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28 March 2024

No dream World Cup debut for Afghanistan as Bangladesh win

Published
By Cricket Correspondent and Agencies

Afghanistan never recovered from a horror start as Bangladesh overpowered the World Cup newcomers by 105 runs at Canberra's Manuka Oval on Wednesday.

The Afghans marked their World Cup debut by holding Bangladesh to 267 all out after losing the toss but crumbled to three for three in the opening three overs of their reply.

Their chaotic start with the bat meant Afghanistan were never likely to repeat their win over Test nation Bangladesh at last year's Asia Cup one-day tournament.

Bangladesh, cheered on by their passionate fans, must now beat at least one of the big four in Pool A - co-hosts Australia and New Zealand, Sri Lanka and England - and also win against Scotland to keep their quarter-final hopes alive.

The Tigers new-ball attack, spearheaded by skipper Mashrafe Mortaza (three for 20), proved too much for Afghanistan to handle, even on a placid batting pitch, and they were dismissed for 162 with more than seven overs left. 

Javed Ahmadi was out for one on the last ball of the opening over after a leading edge to a short-pitched delivery from Mortaza saw him caught and bowled.

Afsar Zazai followed next ball in the following over by Rubel Hossain, leg before for one, and Asghar Stanikzai made it three for three when he edged Mortaza to Mahmudullah, who held a juggled chance at first slip.

Nawroz Mangal and Samiullah Shenwari stabilised the innings with a 62-run stand before Nawroz was out for 27 slog-sweeping Mahmudullah to Rubel at deep square leg.

Hossain injured his knee in making the tumbling catch but there was more damage to Afghanistan who slumped to 65 for four.

Shenwari was run out for 42 going for a second run by Shabbir Rahman's throw from fine leg even though he dived to make his ground.

Najibullah Zadran went leg before wicket to Shakib for 17, skipper Mohammad Nabi spooned a catch to Soumya Sarkar off Mortaza for 44 and Mirwais Ashraf was taken by Mortaza at long-off from Shakib for 10 as the Afghan resistance succumbed.

Earlier, Bangladesh were indebted to man-of-the-match Mushfiqur Rahim, who top-scored with 71 off 56 balls, while star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan chipped in with 63 off 51 balls.

Mushfiqur and Shakib lived up to their reputation as Bangladesh's best batsmen with a defiant century stand to kick along their team's dawdling early scoring rate.

They raised a hundred partnership off 14.4 overs to thrill their excitable green and red-clad fans, who made for a lively atmosphere inside the ground.

Shakib slammed paceman Hamid Hassan for four and six and went for another big heave only to be bowled off an inside edge.

The ICC's top-rated allrounder, Shakib put on 114 runs for the fifth wicket with Mushfiqur. It was the fourth hundred stand the pair had shared and they have now scored 1,725 runs together at 39.20.

However, wickets tumbled in the final overs with Hamid, Shapoor Zadran, Mirwais Ashraf and Aftab Alam all taking two apiece.

Medium-pacer Mirwais claimed the honour of getting Afghanistan's first wicket at the World Cup when he had Tamim Iqbal caught superbly by diving wicketkeeper Zazai.

Mirwais followed up by dismissing the other opener, Anamul Haque, lbw for 29 after a batsman's review to leave Bangladesh 52 for two.

Bangladesh struggled to take control and were just 119 for four before Mushfiqur and Shakib revived their innings.

Scoreboard

Bangladesh

Tamim Iqbal c Asfar b Mirwais 19
Anamul Haque lbw b Mirwais 29
Soumya Sarkar lbw b Shapoor 28
Mahmudullah c Afsar b Shapoor 23
Shakib Al Hasan b Hamid 63
Mushfiqur Rahim c Shenwari b Nabi 71
Sabbir Rahman b Hamid 3
Mashrafe Mortaza b Aftab 14
Mominul Haque run out (Asfar) 3
Rubel Hossain not out 0
Taskin Ahmed b Aftab 1
Extras (b3, lb4, w6) 13
Total (all out; 50 overs) 267
Fall of wickets: 1-47 (Tamim), 2-52 (Anamul), 3-102 (Soumya), 4-119
(Mahmudullah), 5-233 (Shakib), 6-241 (Sabbir), 7-247 (Mushfiqur),
8-263 (Mominul), 9-263 (Mortaza), 10-267 (Taskin)
Bowling: Hamid 10-0-61-2 (1w); Shapoor 7-1-20-2; Aftab 9-0-55-2 (3w);
Mirwais 9-3-32-2 (1w); Nabi 9-0-58-1 (1w); Javed 4.5-0-32-0, Shenwari
1.1-0-2-0;

Afghanistan

Javed Ahmadi c and b Mortaza 1
Afsar Zazai lbw b Hossain 1
Nawroz Mangal c Hossain b Mahmudullah 27
Asghar Stanikzai c Mahmudullah b Mortaza 1
Samiullah Shenwari run out (Sabbir) 42
Mohammad Nabi c Soumya b Mortaza 44
Najibullah Zadran lbw b Shakib 17
Mirwais Ashraf c Mortaza b Shakib 10
Aftab Alam not out 14
Hamid Hassan c Anamul b Taskin 0
Shapoor Zadran run out (Mushfiqur) 2
Extras (lb1, w2) 3
Total(all out; 42.5 overs) 162
Fall of wickets: 1-2 (Javed), 2-2 (Afsar), 3-3 (Stanikzai), 4-65
(Nawroz), 5-78 (Shenwari), 6-136 (Najibullah), 7-136 (Nabi), 8-154
(Mirwais), 9-154 (Hamid), 10-162 (Shapoor)
Bowling: Mortaza 9-2-20-3; Hossain 6-0-27-1 (1w); Taskin 7-0-23-1;
Shakib 8.5-0-43-2; Mahmudullah 8-1-31-1; Soumya 3-0-13-0; Sabbir
1-0-4-0

Result: Bangladesh won by 105 runs

Toss:
Bangladesh

Afghanistan innings

Bangladesh win by 105 runs with Shapoor being last man out and Afghanistan are all out for 162, 42.5 overs.

Shapoor Zadran run out 2 (2b 0x4 0x6)


Hassan is dismissed for a duck. Ban 154-9, 41.5 overs.

Hamid Hassan c Anamul Haque b Taskin Ahmed 0 (5b 0x4 0x6)

Mirwais slams a massive six off Shakib before holing out to Mortaza. Ban 154-8, 41 overs.

Mirwais Ashraf c Mashrafe Mortaza b Shakib Al Hasan 10 (15b 0x4 1x6)

Double blow for Afghanistan as skipper Nabi perishes. Afg 136-7, 37.1 overs

Mohammad Nabi c Soumya Sarkar b Mashrafe Mortaza 44 (43b 5x4 0x6)

Shakib strikes trapping Najibullah leg before with a beautiful delivery. Afg 136-6, 37 overs

Najibullah Zadran lbw b Shakib Al Hasan 17 (34b 1x4 0x6)

Shenwari is run out by a superb piece of fielding from Sabbir. Afg 77-5, 25.4 overs.

Samiullah Shenwari run out 42 (75b 2x4 0x6)

Bangladesh get a breakthrough with Hossain taking a superb catch in the deep. Afg 65-4, 22.4 overs.

Nawroz Mangal c Rubel Hossain b Mahmudullah 27 (57b 1x4 0x6)

Bangladesh innings

Bangladesh are bowled out for 267 with last man Taskin being castled by Alam in the last ball of the innings.

Taskin Ahmed b Aftab Alam 1 (3b 0x4 0x6)

Mortaza swings and misses. Ban 263-9, 49.1 overs.

Mashrafe Mortaza b Aftab Alam 14 (9b 3x4 0x6)

Mominul is run out after being stranded in the middle. Ban 263-8, 49 overs.

Mominul Haque run out 3 (3b 0x4 0x6) 

Mushfiqur departs smashing a full toss straight to midwicket fielder. Ban 247-7, 47.3 overs.

Mushfiqur Rahim c Samiullah Shenwari b Mohammad Nabi 71 (56b 6x4 1x6)

Hassan strikes another crucial blow beating Shabbir with a yorker. Ban 241-6, 46.5 overs.

Sabbir Rahman b Hamid Hassan 3 (8b 0x4 0x6)

Shakib hammers a huge six off Hassan who has the last laugh castling the left-hander with a slow ball. Ban 233-5, 44.4 overs

Shakib Al Hasan b Hamid Hassan 63 (51b 6x4 1x6)

Shakib completes his 27th ODI fifty off 43 balls. Ban 213-4, 43 overs.

Mushfiqur completes his 19th ODI half century off 40 balls. Ban 209-5, 42 overs.

Mushfiqur swings Aftab to the midwicket fence to bring up the 200 of the innings. Ban 204-4, 41 overs

Bangladesh smash 48 in the Batting Powerplay. Ban 186-4, 39 overs.

Shakib blasts Aftab for a couple of consecutive boundaries. Ban 186-4, 39 overs.

Another boundary by Musfiqur who is showing his class finding the gap on the off. Ban 175-4, 38 overs

Mushfiqur uses his feet and drives Ahmadi beautifully through the off for a boundary. Ban 146-4, 35 overs


Shenwari has been banned from bowling. Blow for Afghanistan, Ban 133-4, 33 overs

Zazai takes another brilliant catch as Shapoor strikes with Mahmudullah fishing outside off. Bang 119-4, 29.1 overs.

Mahmudullah c Afsar Zazai b Shapoor Zadran 23 (46b 0x4 0x6)

Shakib attacks Ahmadi smashing to midwicet for a boundary. Ban 119-3, 29 overs

 


Afghanistan get another breakthrough as Zadran strikes trapping Sarkar leg before. Ban 102-3, 25.5 overs.

Soumya Sarkar lbw b Shapoor Zadran 28 (25b 3x4 1x6)

Sarkar puts on his dancing shoes and clubs Mirwais into the Bangladesh crowd for a massive six. Ban 101-2, 25 overs.


Sarkar smashes the first ball from Ahmadi to midwicket for a boundary. Ban 86-2, 24 overs

Sarkar gets his first boundary whipping Mirwais through midwicket. Ban 61-2, 19 overs.

Double strike by Mirwais as Anamul is trapped leg before being unsuccessful with the decision review. Ban 52-2, 16.4 overs.

Anamul Haque lbw b Mirwais Ashraf 29 (55b 4x4 0x6)

Anamul steers Nabi to third man for a boundary to bring up the 50 of the Bangladesh innings in the 16th over. Ban 52-1

Mirwais draws first blood with Zazai taking a brilliant catch as Tamim tries to run the ball to third man. Ban 47-1, 14.3 overs.

Tamim Iqbal c Afsar Zazai b Mirwais Ashraf 19 (42b 2x4 0x6)

Anamul has crashed Aftab for a couple of boundaries on either side of the wicket. Ban 38-0, 10 overs.

Anamul gets his first boundary flicking Hassan who drifts one onto his pads. Ban 23-0, 7 overs.

Zadran has bowled a maiden to Tamim. Ban 19-0, 6 overs.

Tamim has crunched Hassan through the covers for another boundary. Ban 19-0, 5 overs.

Tamim hits the first boundary of the driving Hassan through the covers and survives a confident appeal for a catch behind. Ban 10-0, 3 overs.

Bangladesh have won the toss and elected to bat first.

PLAYING XI

Afghanistan
- Afsar Zazai, Javed Ahmadi, Nawroz Mangal, Asghar Stanikzai, Samiullah Shenwari, Mohammad Nabi, Najibullah Zadran, Mirwais Ashraf, Aftab Alam, Shapoor Zadran, Hamid Hassan

Bangladesh - Tamim Iqbal, Anamul Haque, Mominul Haque, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Sabbir Rahman, Mahmudullah, Mashrafe Mortaza, Soumya Sarkar, Rubel Hossain, Taskin Ahmed

Preview

Afghanistan offer the World Cup a fairytale story if they can upset Bangladesh and launch their debut tournament with a victory at Canberra's Manuka Oval on Wednesday.

The Afghans want to give their war-weary homeland something to cheer and they hold hopes of upsetting Test-playing national Bangladesh after shocking them in the Asia Cup in Dhaka last year.

Afghanistan's long-serving captain Mohammad Nabi said he believed his side were more suited to Australian conditions than their opponents, who were brought up on a diet of slow bowling on flat pitches.

"We have quality fast bowlers and also it's suitable (here) for the batsmen. If you look at the conditions of Bangladesh and Australia, it's totally different," said Nabi, a spin-bowling all-rounder who has played every one of Afghanistan's 45 ODIs.

"The pressure is not on Afghanistan, the pressure is totally on Bangladesh because we already beat them at the Asia Cup.

"Hopefully everyone controls their nerves and also control the pressure as well. If we control the pressure then we'll perform well in the match." 

"For Afghanistan to play the 50-over World Cup is our dream," Nabi said.

"The meaning for the country to play in the 50-over World Cup is a big opportunity for cricket and also for the nation.

"This is a game that can bring Afghanistan together and be a very good tool for peace and stability."

Apart from fellow Associate nation Scotland, Bangladesh is Afghanistan's big opportunity for a win as they also have hosts Australia, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and England to contend with in Pool A.

"The biggest challenge is going to be how the batsmen handle the quicker bowlers. Playing in Australia is going to be quite brutal for some of these guys who aren't used to those conditions," their English coach Andy Moles said.

"I will work hard to get them as much confidence as possible, to play without fear of failure and, if they see an opportunity at any stage in a game, to take it.

"I'd like them to enjoy the challenge that lies ahead of them."

With experienced players like Nowroz Mangal, Mohammad Nabi, Samiullah Shinwari, Najibullah Zadran, Shapoor Zadran and Hamid Hasan, Afghanistan will hope they can show their talent in the big league.

Afghanistan qualified for the last two World Twenty20 tournaments in 2010 and 2012 but lost all their matches, however this will be their first time in the 50-over tournament.

A loss would be an embarrassment for the Bangladeshis, who must negotiate Afghanistan if they are to make a run for the quarter-finals as one of four teams out of Pool A.

Bangladesh, coached by Sri Lankan Chandika Hathurusingha, will need a dramatic turn in fortunes to ensure another World Cup does not cause more misery.

Bangladesh failed to register wins for most of 2014 until fellow wooden-spooners Zimbabwe came calling at the end of the year and were thrashed 3-0 in Tests and 5-0 in the one-dayers.

Bangladesh have struggled at Test level - winning just seven of their 88 Tests since their debut in 2000 - but have always appeared more suited to the shorter format where they have recorded creditable wins.

A five-wicket win over Australia at Cardiff in 2005 was their moment of glory until they knocked India out of the 2007 World Cup to move beyond the first round for the only time in the tournament.

"The kind of squad we have, I am confident we can reach the quarter-finals," skipper Mashrafe Mortaza said.

The focal point of Bangladesh's campaign will be the skilful 27-year-old all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan, who has been the team's mainstay ever since his international debut eight years ago.

The left-hand batsman and left-arm spinner goes into his third World Cup as the ICC top-ranked all-rounder in all three formats.

Shakib is the only player in the team who has experienced Australian conditions recently, having turned out for Melbourne Renegades in the Big Bash Twenty20 tournament.

Another player to watch is 22-year-old left-arm spinner Taijul Islam, who grabbed eight for 39 against Zimbabwe in Dhaka in only his third Test to record the best Test figures ever by a Bangladeshi bowler.

The Afghans have already defeated Bangladesh once, by 32 runs in their only one-day international match-up at the Asia Cup in Fatullah last year.

One of the weaker of the International Cricket Council's elite "Full Members", Bangladesh have also had a poor leadup to the tournament, losing their final warmup in Sydney to Ireland by four wickets in Sydney.

Squads and officials for Wednesday's World Cup Pool A match between Afghanistan and Bangladesh at Manuka Oval in Canberra (14:30 local/03:30 GMT):

Afghanistan - Mohammad Nabi (captain), Afsar Zazai, Usman Ghani, Aftab Alam, Asghar Stanikzai, Dawlat Zadran, Gulbadin Naib, Hamid Hasan, Javed Ahmadi, Najibullah Zadran, Mirwais Ashraf, Nasir Jamal, Nawroz Mangal, Shapoor Zadran, Samiullar Shenwari.

Bangladesh - Mashrafe Mortaza (capt), Shakib Al Hasan, Tamim Iqbal, Anamul Haque, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mohammad Mahmudullah, Nasir Hossain, Sabbir Rahman, Soumya Sarkar, Rubel Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Al-Amin Hossain, Taijul Islam, Arafat Sunny.

Umpires: Steve Davis (ENG), Joel Wilson (WIS)
TV umpire: Aleem Dar (PAK)
Match referee: Jeff Crowe (NZL)
Weather forecast: Cloudy, shower. Maximum temperature 29 Celsius

 

 

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