Sport
Back on top: Rashid reclaims top bowler ranking
Afghanistan spinner Rashid Khan has overtaken Australia seamer Josh Hazlewood and re-claimed his place as the No.1 T20I bowler in the world following the latest update to the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s Player Rankings on Wednesday.
Rashid earns top billing on the back of his strong start to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup for Afghanistan, where he bowled superbly during his side’s opening match against England in Perth.
Rashid took the key wicket of young gun Harry Brook and finished with tidy figures of 1/17 from his four overs as Afghanistan commenced their T20 World Cup campaign with a five-wicket loss to England.
Hazlewood has three wickets from two matches so far for Australia, but the 31-year-old has been uncharacteristically expensive during spells against New Zealand and Sri Lanka at the tournament.
Sri Lanka spinner Wanindu Hasaranga drops three places to sixth on the latest list for T20I bowlers, while England seamer Sam Curran moves up an eye-catching eight spots to eighth overall following his record-breaking five-wicket haul against Afghanistan.
Curran picked up England’s first ever five-wicket haul at a T20 World Cup and ended the match with brilliant figures of 5/10 to rise to a career high rating of 657 points.
Just 55 rating points separates the top 10 bowlers on the latest rankings update, with India veteran Bhuvneshwar Kumar another new name slipping into contention following an impressive performance against Pakistan on Sunday.
The veteran seamer picked up the tidy figures of 1/22 from his four overs against Pakistan and has been rewarded with a two-spot jump to 10th on the updated rankings list.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh skipper Shakib Al Hasan remains the top ranked all-rounder following the latest update to the rankings, with Afghanistan counterpart Mohammad Nabi staying in second and just 14 rating points behind.
Abu Muslim Farah beat Omar Zawak Herat 4-0 in the 30th match of the sixth season of the Roshan Afghanistan Champions League, delivering an impressive performance.
The match was played today (Wednesday) at the Afghanistan Football Federation Stadium.
Samiullah Naderi scored Abu Muslim Farah’s opening goal in the final minutes of the first half.
Abu Muslim Farah continued their attacking play in the second half, with Aman Sardari scoring the team’s second goal in the 69th minute with a spectacular header.
Omid Rajabi and Mirois Ghafouri then added two more goals to complete a 4-0 victory for Abu Muslim Farah.
Amanullah Sardari, captain of Abu Muslim Farah, was named Player of the Match against Omar Zawak Herat.
Abu Muslim Farah will face Ariana Khost in their next match on October 2, while Omar Zawak Herat will take on Istiqlal Kabul on the same day.
The sixth season of the Roshan Afghanistan Champions League is being broadcast live on Ariana Television.
The Afghanistan Cricket Board’s High Performance Center is set to launch a nationwide fast-bowling talent identification program, titled “Afghan Thunder,” across several provinces throughout October.
According to the ACB, the program will begin in Kunduz on October 4, with assessments continuing in Herat, Kandahar, Kabul, Khost, Paktia and Kunar before concluding in Nangarhar on October 27.
The board says eligible participants must be between 19 and 26 years old, at least 180 centimeters tall, hold a valid electronic National ID (e-Tazkira) and be capable of bowling at speeds of at least 140 kilometers per hour.
The assessment schedule is as follows: Kunduz on October 4–5, Herat on October 9–10, Kandahar on October 12, Kabul on October 14–15, Khost on October 19, Paktia on October 21, Kunar on October 25 and Nangarhar on October 27.
The ACB has encouraged eligible players who believe they have the potential to develop into high-level fast bowlers to take part in the Afghan Thunder Fast-Bowling Talent Hunt Program on the designated dates.
The board says the initiative aims to identify promising fast-bowling talent from across Afghanistan and provide talented players with a pathway into the country’s high-performance cricket system.
Toofan Herat and Aino Mina Kandahar drew 1-1 in the 29th match of the sixth season of Afghanistan Champions League Roshan on Tuesday.
Enayatullah Koohi scored the opening goal for Toofan Herat in the first half, but Ahmad Nabi Moqaddas equalized for Aino Mina Kandahar in the 32nd minute.
Both teams created chances to score in the second half, but neither side was able to find the net, and the match ended 1-1.
Toofan Herat committed 12 fouls and received one yellow card, while Aino Mina Kandahar committed 16 fouls and received two yellow cards.
Toofan Herat will face Arman FC in their next match on October 1, while Aino Mina Kandahar will take on Abu Muslim Farah on October 2.
The sixth season of the Roshan Afghanistan Champions League is being broadcast live on Ariana Television.
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