ISLAMABAD: Afghanistan achieved a remarkable 69-run victory over defending champions England at the World Cup. This win, their second ever in the tournament, propelled them out of the bottom position in the group standings.
Afghanistan entered the match with a dismal record, having lost 16 of their last 17 World Cup games. Their sole victory occurred in 2015 against Scotland.
Afghanistan batted first, posting a total of 284, thanks to a blistering 80-run knock from opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz and a half-century from Ikram Alikhil.
England, in reply, faltered and managed to score only 215 runs before getting all out. The only batter who adapted well to the conditions was Harry Brook, who fought valiantly to score 66 runs. Spinners Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Rashid Khan played pivotal roles, each taking three wickets.
Mujeeb was instrumental in dismissing key players, including Joe Root and Brook, setting the stage for a historic victory. He was awarded the player of the match.
Mujeeb expressed his pride at being part of the World Cup and achieving a remarkable victory against the reigning champions. He remarked, “I’m thrilled with this performance. As spinners, it’s challenging to bowl in the powerplay, but I’ve been diligently working in the nets to maintain consistency. We were aware that dew would play a role.”
Moreover, Rashid shared his hope that this victory would bring joy to the people in Afghanistan, a country dealing with the aftermath of multiple earthquakes that have claimed the lives of approximately 1,000 individuals and injured over 2,000. Additionally, in a separate post, he dedicated the day’s win to “brothers and sisters in Afghanistan and Palestine.”
Opening stand
Afghanistan started strongly with a 114-run opening partnership between Gurbaz and Zadran, scoring at eight runs per over in the powerplay.
Adil Rashid’s three wickets for 42 runs disrupted their progress, with Zadran and Rahmat Shah falling.
Gurbaz missed out on a potential century and was run out, expressing his frustration by smashing his bat.
Alikhil and Rashid Khan added 43 runs, but Rashid Khan was brilliantly caught by Joe Root.
Captain Hashmatullah Shahidi believed a total of 280-290 was sufficient on this spinner-friendly pitch.
Early wickets
England’s early innings faltered, with Bairstow and Root getting dismissed. Malan and Buttler also fell quickly, leaving them at 91-4.
Harry Brook’s fifty provided some resistance, but he was eventually caught off Mujeeb. Rashid Khan finished off England’s tail.
Buttler also expressed disappointment and credited Afghanistan’s strong performance. England is fifth in the group standings, one place ahead of Afghanistan.
