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RESULTODI2nd Match · Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe
Afghanistan won by 158 runs
Afghanistan won the toss and chose to bat
- Match
- Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe, 2nd Match
- Date
- 19 Oct 2026
- Start
- 17:00 IST · 11:30 GMT
- Venue
- Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
- Toss
- Afghanistan won the toss and chose to bat
Venue guide
- Capacity
- 20,000
- Opened
- 2004
- Ends
- North End, Pavilion End
- Home to
- United Arab Emirates
- Floodlights
- Yes
Recent meetings
| Sediqullah AtalAfghanistan · Batter | 102 (110)Bat · R (B) | 84s | 16s | 92.7SR | c Tafadzwa Tsiga b Sikandar RazaOut |
AFGAfghanistan 294 (50.0)
ZIMZimbabwe 136 (38.4)
RUNS PER OVER
SCORE BY OVER
Final overs
Full commentary- It can be safe to say that Afghanistan are almost there in the tri-series final. It will be between Bangladesh and Zimbabwe for the other spot. Afghanistan take on Bangladesh in the last league game before the final. That is on the 21st. We will be there to bring you all the action. Do join us then. For now stay safe and sleep tight. Bye.
- Rahmat Shah (2/2): [On missing out on 30-40 runs towards the end of the innings and the need to finish stronger] Absolutely, we got off to a good start and were looking to score 300 or more, even 320. But we lost back-to-back wickets in the middle and because of those mistakes, our target came down to around 300. If we find ourselves in a similar situation in another match, we will try not to repeat those mistakes and turn 300 into 320 or even more.
- Rahmat Shah | Afghanistan captain (1/2) - Translated to English: [On becoming the first Afghanistan captain to register five consecutive ODI victories] I am also very, very happy. Congratulations on the batting, the bowling, and the fielding, we will try to continue in the same way. [On the team's performance across all three departments and how he will address the dropped catches] Absolutely, we will try our maximum and so that we continue to perform well in all three departments. [On moving to Sharjah for the next matches and adapting to the conditions] We have already discussed and prepared for the conditions, whether it is a Test match, an ODI, or another format. We have familiarised ourselves with the conditions. We will go there prepared for the conditions, whether they favour spin bowlers or fast bowlers, and we will do our best.
- Brendan Taylor (2/2): [On whether winning the toss made a significant difference] No, not necessarily. It probably was slightly better to bat. It didn't swing. It was always going to swing more in the lights, but that doesn't say you the difference between 300 and 135. So we just totally got outperformed today, outplayed, and there's a lot of discussion, a lot of work to be done in the next few days. So, yeah, nothing wasted. Only wasted if we don't learn from it. [On his run-out and the missed opportunity to build on his recent batting form] Yeah, definitely a wasted opportunity and a misjudgment on my side. I'm trying to look to be proactive and take every run that I can get. Obviously, poor decision judgment and it stings. It's something that we'll reflect on, try and put it behind us as quickly as possible and move on.
- Brendan Taylor (1/2) (Raza is struggling with an injury so Taylor comes in to talk): [On where Zimbabwe went wrong in the match] I think, that's a good toss to win. I think Afghanistan came out and showed some real application and high quality on a wicket that was pretty docile. They got off to a flyer and managed to bring it back pretty well. Again, we're facing that sort of two, three wickets down in the powerplay and it's very tough to come back when you're up against some of the world's best spinners in the middle. It's always going to be difficult. So we need a better foundation. It's probably a day where we can draw a line in the sand and put this one behind us, take the lessons from it and try and turn it around as quickly as possible.
- Sediqullah Atal | Player of the match: [On scoring back-to-back hundreds in the Test match and the ACC Tri-Nation ODI Series final] I'm quite happy the way I'm going these days. So I'm working hard, really hard for these kind of days to contribute with the team and put the much impactful innings for my team to win against every side. [On his batting partnership and communication with Ibrahim Zadran] He's quite a good player to play with him in the crease. So that's why we just have a very good communication with each other and we know each other very well. So he's telling me, like, trust yourself and you can do it. Like if we have some dots bowled, some good spell from the opposition team, so he's telling me and I'm also telling him to do the basic right and just focus on one ball at a time. [On whether Afghanistan could have scored another 20–30 runs before being bowled out] Yeah, to be honest, we lost back-to-back wickets, which cost twenty to thirty runs. But we know this surface very well, that we have a very good spinning side and also some seamers. So it will be very helpful with us. So we were quite happy with the total, but yeah, we could have done better than this.
- Fazalhaq Farooqi (Translated to English): [Explaining the team's preparations and plans to address individual weaknesses ahead of the World Cup] Absolutely. All the players, particularly those involved in ODI cricket are preparing well. Almost every player has played around 20, 30 or 50 ODI matches, so everyone knows their own gameplan, batting style and bowling style. Wherever a player has weaknesses, we try to work on those areas and improve. [On his rhythm, fitness and comeback to ODI cricket] Absolutely. Looking at how I bowled in Ireland, especially during that time and the video I watched, I’m still not happy with my bowling rhythm and the way I’m bowling. I’m not as satisfied as I would like to be. But compared to that, I was still much better and I was able to bowl in the areas I wanted to. However, I still haven’t quite managed to achieve the level I want. [On preparing for the ODI World Cup next year and adapting to South African conditions] Absolutely. The plans are clear. We know every player’s strengths and their batting and bowling styles. I’m trying to work on my own game and when we go to South Africa, we’ll prepare according to the conditions and the wickets there. We’ll find our way against that team.
- 22:51 Local Time, 18:51 GMT, 00:21 IST: Once Zimbabwe fell behind in the chase, their target was 196 and not 295. 196 would've got them to the final irrespective of what happens in the final game. But they have been bundled out for 136. Farooqi at the top struck twice, with a beauty to dismiss Ben Curran. Sikandar Raza and Ryan Burl tried to steady the ship even as the former was dropped thrice en route to his 48. Rashid Khan came on and along with Nabi and Ghazanfar tied the batters down with a lot of dots. Then the wickets came and once Raza fell, even 196 was a huge mountain to climb and in the end, Afghanistan registered a massive win. One side who would be very happy with this result would be Bangladesh, who now have a chance to reach the final. Zimbabwe after a big win against Bangladesh have been handed a thrashing here tonight. Stay tuned for the post-match stuff....
- Over 39 · 0 runs (0 0 0 W) · 1 wkt
- 38.4WMohammad Nabi to Wellington Masakadza, out Wellington Masakadza Run Out!! 1 run completed. A run-out to end things. It's a slower and tossed up delivery outside off, Wellington Masakadza gets forward to drive, the thick outside-edge runs away wide of short third man. Zia chases and slides to pick it up, Masakadza needed to put in a dive to make it, but didn't. Well short as the direct-hit comes at his end. They go upstairs and we have the confirmation. Zimbabwe have been handed a heavy loss here. Wellington Masakadza run out (Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi) 2(11)
- Mohammad Nabi to Wellington Masakadza, THATS OUT!! Run Out!!
- Is that the end of the game? A direct-hit and looks like Wellington Masakadza is in trouble. Gone!
- 38.3•Mohammad Nabi to Wellington Masakadza, no run, slower and good length on middle, Wellington Masakadza goes on the back foot and defends watchfully
- 38.2•Mohammad Nabi to Wellington Masakadza, no run, slower and a hint of turn away from off, Wellington Masakadza gets forward and angles the bat to guide it to backward point
- 38.1•Mohammad Nabi to Wellington Masakadza, no run, down leg, flat and Wellington Masakadza goes on the back foot to tuck to backward square-leg
- Blessing Muzarabani, right handed bat, comes to the crease
- End of over 38 · 1 run (0 0 0 0 1 W) · 1 wktZIM 135/9Ernest Masuku 0(2) · Wellington Masakadza 1(7) · Rashid Khan 8-1-17-4
- 37.6WRashid Khan to Masuku, out Bowled!! No clue. The googly and Ernest Masuku has no idea. Miles between bat and pad as he gets forward to defend, the ball spins back in to hit middle-stump. So easy for Rashid Khan as Afghanistan inch closer. Masuku b Rashid Khan 0(2)
- Rashid Khan to Masuku, THATS OUT!! Bowled!!
- 37.51Rashid Khan to Wellington Masakadza, 1 run, back over the wicket. A 24-yarder. On a length on leg-stump, Wellington Masakadza gets forward to defend, the thick inside-edge goes to short fine
- 37.4•Rashid Khan to Wellington Masakadza, no run, from round the wicket. Full outside off, Wellington Masakadza gets forward to drive and extra-cover dives to his right to cut it off
- 37.3•Rashid Khan to Wellington Masakadza, no run, only Rashid Khan is interested for LBW. Did it pitch in line? Maybe not. Wellington Masakadza gets forward to turn to leg, misses, rapped on the pads and again saved by where the ball pitched
- 37.2•Rashid Khan to Wellington Masakadza, no run, again pitches outside the leg-stump, Wellington Masakadza goes on the back foot to whip and misses. Rapped on the pad
- 37.1•Rashid Khan to Wellington Masakadza, no run, tossed up full and pitches outside the leg-stump, Wellington Masakadza flicks and misses
| Batter | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rahmanullah Gurbazb Ernest Masuku | 25 | 20 | 3 | 1 | 125.0 |
| Ibrahim Zadranc Tafadzwa Tsiga b Brad Evans | 90 | 96 | 9 | 2 | 93.8 |
| Sediqullah Atalc Tafadzwa Tsiga b Sikandar Raza | 102 | 110 | 8 | 1 | 92.7 |
| Rahmat Shahb Ernest Masuku | 7 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 58.3 |
| Azmatullah Omarzaic Brendan Taylor b Ernest Masuku | 8 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 88.9 |
| Hashmatullah Shahidic Ryan Burl b Blessing Muzarabani | 28 | 30 | 2 | 0 | 93.3 |
| Mohammad Nabic Sikandar Raza b Brad Evans | 9 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 112.5 |
| Rashid Khanb Brad Evans | 8 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 114.3 |
| AM Ghazanfarc Wellington Masakadza b Blessing Muzarabani | 6 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 100.0 |
| Zia Ur Rahman Sharifirun out (Wessly Madhevere) | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 50.0 |
| Fazalhaq Farooqi*not out | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
Extras10 (b 3, lb 2, w 3, nb 2)
Total294 (50.0 ov, RR 5.88)
Fall of wickets: 50-1 (Rahmanullah Gurbaz, 7.1 ov), 190-2 (Ibrahim Zadran, 32.0 ov), 202-3 (Rahmat Shah, 35.3 ov), 217-4 (Azmatullah Omarzai, 38.0 ov), 259-5 (Sediqullah Atal, 44.4 ov), 272-6 (Hashmatullah Shahidi, 46.2 ov), 283-7 (Rashid Khan, 47.5 ov), 290-8 (AM Ghazanfar, 49.0 ov), 292-9 (Mohammad Nabi, 49.2 ov), 294-10 (Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi, 50.0 ov)
| Bowler · ZIM | O | M | R | W | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blessing Muzarabani | 9 | 0 | 68 | 2 | 7.56 |
| Brad Evans | 10 | 0 | 48 | 3 | 4.80 |
| Ernest Masuku | 8 | 0 | 44 | 3 | 5.50 |
| Sikandar Raza | 10 | 0 | 54 | 1 | 5.40 |
| Wellington Masakadza | 4 | 0 | 30 | 0 | 7.50 |
| Ryan Burl | 4 | 0 | 25 | 0 | 6.25 |
| Wessly Madhevere | 5 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 4.00 |
Afghanistan- 1Ibrahim ZadranBatter
- 2Rahmanullah Gurbaz(wk)Wicketkeeper
- 3Sediqullah AtalBatter
- 4Rahmat Shah(c)Batter
- 5Hashmatullah ShahidiBatter
- 6Azmatullah OmarzaiAll-rounder
- 7Mohammad NabiAll-rounder
- 8Rashid KhanAll-rounder
- 9AM GhazanfarBowler
- 10Zia Ur Rahman SharifiBowler
- 11Fazalhaq FarooqiBowler
Bench
Zimbabwe- 1Brian BennettAll-rounder
- 2Ben CurranBatter
- 3Tafadzwa TsigaWicketkeeper
- 4Brendan Taylor(wk)Wicketkeeper
- 5Sikandar Raza(c)All-rounder
- 6Wessly MadhevereAll-rounder
- 7Ryan BurlAll-rounder
- 8Brad EvansAll-rounder
- 9Wellington MasakadzaBowler
- 10Ernest MasukuBowler
- 11Blessing MuzarabaniBowler
Bench
- 38.4WMohammad Nabi to Wellington Masakadza, out Wellington Masakadza Run Out!! 1 run completed. A run-out to end things. It's a slower and tossed up delivery outside off, Wellington Masakadza gets forward to drive, the thick outside-edge runs away wide of short third man. Zia chases and slides to pick it up, Masakadza needed to put in a dive to make it, but didn't. Well short as the direct-hit comes at his end. They go upstairs and we have the confirmation. Zimbabwe have been handed a heavy loss here. Wellington Masakadza run out (Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi) 2(11)
- 37.6WRashid Khan to Masuku, out Bowled!! No clue. The googly and Ernest Masuku has no idea. Miles between bat and pad as he gets forward to defend, the ball spins back in to hit middle-stump. So easy for Rashid Khan as Afghanistan inch closer. Masuku b Rashid Khan 0(2)
- 36.5WMohammad Nabi to Brad Evans, out Caught by Ibrahim Zadran!! Brad Evans takes on Mohammad Nabi and perishes. It's tossed up and Evans comes down the track to heave, off the bottom of the bat as he is not to the pitch of the ball. Easy catch for deep mid-wicket as Ibrahim makes no mistake with the reverse-cup. He already got 10 off the over, still wanted more and Nabi has the last laugh. Brad Evans c Ibrahim Zadran b Mohammad Nabi 14(10) [4s-1 6s-1]
- 36.24Mohammad Nabi to Brad Evans, FOUR, change of angle. From round the wicket and pitches outside the leg-stump, Brad Evans brings out the reverse-sweep and gets it wide of backward point for four
- 36.16Mohammad Nabi to Brad Evans, SIX, slower and tossed up full outside off, Brad Evans gets forward and low and lofts cleanly, manages to clear long-on
- 35.5UDRS reviewRashid Khan to Wellington Masakadza, no run, so so close. The ump's call by Ahsan Raza saves Wellington Masakadza. It rushes him on the pull, pitched in line and he goes on the back foot to pull, misses. Rapped on the back leg. Raza took his time to turn down the appeal. Afghanistan review and impact is ump's call
- 35.4WRashid Khan to Sikandar Raza, out Bowled!! Sikandar Raza's luck runs out. The tossed up googly and right through the bat and pad gap. Raza gets forward and the bat is angled as he looks to push at it. This spins back in and knocks back the off-stump. Lovely bowling and now Zimbabwe have a task on their hands to get to 196. Sikandar Raza b Rashid Khan 48(80) [4s-3 6s-1]
- 34.24Mohammad Nabi to Sikandar Raza, FOUR, hammers this off the back foot wide of extra-cover and gives long-off no chance to his left. It's a good length delivery and spins back into middle, Sikandar Raza goes on the back foot and crunches that hard
- 33.4WRashid Khan to Madhevere, out Lbw!! Low bounce and rightly Wessly Madhevere shakes his head as he walks back. That was almost a grubber. Madhevere went on the back foot to pull this good length delivery on middle-stump, expected it to rise higher, but it shot through and rapped him on the back pad. As dead as they come. One can walk for such LBWs. Madhevere lbw b Rashid Khan 5(7)
- 31.3WRashid Khan to Ryan Burl, out Lbw!! Ryan Burl has a word with Sikandar Raza but walks off. They don't review. Was this sliding down leg? It's tossed up full around leg-stump, Burl gets forward for a big mow across the line, misses and is rapped on the back leg. The ball was turning and Ahsan Raza has the finger up slowly. Need ball-tracking to find out if it was hitting or missing or clipping. Ball-tracking is in - it's just clipping leg-stump and that would be ump's call. So out it would've been even with a review. Ryan Burl lbw b Rashid Khan 31(63) [4s-2]
- 30.54Mohammad Nabi to Ryan Burl, FOUR, that's in the slot and Ryan Burl has smashed that. It's nicely tossed up full on middle, Burl backs away and cracks the drive so hard wide of extra-cover and the short cover. Split the two well
- 29.54Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi to Sikandar Raza, FOUR, finally a boundary to break the shackles. It's a short of length delivery and tight on off, Sikandar Raza goes on the back foot and short-arm jabs the pull, over mid-wicket and there's no protection in the deep. A boundary after 78 deliveries
- 19.4UDRS reviewRashid Khan to Ryan Burl, no run, loud shout for LBW! Given not out onfield. Afghanistan have taken the review. Another close call. Has it pitched in line? UltraEdge shows no bat, but the ball has pitched outside the line and the right call has been made. Afghanistan lose a review. Burl misses the tuck and is pinged on the front pad
- 16.54AM Ghazanfar to Ryan Burl, FOUR, very full outside off, Ryan Burl drills it through the covers. The fielder in the deep had no chance of stopping that as it was hit with power
- 15.56Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi to Sikandar Raza, SIX, high and handsome over point. Short and wide outside off, Sikandar Raza gets under the ball and cuts it to point region. Never looked to keep the ball down
- 12.5WAM Ghazanfar to Brian Bennett, out Lbw!! Afghanistan have got the set batter out and Zimbabwe sink deeper into trouble. This was very full and on leg-stump. Bennett sinks low to sweep and misses. He thought the line was outside leg-stump, but wasn't to be. The ball pitched on leg-stump and spun away to beat the bat catching Bennett plumb in front. The umpire was quick to give it out and the batter reviews it. The first impression looked like it pitched outside leg-stump, but replays confirm the ball pitched in line and is hitting leg-stump. Zimbabwe lose a review along with Bennett. Ghazanfar kisses the air and has his arms spread wide to celebrate the wicket. Brian Bennett lbw b AM Ghazanfar 31(40) [4s-4 6s-1]
- 11.44Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi to Sikandar Raza, FOUR, width on offer outside off, Sikandar Raza ramps it over the keeper and picks up four. Good shot that
- 9.44Azmatullah Omarzai to Brian Bennett, FOUR, short and outside off, Brian Bennett gets under the ball and ramps it over the keeper. Third man was wide and had no chance of stopping it
- 7.1WAzmatullah Omarzai to Brendan Taylor, out Brendan Taylor Run Out!! Oh boy! What a needless runout and Zimbabwe are in deep trouble with Brendan Taylor back in the hut. He defends the good length delivery to the right of the bowler and set off for a quick single. His partner spots the bowler get to the ball and sends Taylor back, but he was halfway down the track and had given up as the bowler picks it up one handed and fires a direct-hit at the striker's end. Brendan Taylor is short by a long way and walks back disappointed. Brendan Taylor run out (Azmatullah Omarzai) 1(4)
- 6.1WFazalhaq Farooqi to Tafadzwa Tsiga, out Caught by Rahmanullah Gurbaz!! Zimbabwe lose another. Fazalhaq Farooqi comes in from round the wicket and angles it in. The ball pitches around off-stump and shapes away late to take the outside edge. Tafadzwa Tsiga hung his bat out trying to fish at it and perishes. The keeper takes a regulation catch. Farooqi is pumped up as he jumps in the air with joy. Tafadzwa Tsiga c Rahmanullah Gurbaz b Fazalhaq Farooqi 2(13)
- 4.64Fazalhaq Farooqi to Brian Bennett, FOUR, beautiful shot. Was a short of length delivery outside off. Brian Bennett stands tall and punches it through the covers. The fielder tries to dive across, but can't get down in time. Raced away
- 3.66Azmatullah Omarzai to Brian Bennett, SIX, what a shot! Out of nowhere. Brian Bennett climbs on the short delivery early and smokes it high and handsome over deep square leg. Sails deep into the stands
- 2.2WFazalhaq Farooqi to Ben Curran, out Bowled!! That's the first breakthrough. What a ripper from Fazalhaq Farooqi. This swings in sharply and cuts Ben Curran in half as he tries to bring his bat down. Pitched just outside off and swing in so much that the ball crashed into middle stump. Huge gap between bat and ball and the stumps get shattered. Fazalhaq Farooqi is pumped up with the dismissal and so are his teammates as they come and surround him to celebrate. Ben Curran b Fazalhaq Farooqi 0(2)
- 1.44Azmatullah Omarzai to Brian Bennett, FOUR, short around off-stump. Brian Bennett is quick to pick the length and pulls it through mid-wicket. No one in the deep and the ball races away
- 0.14Fazalhaq Farooqi to Brian Bennett, FOUR, what a start from Zimbabwe. Crunched through the covers. Gets the width and the ball was fuller asking to be driven. Brian Bennett leans onto the front foot and creams it through the covers
- It can be safe to say that Afghanistan are almost there in the tri-series final. It will be between Bangladesh and Zimbabwe for the other spot. Afghanistan take on Bangladesh in the last league game before the final. That is on the 21st. We will be there to bring you all the action. Do join us then. For now stay safe and sleep tight. Bye.
- Rahmat Shah (2/2): [On missing out on 30-40 runs towards the end of the innings and the need to finish stronger] Absolutely, we got off to a good start and were looking to score 300 or more, even 320. But we lost back-to-back wickets in the middle and because of those mistakes, our target came down to around 300. If we find ourselves in a similar situation in another match, we will try not to repeat those mistakes and turn 300 into 320 or even more.
- Rahmat Shah | Afghanistan captain (1/2) - Translated to English: [On becoming the first Afghanistan captain to register five consecutive ODI victories] I am also very, very happy. Congratulations on the batting, the bowling, and the fielding, we will try to continue in the same way. [On the team's performance across all three departments and how he will address the dropped catches] Absolutely, we will try our maximum and so that we continue to perform well in all three departments. [On moving to Sharjah for the next matches and adapting to the conditions] We have already discussed and prepared for the conditions, whether it is a Test match, an ODI, or another format. We have familiarised ourselves with the conditions. We will go there prepared for the conditions, whether they favour spin bowlers or fast bowlers, and we will do our best.
- Brendan Taylor (2/2): [On whether winning the toss made a significant difference] No, not necessarily. It probably was slightly better to bat. It didn't swing. It was always going to swing more in the lights, but that doesn't say you the difference between 300 and 135. So we just totally got outperformed today, outplayed, and there's a lot of discussion, a lot of work to be done in the next few days. So, yeah, nothing wasted. Only wasted if we don't learn from it. [On his run-out and the missed opportunity to build on his recent batting form] Yeah, definitely a wasted opportunity and a misjudgment on my side. I'm trying to look to be proactive and take every run that I can get. Obviously, poor decision judgment and it stings. It's something that we'll reflect on, try and put it behind us as quickly as possible and move on.
- Brendan Taylor (1/2) (Raza is struggling with an injury so Taylor comes in to talk): [On where Zimbabwe went wrong in the match] I think, that's a good toss to win. I think Afghanistan came out and showed some real application and high quality on a wicket that was pretty docile. They got off to a flyer and managed to bring it back pretty well. Again, we're facing that sort of two, three wickets down in the powerplay and it's very tough to come back when you're up against some of the world's best spinners in the middle. It's always going to be difficult. So we need a better foundation. It's probably a day where we can draw a line in the sand and put this one behind us, take the lessons from it and try and turn it around as quickly as possible.
- Sediqullah Atal | Player of the match: [On scoring back-to-back hundreds in the Test match and the ACC Tri-Nation ODI Series final] I'm quite happy the way I'm going these days. So I'm working hard, really hard for these kind of days to contribute with the team and put the much impactful innings for my team to win against every side. [On his batting partnership and communication with Ibrahim Zadran] He's quite a good player to play with him in the crease. So that's why we just have a very good communication with each other and we know each other very well. So he's telling me, like, trust yourself and you can do it. Like if we have some dots bowled, some good spell from the opposition team, so he's telling me and I'm also telling him to do the basic right and just focus on one ball at a time. [On whether Afghanistan could have scored another 20–30 runs before being bowled out] Yeah, to be honest, we lost back-to-back wickets, which cost twenty to thirty runs. But we know this surface very well, that we have a very good spinning side and also some seamers. So it will be very helpful with us. So we were quite happy with the total, but yeah, we could have done better than this.
- Fazalhaq Farooqi (Translated to English): [Explaining the team's preparations and plans to address individual weaknesses ahead of the World Cup] Absolutely. All the players, particularly those involved in ODI cricket are preparing well. Almost every player has played around 20, 30 or 50 ODI matches, so everyone knows their own gameplan, batting style and bowling style. Wherever a player has weaknesses, we try to work on those areas and improve. [On his rhythm, fitness and comeback to ODI cricket] Absolutely. Looking at how I bowled in Ireland, especially during that time and the video I watched, I’m still not happy with my bowling rhythm and the way I’m bowling. I’m not as satisfied as I would like to be. But compared to that, I was still much better and I was able to bowl in the areas I wanted to. However, I still haven’t quite managed to achieve the level I want. [On preparing for the ODI World Cup next year and adapting to South African conditions] Absolutely. The plans are clear. We know every player’s strengths and their batting and bowling styles. I’m trying to work on my own game and when we go to South Africa, we’ll prepare according to the conditions and the wickets there. We’ll find our way against that team.
- 22:51 Local Time, 18:51 GMT, 00:21 IST: Once Zimbabwe fell behind in the chase, their target was 196 and not 295. 196 would've got them to the final irrespective of what happens in the final game. But they have been bundled out for 136. Farooqi at the top struck twice, with a beauty to dismiss Ben Curran. Sikandar Raza and Ryan Burl tried to steady the ship even as the former was dropped thrice en route to his 48. Rashid Khan came on and along with Nabi and Ghazanfar tied the batters down with a lot of dots. Then the wickets came and once Raza fell, even 196 was a huge mountain to climb and in the end, Afghanistan registered a massive win. One side who would be very happy with this result would be Bangladesh, who now have a chance to reach the final. Zimbabwe after a big win against Bangladesh have been handed a thrashing here tonight. Stay tuned for the post-match stuff....
- Over 39 · 0 runs (0 0 0 W) · 1 wkt
- 38.4WMohammad Nabi to Wellington Masakadza, out Wellington Masakadza Run Out!! 1 run completed. A run-out to end things. It's a slower and tossed up delivery outside off, Wellington Masakadza gets forward to drive, the thick outside-edge runs away wide of short third man. Zia chases and slides to pick it up, Masakadza needed to put in a dive to make it, but didn't. Well short as the direct-hit comes at his end. They go upstairs and we have the confirmation. Zimbabwe have been handed a heavy loss here. Wellington Masakadza run out (Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi) 2(11)
- Mohammad Nabi to Wellington Masakadza, THATS OUT!! Run Out!!
- Is that the end of the game? A direct-hit and looks like Wellington Masakadza is in trouble. Gone!
- 38.3•Mohammad Nabi to Wellington Masakadza, no run, slower and good length on middle, Wellington Masakadza goes on the back foot and defends watchfully
- 38.2•Mohammad Nabi to Wellington Masakadza, no run, slower and a hint of turn away from off, Wellington Masakadza gets forward and angles the bat to guide it to backward point
- 38.1•Mohammad Nabi to Wellington Masakadza, no run, down leg, flat and Wellington Masakadza goes on the back foot to tuck to backward square-leg
- Blessing Muzarabani, right handed bat, comes to the crease
- End of over 38 · 1 run (0 0 0 0 1 W) · 1 wktZIM 135/9Ernest Masuku 0(2) · Wellington Masakadza 1(7) · Rashid Khan 8-1-17-4
- 37.6WRashid Khan to Masuku, out Bowled!! No clue. The googly and Ernest Masuku has no idea. Miles between bat and pad as he gets forward to defend, the ball spins back in to hit middle-stump. So easy for Rashid Khan as Afghanistan inch closer. Masuku b Rashid Khan 0(2)
- Rashid Khan to Masuku, THATS OUT!! Bowled!!
- 37.51Rashid Khan to Wellington Masakadza, 1 run, back over the wicket. A 24-yarder. On a length on leg-stump, Wellington Masakadza gets forward to defend, the thick inside-edge goes to short fine
- 37.4•Rashid Khan to Wellington Masakadza, no run, from round the wicket. Full outside off, Wellington Masakadza gets forward to drive and extra-cover dives to his right to cut it off
- 37.3•Rashid Khan to Wellington Masakadza, no run, only Rashid Khan is interested for LBW. Did it pitch in line? Maybe not. Wellington Masakadza gets forward to turn to leg, misses, rapped on the pads and again saved by where the ball pitched
- 37.2•Rashid Khan to Wellington Masakadza, no run, again pitches outside the leg-stump, Wellington Masakadza goes on the back foot to whip and misses. Rapped on the pad
- 37.1•Rashid Khan to Wellington Masakadza, no run, tossed up full and pitches outside the leg-stump, Wellington Masakadza flicks and misses
- End of over 37 · 10 runs (6 4 0 0 W 0) · 1 wktZIM 134/8Ernest Masuku 0(1) · Wellington Masakadza 0(2) · Mohammad Nabi 7-0-36-1
- 36.6•Mohammad Nabi to Masuku, no run, tossed up full on off, Ernest Masuku gets forward to nudge it to short fine
- Ernest Masuku, right handed bat, comes to the crease
- 36.5WMohammad Nabi to Brad Evans, out Caught by Ibrahim Zadran!! Brad Evans takes on Mohammad Nabi and perishes. It's tossed up and Evans comes down the track to heave, off the bottom of the bat as he is not to the pitch of the ball. Easy catch for deep mid-wicket as Ibrahim makes no mistake with the reverse-cup. He already got 10 off the over, still wanted more and Nabi has the last laugh. Brad Evans c Ibrahim Zadran b Mohammad Nabi 14(10) [4s-1 6s-1]
- Mohammad Nabi to Brad Evans, THATS OUT!! Caught!!
- 36.4•Mohammad Nabi to Brad Evans, no run, the length is not there as Brad Evans comes down the track and then he defends it back
- 36.3•Mohammad Nabi to Brad Evans, no run, back over the wicket. On a good length on middle, Brad Evans goes on the back foot and turns it to the right of mid-wicket. Wants a run but sent back by Wellington Masakadza
- 36.24Mohammad Nabi to Brad Evans, FOUR, change of angle. From round the wicket and pitches outside the leg-stump, Brad Evans brings out the reverse-sweep and gets it wide of backward point for four
- 36.16Mohammad Nabi to Brad Evans, SIX, slower and tossed up full outside off, Brad Evans gets forward and low and lofts cleanly, manages to clear long-on
- End of over 36 · 0 runs (0 0 0 W 0 0) · 1 wktZIM 124/7Wellington Masakadza 0(2) · Brad Evans 4(5) · Rashid Khan 7-1-16-3
- 35.6•Rashid Khan to Wellington Masakadza, no run, tossed up full just outside off, Wellington Masakadza gets forward to drive, the thick outside-edge runs to short third man who dives to his right to cut it off. A wicket-maiden even as Rashid Khan still keeps talking to Ahsan Raza about the LBW decision
- 35.5•Rashid Khan to Wellington Masakadza, no run, so so close. The ump's call by Ahsan Raza saves Wellington Masakadza. It rushes him on the pull, pitched in line and he goes on the back foot to pull, misses. Rapped on the back leg. Raza took his time to turn down the appeal. Afghanistan review and impact is ump's call
- Big shout for LBW is turned down by Ahsan Raza. Rahmat Shah reviews. The impact saves the batter.
- Wellington Masakadza, left handed bat, comes to the crease
- 35.4WRashid Khan to Sikandar Raza, out Bowled!! Sikandar Raza's luck runs out. The tossed up googly and right through the bat and pad gap. Raza gets forward and the bat is angled as he looks to push at it. This spins back in and knocks back the off-stump. Lovely bowling and now Zimbabwe have a task on their hands to get to 196. Sikandar Raza b Rashid Khan 48(80) [4s-3 6s-1]
- Rashid Khan to Sikandar Raza, THATS OUT!! Bowled!!
- 35.3•Rashid Khan to Sikandar Raza, no run, turns back in this good length delivery on off, Sikandar Raza goes on the back foot and punches, mid-wicket gets across and cuts it off to his left
- 35.2•Rashid Khan to Sikandar Raza, no run, tossed up full this leg-break outside off, Sikandar Raza with a forward defence
- 35.1•Rashid Khan to Sikandar Raza, no run, flat good length outside off, Sikandar Raza goes on the back foot and cuts, finds backward point
- End of over 35 · 7 runs (0 4 1 0 0 2)ZIM 124/6Brad Evans 4(5) · Sikandar Raza 48(76) · Mohammad Nabi 6-0-26-0
- 34.62Mohammad Nabi to Brad Evans, 2 runs, slower and tossed up outside off, Brad Evans comes down the track and is not to the pitch of the ball, drags the heave wide of deep mid-wicket for a couple
- 34.5•Mohammad Nabi to Brad Evans, no run, again tossed up full on off, Brad Evans gets forward to turn it towards square-leg and is sent back by Sikandar Raza
- 34.4•Mohammad Nabi to Brad Evans, no run, back over the wicket. Nicely tossed up full on off, Brad Evans gets forward to defend
- 34.31Mohammad Nabi to Sikandar Raza, 1 run, now Mohammad Nabi round the wicket. Flat good length on middle, Sikandar Raza goes on the back foot and punches it down to long-on
- 34.24Mohammad Nabi to Sikandar Raza, FOUR, hammers this off the back foot wide of extra-cover and gives long-off no chance to his left. It's a good length delivery and spins back into middle, Sikandar Raza goes on the back foot and crunches that hard
- 34.1•Mohammad Nabi to Sikandar Raza, no run, dropped by Omarzai at cover-point. Third life for Sikandar Raza. It's a good length delivery outside off, he goes on the back foot and cuts, simple chance and down it goes. Omarzai can't believe it. That should've been taken
- End of over 34 · 4 runs (1 0 1 W 2 0) · 1 wktZIM 117/6Brad Evans 2(2) · Sikandar Raza 43(73) · Rashid Khan 6-0-16-2
- 33.6•Rashid Khan to Brad Evans, no run, flat good length on middle-stump, Brad Evans goes on the back foot to nudge it to mid-wicket
- 33.52Rashid Khan to Brad Evans, 2 runs, from 24-yards. On a good length outside off, short, Brad Evans goes on the back foot and cuts wide of sweeper cover for two to get off the mark
- Brad Evans, right handed bat, comes to the crease
- 33.4WRashid Khan to Madhevere, out Lbw!! Low bounce and rightly Wessly Madhevere shakes his head as he walks back. That was almost a grubber. Madhevere went on the back foot to pull this good length delivery on middle-stump, expected it to rise higher, but it shot through and rapped him on the back pad. As dead as they come. One can walk for such LBWs. Madhevere lbw b Rashid Khan 5(7)
- Rashid Khan to Madhevere, THATS OUT!! Lbw!!
- 33.31Rashid Khan to Sikandar Raza, 1 run, tossed up full on leg-stump, Sikandar Raza gets forward to flick to deep square-leg
- 33.2•Rashid Khan to Sikandar Raza, no run, flat good length just outside off, Sikandar Raza goes on the back foot and punches it straight to the fielder at cover. Again he shakes his head
- 33.11Rashid Khan to Madhevere, 1 run, flat good length on off, Wessly Madhevere goes on the back foot and punches it down to long-on
- End of over 33 · 5 runs (1 1 1 0 1 1)ZIM 113/5Wessly Madhevere 4(5) · Sikandar Raza 42(71) · Mohammad Nabi 5-0-19-0
- 32.61Mohammad Nabi to Madhevere, 1 run, slower and the off-break turns into middle, Wessly Madhevere backs away and chops the cut wide of cover
- 32.51Mohammad Nabi to Sikandar Raza, 1 run, on a good length on middle, Sikandar Raza goes on the back foot and punches to the left of Mohammad Nabi and beats his dive
- 32.4•Mohammad Nabi to Sikandar Raza, no run, slower and the good length delivery spins back in on middle-stump, Sikandar Raza goes on the back foot and cuts hard and straight to extra-cover. He shakes his head as he feels he has missed out
- 32.31Mohammad Nabi to Madhevere, 1 run, slower and tossed up full outside off, Wessly Madhevere sinks low and laps it behind the keeper`
- If Zimbabwe make 196 here, they will be in the final, irrespective of what happens here or in the final league game.
- 32.21Mohammad Nabi to Sikandar Raza, 1 run, full and just outside the leg-stump, Sikandar Raza makes room and drives wide of extra-cover for one
- 32.11Mohammad Nabi to Madhevere, 1 run, the off-break turns into leg-stump, Wessly Madhevere goes on the back foot and whips it wide of square-leg who dives to his left and can't stop it
- End of over 32 · 1 run (0 0 W 0 1 0) · 1 wktZIM 108/5Sikandar Raza 40(68) · Wessly Madhevere 1(2) · Rashid Khan 5-0-12-1
- 31.6•Rashid Khan to Sikandar Raza, no run, slower and tossed up full outside off, spins back in, Sikandar Raza gets forward to drive and is beaten on the inside-edge
- 31.51Rashid Khan to Madhevere, 1 run, full outside off, Wessly Madhevere gets forward to drive square on the off-side and is off the mark with a single to sweeper cover
- 31.4•Rashid Khan to Madhevere, no run, the 24-yarder. Tossed up full on middle, spins back in, Wessly Madhevere gets forward to defend, the thick inside-edge goes to short fine
- Wessly Madhevere, right handed bat, comes to the crease
- 31.3WRashid Khan to Ryan Burl, out Lbw!! Ryan Burl has a word with Sikandar Raza but walks off. They don't review. Was this sliding down leg? It's tossed up full around leg-stump, Burl gets forward for a big mow across the line, misses and is rapped on the back leg. The ball was turning and Ahsan Raza has the finger up slowly. Need ball-tracking to find out if it was hitting or missing or clipping. Ball-tracking is in - it's just clipping leg-stump and that would be ump's call. So out it would've been even with a review. Ryan Burl lbw b Rashid Khan 31(63) [4s-2]
- Rashid Khan to Ryan Burl, THATS OUT!! Lbw!!
- 31.2•Rashid Khan to Ryan Burl, no run, flat and keeps low on a good length on off, Ryan Burl goes on the back foot to tuck, the thick inside-edge goes back on to the pad
- 31.1•Rashid Khan to Ryan Burl, no run, pitches outside the leg-stump, full, Ryan Burl sweeps and misses
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