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."
Sport
Afghanistan clinches ODI series victory against Zimbabwe
Afghanistan's national cricket team triumphed over Zimbabwe by 8 wickets in the third and final One-Day International (ODI) to claim the series victory.
In a dominant bowling display, Afghanistan dismissed Zimbabwe for just 127 runs in 30.1 overs. The Afghan batsmen then chased down the target comfortably in 26.5 overs, losing only 2 wickets along the way.
The standout performer of the match was Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar, who took a remarkable 5 wickets, while Rashid Khan supported with 3 wickets. Azmatullah Omarzai and Farid Ahmad each claimed 1 wicket.
The first match of the series was abandoned due to rain, but Afghanistan bounced back strongly in the second match, securing a commanding 232-run victory.
This series win follows Afghanistan's earlier success in the T20I series against Zimbabwe, further cementing their dominance in international cricket.
Sport
Bangla Tigers lift Lanka T10 Super League title
Player of the match and player of the series was Titan’s skipper Dasun Shanaka.
Hambantota Bangla Tigers beat favorites Jaffna Titans by 26 runs in Thursday’s Lanka T10 Super League final at the Pallekele Stadium in Kandy.
The Tigers produced a fine all-round performance to beat the Titans, who had won all their matches in the lead up to the final.
Player of the match and player of the series was Titan’s skipper Dasun Shanaka.
Hambantota Bangla Tigers, put into bat first, posted 133 for seven from their allotted 10 overs through some useful contributions from their top order batsmen.
The openers Mohammad Shahzad and Kusal Perera added 35 runs from 2.4 overs before they suffered a middle order collapse and reached 59 for three at the halfway stage of the innings.
However, skipper Dasun Shanaka and Shevon Daniel revived the innings with a fourth-wicket partnership of 44 runs in three overs.
Shanaka made 21 with two sixes and two boundaries while Daniel struck 26 with one six and three boundaries before Kennar Lewis and Dhananjaya Lakshan added the finishing touches.
Chasing 133 runs for victory, Jaffna Titans lost wickets at regular intervals and they eventually finished at 107 for six despite a fighting unbeaten half century from middle order batsman Tom Abell.
Richard Gleeson wrecked the Hambantota Bangla Tigers’ innings with excellent figures of three wickets for 21 while Shanaka captured two wickets for four runs.
Sport
Afghanistan crush Zimbabwe by 232 runs in second ODI
Afghanistan defeated Zimbabwe by 232 runs in the second ODI on Thursday to secure a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Sent to bat first by Zimbabwe who won the toss, Afghanistan posted 286-6 in Harare.
Sediqullah Atal scored 104, his first hundred in an international match. Abdul Malik followed with 84.
In reply, Zimbabwe scored 54 runs before being bowled out in the 17.5 overs.
Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar and Naweed Zadran took three wickets each. Fazlullah Farooqi picked up two wickets and Azmatullah Omarzai one.
This was the second match of the ODI series between Afghanistan and Zimbabwe. The first was abandoned due to rain.
The third and final game of the series will be played on Saturday.
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