At Greater Noida Sports Complex Ground in Greater Noida, India due to heavy rainfall on the final day of Afghanistan-New Zealand Test match was called off with no balls being bowled due to rain – becoming the eighth test ever abandoned without ever bowling a ball being bowled.
Afghanistan dispatched of New Zealand in their second warm-up match for the Champions Trophy to achieve victory, yet outside its boundaries people still live under conflict and instability.
In this article, we will discuss the main points or high lights of Afghanistan National Cricket Team vs New Zealand National Cricket Team Match Scorecard.
Top Run-Scorers
| Rank | Player | Team | Runs | Balls Faced | Strike Rate | 4s | 6s | Highest Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rahmanullah Gurbaz | Afghanistan | 80 | 52 | 153.85 | 6 | 3 | 80 |
| 2 | Ibrahim Zadran | Afghanistan | 44 | 41 | 107.32 | 4 | 1 | 44 |
| 3 | Fazalhaq Farooqi | Afghanistan | 22 | 13 | 169.23 | 1 | 1 | 22 |
| 4 | Mohammad Nabi | Afghanistan | 9 | 4 | 225.00 | 1 | 0 | 9 |
| 5 | Najibullah Zadran | Afghanistan | 0 | 1 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Top Wicket-Takers
| Rank | Player | Team | Overs | Wickets | Economy Rate | Best Bowling |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rashid Khan | Afghanistan | 4 | 4 | 4.25 | 4/17 |
| 2 | Fazalhaq Farooqi | Afghanistan | 4 | 4 | 4.25 | 4/17 |
| 3 | Naveen-ul-Haq | Afghanistan | 2 | 0 | 7.50 | – |
| 4 | Mohammad Nabi | Afghanistan | 1 | 0 | 6.00 | – |
| 5 | Ibrahim Zadran | Afghanistan | 1 | 0 | 6.00 | – |
Afghanistan vs New Zealand
New Zealand will look to extend their winning streak at the ICC Cricket World Cup when they take on Afghanistan in Taunton. While New Zealand sit atop of the standings with two wins already from three matches played, Afghanistan are currently sitting last with just one.
The match will take place at Cooper Associates County Ground in Taunton, England and features a dry pitch without much in terms of pace on offer. Afghanistan’s spinners, particularly leg-spinner Rashid Khan and off-spinner Mohammad Nabi will likely present problems to New Zealand in this encounter – they will likely play key roles for Afghanistan against New Zealand.
Hazratullah Zazai gives Matt Henry an early lesson with two consecutive boundaries from Hazratullah Zazai’s opening over against New Zealand: first off a fullish delivery wide of off stump, which Zazai smashes over deep square leg for six; the second from short delivery which Zazai lofts to long on. Although later Colin de Grandhomme and Martin Guptill converge but let go the ball instead of taking direct action against Zazai at long on.
NZ 172/3 against AFG in 39 Overs: Kane Williamson strikes his hundred off 92 balls to help close in on victory for New Zealand and extend their unbeaten record in three ODI matches, while Afghanistan have only managed one win thus far.
Kiwis must win this match to reach the semi-finals and advance past group stage. Their next opponent could be Bangladesh or Sri Lanka and defeat would be devastating for their hopes of qualifying for the last four. On the other hand, victory will put them back in control of their pool and give momentum heading into their final match with Pakistan – they must maintain strong bowling and batsmanship to progress beyond group stage; New Zealand have previously defeated Afghanistan 11 out of 11 times over ODI format!
Afghanistan vs Pakistan A
Cricket is a game of skill, luck and chance; yet its power to transcend politics lies in its unifying effect on society as whole. Cricket unites Afghans living under conflict-ravaged conditions for 42 years as it provides them an avenue of escape through sport – to many its success on the world stage is considered nothing short of miraculous.
Afghanistan cricket team has made tremendous advances in recent years. One of the fastest-rising international cricket teams, they quickly established themselves as one of the dominant competitors. Even during difficult periods like their civil war and oppressive regime, Afghanistan never lost their fighting spirit and were determined to move forward together as one cohesive unit.
Afghanistan’s victory against Pakistan in the Champions Trophy was an emotional experience for all involved. It marked an end to decades of conflict, and showed us all a glimpse of humanity among players from a country once considered unsafe to reside.
Pakistan was an intense match, yet Afghanistan managed to edge ahead and claim victory with one over remaining. Afghanistan will hope that this win can propel them into the semifinals of this tournament.
Afghanistan had never previously defeated Pakistan in an ODI. Although these teams have met three times during ICC tournaments, none of those matches was decided by more than one wicket.
Victory for Afghanistan cricket provided a major boost for an organization which has long struggled against terrorism and other security concerns. It demonstrates both players and coaches’ dedication, as well as support from its board.
Afghanistan’s success at the Champions Trophy has generated much enthusiasm throughout their country and more people are following sport as a result of Afghanistan’s achievements. We hope they are able to continue winning in future tournaments and show that all their hard work paid off!
Afghanistan vs Pakistan B
Afghanistan have made notable strides this week since winning their inaugural ODI against England at Sharjah and now look set to do just that against Australia on Friday. They currently rank fifth in ICC T20I rankings but can move into fourth with a victory on Friday.
However, they will face an uphill struggle, as Australia are among the finest T20 teams worldwide. Since resuming competition in this format in 2003-04 World T20 qualifiers against India (Lower Group Stage match), Australia have lost only two matches out of 10. They recorded wins against Bangladesh and New Zealand before losing narrowly against them at home during a previous group stage matchup.
Australia are full of confidence, hoping to reach the semifinals for the first time since winning the 2007 ICC Champions Trophy. A win against Afghanistan would guarantee their passage, with India as their next potential adversary providing further incentive.
Political tension between Afghanistan and Scotland runs deep, as does regional sporting rivalry. Recently however, Afghan cricketers have made inroads into international cricket – they appeared for their inaugural men’s World Cup appearance in 2015 where they suffered a narrow defeat by Scotland.
Afghanistan have excelled in the International Cricket Council World Cricket League Championship so far, winning two out of their four matches thus far. Despite facing political and security difficulties at home, their cricket board has made good use of their talented players to maximize performance on the international stage.
Rickleton and Bavuma have established a solid partnership for South Africa, creating an insurmountable barrier against Afghanistan bowlers. At this stage, it may be prudent for South African batsmen to attempt to accelerate scoring rate to give themselves a greater chance of securing their target more quickly; or alternatively they could remain risk-averse and let Afghanistan bowlers work their magic; then an aggregate score of 350 should suffice as progress is assured.
Afghanistan vs Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka will look to build on their defeat of New Zealand with victory against Afghanistan when Dimuth Karunaratne leads his side against Afghanistan, looking for redemption after suffering an agonising seven-wicket loss against reigning champion Australia in their previous game.
Sri Lanka has suffered under its new coach when it comes to their batting in this tournament, so their success on Tuesday against Afghanistan could be the deciding factor when they face off against each other. A win against them would give their chances a much-needed boost before their next meeting with Pakistan on March 16.
Dimuth Karunaratne and Kusal Perera have been effective openers for Sri Lanka, but in order to reach their target they will need to step up their game significantly. Additionally, Angelo Mathews will miss out with an ankle injury ruling him out from their team’s battle plan.
Afghanistan’s middle order have begun to find their feet, with Nabi, Mujeeb and Rashid all contributing half centuries each. Afghanistan captain Gulbadin Naib will hope to turn around his team’s fortunes when he takes to the crease for the first time at this World Cup.
WICKET! Pradeep bowls a good delivery that goes full and hits Hashmatullah on his pads before landing on the stumps – hashmatullah attempts to play at it but misses the ball completely – Afghanistan are in serious trouble here!
FOUR! Nabi comes forward and hits a short ball down the ground for a boundary, signaling his return as an aggressive batsman who could increase run rates dramatically.
