Sport
Rankings joy for Afghanistan as Nabi crowned new No.1 all-rounder
A strong start to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 has seen a host of players from Afghanistan make good ground on the updated player rankings.
Afghanistan’s unbeaten start to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup has seen one of their star performers rise to the top of the ICC Men’s T20I All-Rounder Rankings.
The team has won both of their contests in the 20-over showcase thus far and a host of their players have been in scintillating touch with bat and ball.
Veteran Mohammad Nabi is the big winner in the latest rankings update, with the 39-year-old rising to the No.1 spot on the list for all-rounders following his recent two-wicket haul against New Zealand in Guyana.
Nabi jumps up two places to first on the updated T20I rankings for all-rounders, with Australia’s Marcus Stoinis rising three places to claim second spot and previous No.1-ranked player Shakib Al Hasan dropping four rungs to fifth as a result of the major shake-up at the top.
It’s not just Nabi who is making the most of Afghanistan’s impressive start to the T20 World Cup, with a trio of his teammates also making good ground on the latest rankings for T20I batters and bowlers.
Opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz is the leading run-scorer at the T20 World Cup thus far with 156 runs from two innings and the in-form right-hander moves up eight places to 12th and reaches a new career-high rating on the updated list for T20I batters.
Afghanistan duo Rashid Khan (up four spots to third) and Fazalhaq Farooqi (up six places to equal fourth) make progress following excellent showings at the T20 World Cup.
Match update:
Afghanistan’s next World Cup match is scheduled for Friday, June 14 against Papua New Guinea.
The match starts at 5pm Kabul time and will be broadcast live by Ariana Television across the country. Fans can meanwhile tune in from 4.30pm Kabul time to watch the pre-match show.
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Nabi claims top spot in ODI rankings
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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