Sport
India v Pakistan Asia Cup blockbuster ends in washout
The much-anticipated Asia Cup clash between arch-rivals India and Pakistan was abandoned on Saturday as rain played spoilsport in the Group A contest between the heavyweights in Pallekele.
Pakistan bowled out India for 266 in 48.5 overs to nose ahead in the contest but their chase never began as rain kept the players off the ground before the game was eventually abandoned, Reuters reported.
Babar Azam’s team, who thumped Nepal in the opener, are through to the Super Four stage after sharing points with India.
World number one Pakistan dominated whatever limited play was possible with Shaheen Afridi leading their fiery pace attack, which claimed all 10 Indian wickets.
Afridi has tormented India in recent encounters between the sides and it was no different at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium.
India captain Rohit Sharma was left to rue his decision to bat first as his side slumped to 66-4 in the 15th over.
Rohit managed 11 before Afridi breached his defence and Virat Kohli departed for four after his angled bat deflected the ball onto his stump.
Haris Rauf dismissed Shreyas Iyer and Shubman Gill to pin India on the mat before Hardik Pandya (87) and Ishan Kishan (82) forged a 138-run partnership to arrest India’s slide.
With both looking set, India reached the 200-mark in the 37th over and a 300-plus total looked well within their reach before Rauf (3-58) dismissed Kishan.
Afridi (4-35) returned to dismiss Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja in the same over, while his new ball partner Naseem Shah (3-36) polished off India’s tail.
The neighbours, who play each other only in multi-team events because of their soured political relations, would clash again in the Super Four stage provided India can avoid an upset against Nepal on Monday.
For fans across the country, Ariana Television (ATN) will broadcast all the matches live each day starting at 1:30 pm.
CLICK HERE for the broadcasting schedule
Afghanistan’s cricket stars Rashid Khan and Azmatullah Omarzai have maintained their positions at the top of the latest ICC Men’s ODI rankings.
Rashid Khan remains the No. 1 ODI bowler in the world with 714 rating points.
Pakistan’s Abrar Ahmed is second with 675 points, while South Africa’s Keshav Maharaj has moved up to third with 667 points.
New Zealand’s Mitchell Santner is fourth with 644 points, followed by India’s Kuldeep Yadav on 623.
Meanwhile, Azmatullah Omarzai continues to hold the top position in the ICC ODI all-rounder rankings with 337 points, giving Afghanistan two players at No. 1 in different ODI categories. Sikandar Raza of Zimbabwe and Mehidy Hasan Miraz of Bangladesh follow him in the list.
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.
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