set batter Mehidy Hasan Miraz among his three late wickets as he finished with figures of 4/37 from seven overs.
Faced with a target of 245 to win the match and series, Afghanistan limped through the first 20 overs, losing three of their top four cheaply, with the score at 84/3 when Azmatullah came to the crease.
But the right-hander won the game and series, building a century partnership with Rahmanullah Gurbaz before accelerating when the opener was dismissed, hitting the winning runs with a massive six to end unbeaten on 70* from 77 balls, sealing the victory with ten deliveries to spare.
Omar Zawak and Toofan Herat secured victories in the second and third matches of the sixth season of the Afghanistan Champions League Roshan in Kabul on Friday.
Omar Zawak opened the day’s results with a 2–0 victory over Khurasan Faryab. Shadab Malekzada and Bilal Akbari scored for Omar Zawak to seal all three points.
In the third match, Toofan Herat produced a 3–1 win over Esteqlal Kabul. Merajuddin Kalantari scored Esteqlal’s lone goal, while Fraidoon Seyedi and Enayatullah Kohi were on target for Toofan. Kohi scored twice to complete the victory.
Two more matches set for Saturday
The competition continues on Saturday, September 12, 2026, with two more fixtures scheduled:
- Sorkh Poshan Khafi vs. Aino Mina — 3:30 p.m.
- Arman FC vs. Ariana Khost — 7:00 p.m.
Ariana Television Network (ATN) will broadcast both matches live and exclusively, allowing football fans across Afghanistan to follow the action as it unfolds.
The sixth season of the Roshana Afghanistan Champions League continues as teams compete for crucial points and a stronger position in the tournament standings.
Sport
Abu Muslim Farah beat Sarsabz Yashlar 3–0 in sixth season of ACL opener
Fans across Afghanistan can watch today’s second and third matches live and exclusively on Ariana Television.
Defending champions Abu Muslim Farah made a winning start to the sixth season of the Afghanistan Champions League, defeating Sarsabz Yashlar of Faryab 3–0 in the opening match.
The match, played Thursday evening at the Afghanistan Football Federation Stadium, saw Abu Muslim Farah dominate proceedings and secure all three points with a convincing performance.
Omid Popalzai opened the scoring in the first half, before Mahboob Hanafi and Omid Rajabi added two more goals after the break to seal a comfortable victory for the defending champions.
The sixth season of the Afghanistan Champions League features 10 teams, with the competition being played on a home-and-away format in Kabul.
Today, Friday, Omar Zawak Loy Shindand will face Khurasan Faryab at 3:30 p.m., while Istiqlal Kabul will take on Toofan Herat in the third match of the day.
Ariana Khost and Umar Zawak Loy Shindand are among the new teams competing in this season’s tournament.
Fans across Afghanistan can watch today’s second and third matches live and exclusively on Ariana Television.
The sixth season of the Afghanistan Champions League will run until November 21, with the participating teams battling for the championship title.
Sport
Afghanistan Champions League Season 6 kicks off today: Abu Muslim Farah face Sarsabz Yashlar
The match is scheduled for 7:30pm Kabul time and will mark the start of a season running until November 21.
The sixth season of the Afghanistan Champions League kicks off Thursday, September 10, with defending champions Abu Muslim Farah facing Sarsabz Yashlar of Faryab in the opening match.
The match is scheduled for 7:30pm Kabul time and will mark the start of a season running until November 21.
Ten clubs will compete in the league, with matches played in a home-and-away format in Kabul.
Abu Muslim Farah will begin their title defence against Sarsabz Yashlar, while Ariana Khost and Omar Zawak Loy Shindand are among the new additions to this season’s competition.
The other participating teams are Aino Mina, Arman FC, Istiqlal Kabul, Khurasan Faryab, Sorkh Poshan Khafi and Toofan Herat.
Fans across Afghanistan can watch the opening match live and exclusively on Ariana Television from 7:30pm Kabul time.
The Afghanistan Champions League will continue through November 21, with clubs competing for the Season 6 title.
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