Sport
ICC World Cup: Afghanistan only get it ’70-80%’ right, says Trott
Afghanistan coach Jonathan Trott admitted Saturday that his team “get it 70-80% right” but need to find an extra gear quickly if they are to end a demoralizing run of 14 successive World Cup defeats.
Afghanistan have so far suffered convincing losses to Bangladesh and India at this 10-nation tournament.
They lost all nine matches at the 2019 World Cup while winning just one against Scotland on their 2015 debut, AFP reported.
It doesn’t get easier for Afghanistan who tackle defending champions England in New Delhi on Sunday.
“At times we get 70-80% of it right, but the other 20-30% that we don’t get right really ends up costing us,” said Trott, a former England international batsman.
“Starting the game well is going to be crucial against a very strong England side.
“But going forward for the rest of the competition as well, we need to start better with bat and ball and set the standard of how we want to play our cricket.”
Against India, eight Afghanistan batsmen reached double figures with skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi making 80 and Azmatullah Omarzai 62 in a total of 272.
But India coasted to an eight-wicket win with spin wizard Rashid Khan claiming both victims.
In the opener against Bangladesh, it was the batting which eventually misfired as Afghanistan collapsed from 83-1 to 156 all out in a six-wicket loss.
Trott backed Rashid to play a key role in Sunday’s game.
The leg-spinner, a mainstay of Twenty20 franchise cricket around the world, has just two wickets from two games for the cost of 105 runs.
He has 174 ODI wickets in his career but managed only six at the 2019 World Cup.
Against England at Old Trafford he went 0-110 as his team were routed by 150 runs.
“Rashid, can’t speak highly enough about the guy, the way that he performs and his passion for playing for this side,” said Trott.
“I know that he puts a lot of pressure on himself as well to perform and lead the attack. But it’s the job of all the other guys who have the ball in their hand to cause mayhem and put a bit of pressure on England.
“It’s a case of the other bowlers making sure that they are on just as a high level and as switched on as Rashid normally is.”
Abu Muslim Farah defeated Khurasan Faryab 2-0 in the 25th match of the sixth season of Afghanistan Champions League Roshan.
The match was played on Saturday at the Afghanistan Football Federation Stadium in Kabul.
Both teams pushed for an opening goal in the first half, but neither side managed to find the net, and the teams went into the break goalless.
Just two minutes into the second half, Abu Muslim Farah broke the deadlock to take a 1-0 lead.
Alireza Panahi later doubled Abu Muslim Farah’s advantage, sealing a 2-0 victory for the Farah side.
Abu Muslim Farah committed 13 fouls and received two yellow cards, while Khorasan Faryab committed seven fouls and received one yellow card.
Matches from the sixth season of the Roshan Afghanistan Champions League are being broadcast live and exclusively on Ariana Television.
Omar Zawak Herat secured a 1-0 victory over Toofan Herat in the 24th match of the sixth season of Afghanistan Champions League Roshan in Kabul.
The match was played on Saturday at the Afghanistan Football Federation Stadium.
Both sides created scoring opportunities in the first half, but neither team managed to find the net before the break.
Omar Zawak Herat broke the deadlock in the 86th minute when Shadab Malikzadah scored with a fine strike to give his side the lead.
Toofan Herat committed eight fouls and received two yellow cards, while Omar Zawak Herat recorded six fouls and received one yellow card and one red card.
Toofan Herat will face Aino Mina Kandahar on September 29, while Omar Zawak Herat will take on Abu Muslim Farah on September 30.
Matches from the sixth season of the Roshan Afghanistan Champions League are being broadcast live on Ariana Television.
Afghanistan are set to face India in the Asian Games cricket quarter-finals after Saturday’s rain-hit match between Nepal and Japan confirmed the Pool A standings.
The quarter-final between India and Afghanistan is scheduled to take place on September 28 in Nisshin, Japan.
Nepal secured first place in the group after Japan’s chase was washed out. Nepal had scored 149 runs for four wickets in 15 overs after being sent in to bat, but persistent rain prevented Japan from starting its innings.
The result saw Nepal advance as Pool A winners, with Afghanistan joining them in the quarter-finals as the other qualifying team. Nepal will face Sri Lanka in the quarter-finals.
Japan have been eliminated from the tournament.
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