Sport
England knocked out of Champions Trophy by Afghanistan
Omarzai, who finished with impressive figures of 5-58, ended Root’s classy knock when the batter fell caught behind trying to play the ramp shot.
Tournament debutants Afghanistan sent England packing from the Champions Trophy after opener Ibrahim Zadran’s epic 177 set up their narrow eight-run victory in a Group B thriller on Wednesday.
Zadran produced the highest score in the tournament’s history to help Afghanistan overcome Jofra Archer’s three early wickets and rack up 325-7.
Joe Root’s classy 120 kept England alive in the chase until the 46th over but Afghanistan chipped away with regular wickets, eventually bowling them out for 317 with one ball left in the innings.
England were eliminated after their second successive defeat in the tournament and Jos Buttler risks losing the captain’s job after overseeing yet another poor campaign in an ICC event.
“I don’t want to say any emotional statements right now,” Buttler said at the presentation ceremony.
“For myself and the guys at the top, we should consider all possibilities.”
Afghanistan also beat England at the 2023 ODI World Cup in India.
“As a team we are happy,” Afghan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi said.
“I know the whole nation will be happy. We’ll look towards the next game.”
Archer produced a three-wicket burst after Shahidi elected to bat in a contest that several British politicians wanted England to boycott over the curtailment of women’s rights in Afghanistan under the Taliban’s rule.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz dragged one on to his stumps, Sediqullah Atal was trapped lbw and Rahmat Shah holed out to leave Afghanistan tottering on 37-3 in the ninth over.
Zadran combined in a 103-run stand with Shahidi (40) to prop up Afghanistan while Azmatullah Omarzai (41) and Mohammad Nabi (40) chipped in with useful cameos down the order.
Zadran needed 106 balls to bring up his sixth ODI hundred and went on to overcome England opener Ben Duckett’s 165 against Australia on Saturday as the highest individual score in the history of the tournament.
His 146-ball blitz, studded with six sixes and 12 fours, earned Zadran the player of the match award.
England looked ragged towards the end of the Afghanistan innings when misfielding and injuries to Mark Wood and Liam Livingstone compounded their problems.
Wood limped off the field after bowling eight wicketless overs but Livingstone returned to send down a tidy, two-wicket final over.
England stuttered early in their reply, losing Phil Salt and Jamie Smith inside seven overs.
Duckett (38) got a reprieve when Shahidi dropped him at mid-off but the opener could not make the most of it.
Harry Brook (25) and Buttler (38) could not convert their starts but Root scored on a run-a-ball rate despite battling cramp towards the end of his knock.
Omarzai, who finished with impressive figures of 5-58, ended Root’s classy knock when the batter fell caught behind trying to play the ramp shot.
Jamie Overton made 32 and a hobbling Wood returned to bat again but England fell agonisingly short of the target.
Afghanistan, coached by former England batter Jonathan Trott, must beat Australia on Friday to make the last four.
Cricket fans across the country can watch all Champions Trophy matches live on Ariana Television.
For updates, fixtures and schedules be sure to follow Ariana Television and Ariana News’ digital platforms.
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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