As the Afghanistan players dance on the outfield, I’ll say goodbye. Never forget, this is a result that has been made possible by Afghanistan being given the opportunity to grow and prosper over the last 20 years. A growing international sport is a healthy sport. When administrators do their best to go in the other direction and make the international game smaller, don’t forget nights like this.
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Ibrahim Zadran is the player of the match
That power play from Zadran and Gurbaz – as close to perfect as it comes. On the back of what we saw with Pakistan, it looked like boundaries would be difficult to come by with the field back so they struck a dozen of them in the first ten overs. Nothing outlandish, just putting away bad balls and backing themselves to do so.
Pakistan’s campaign is in all sorts. After winning their first two games, they’ve lost to India, Australia and Afghanistan. And it gets no easier… next up is South Africa. It’s Afghanistan who care dare to dream a bit now, their next game one week away against Sri Lanka. They are making their way around a lap of honour. Wow.
Hashmat, the captain hits the winning runs. Taken off his hip for four off Shaheen. The unbeaten stand between the pair was 96 by the time the job was done.
AFGHANISTAN BEAT PAKISTAN FOR THE FIRST TIME! THEY WIN BY 8 WICKETS!
What a moment! Afghanistan’s win over England was special but this really is even better, knocking off their biggest rival for the first time. They’ve done it with an over to spare by eight wickets – a clinical chase, brilliantly set it up. Scenes!
49 overs: Afghanistan 286-2 (Rahmat 77, Hashmat 48) Target 283.
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48th over: Afghanistan 279-2 (Rahmat 75, Hashmat 43) Target 283. Rahmat was never going to let this get to the final over! Hasan Ali, who played his part in getting Pakistan back, is LAUNCHED by the Afghanistan No3 over his head for SIX – a crossbat beauty. Four to get in 12 balls. On the cusp of something very special.
“Hi Adam.” G’day, Colum Fordham. “Afghanistan have well and trully shaken off the epithet of “minnows”, having pummelled England and now almost certain to beat Pakistan, playing great cricket. On another note, very sad to hear of Bishan Bedi’s passing. I read about his prowess as a spinner in Christopher Martin Jenkins’ wonderful book on England’s tour to India in 1977. I later got to seem him bowling in a county match for Northants and he was a joy to watch, with his consistent line and subtle variations.”
It’s a sad twist as the ODI format begins to wind down: 50-over cricket has been responsible for growing the game and making nights like this possible. Sigh.
47th over: Afghanistan 272-2 (Rahmat 68, Hashmat 43) Target 283. Edge, four runs! Shaheen around the wicket with Rahmat, brings him forward, would’ve been catchable with two or three in the cordon but they’re not blessed with that configuration at this point. Rahmat follows it with a lovely little drive out to extra cover for two. Nearly into single digits – 11 needed from 18 balls. Nearly there.
46th over: Afghanistan 264-2 (Rahmat 61, Hashmat 42) Target 283. I can’t believe Usama was asked to bowl this over with these two looking so good against spin. Surely it’s Hasan Ali or Haris Rauf bowling out with Shaheen? It’s a costly error from Babar with Hashmat sensing that this is the right time to put another dent in this. Sure, the dance isn’t pretty and the deflection for four is off his glove, but this isn’t a good match-up, in modern cricket speak. With the four runs in the bank, sure enough, a wide follows and they can turn the screws twice breaking up the field to take twos. It’s going to take something staggering from Shaheen now.
“Good afternoon Mr Collins!” Hello Mr Adam Hirst. “Haven’t noticed you gloating yet over the comedy possibility of England being bottom of the whole world?”
Blimey! So they are. Or will be, in about 20 minutes. What a story.
45th over: Afghanistan 253-2 (Rahmat 58, Hashmat 35) Target 283. At last, Shaheen Shah Afridi – he’s the only player on the field for Pakistan who could take two or three in an over to shake things up. But as it has been all night against the left-armer, they’ve never let him work them over, always looked to take their singles off him. And one becomes to here on a misfield here too; Babar hasn’t backed up well enough and the ping at the stumps costs them. Five off is perfectly fine for Afghanistan fro this point – a run-a-ball from five overs is textbook T20 stuff.
44th over: Afghanistan 248-2 (Rahmat 56, Hashmat 32) Target 283. Haris not Shaheen, who is being kept for the very end – big assumption they’ll be a very end knowing the way teams chase in the modern era, trying to avoid the chaos of a 50th over. Anyway, Haris has to hit some stumps. Appeal for a caught behind down the legside… not out from Paul Reiffel. There’s a noise. But they don’t risk burning the final review and Babar is right to ignore Rizwan this time – off thigh pad. It was given as a wide though – a little loophole with tech. Another wide to finish, no doubt about that one – too high on the bumper, the correct call. Throwing in the runs collected with ease throughout off every ball and it moves the score along by nine. Afghanistan have been equal to every challenge tonight – they deserve this.
43rd over: Afghanistan 239-2 (Rahmat 53, Hashmat 28) Target 283. Fantastic batting! I really cannot work out why Shadab bowls that over and not one of the quicks but he does. Hashmat, the captain, sweeps a couple conventionally before reverse-sweeping a boundary! Not far away from the catchers on the circle but it matters not – precious runs. A couple more into the legside with both men charging back to make it so. Then a couple more down the ground to finish. Ten off the over, which means Afghanistan need 44 from 42 balls. Shaheen now… suuuuurely?
42nd over: Afghanistan 229-2 (Rahmat 53, Hashmat 18) Target 283. Usama’s turn. He has a role to play too – has to stand up. Four runs come, all in the smaller coins. But Rahmat is untroubled against the legspinners. To recap, with eight overs left, Babar has Shaheen 3 to come, Hasan 1, Haris 3, Usama 3, Shadab 3, Ifti 5. Almost any combination is possible, I reckon. Shadab to bowl 43. Will they take him down?
Rahmat Shah to 50 in 58 balls
41st over: Afghanistan 225-2 (Rahmat 50, Hashmat 17) Target 283. Does Rahmat try and target Shadab? To begin, he knocks off the milestone – a clutch half-century after the huge opening stand. But that’s Shadab’s best over so far, landing his googly repeatedly to the left-handed Hashmat. Four runs off. 59 from 54 needed.
40th over: Afghanistan 221-2 (Rahmat 49, Hashmat 14) Target 283. Nice insight from Aaron Finch saying that Alex Carey didn’t give him enough information during the DRS process when he was more junior in the team but got very good at it down the track. Back in the middle, Rahmat gets through Shaheen’s over then drives him with power and timing through cover but Saud Shakeel dives at full stretch to stop the boundary and save a couple of runs. 62 needed from 60!
NOT OUT! That’s an awful review. How did Rizwan convince Babar of that? Shaheen can’t be trusted on these matters at the best of times. Not good cricket.
HAS SHAHEEN TRAPPED RAHMAT LBW? It is his first ball back, coming around the wicket and Paul Reiffel has said no. Looked to be sliding way down but up we go!
39th over: Afghanistan 215-2 (Rahmat 46, Hashmat 11) Target 283. Haris starts his seventh. Hasan Ali has one more to go and Shaheen Afridi another four. It doesn’t quite add up – good luck, captain Babar Azam. Four off the over; 68 needed from 66. Whisper it… are we about to have our first final-over finish of the tournament?
38th over: Afghanistan 211-2 (Rahmat 45, Hashmat 8) Target 283. More cramp drama between overs with Rahmat now on the turf between overs. While we wait for Hasan Ali, a good point from Nick Toovey: every chance that we see a non-striker run out if this goes all the way to the end. Hasan backs up a maiden with a series of dots – he’s doing a superb job. OH BUT HOW ABOUT THAT FROM RAHMAT! A straight SIX, perfectly executed at the ideal time. Love to see it.
“Afternoon Adam.” Hello, Kim Thonger. “The Afghans are in danger of losing this game not to Pakistan, but to Fearistan. Now is the time to summon their inner Jack Leach, grit their teeth, look fear in the face, tell it sod off, and power on through.”
On the evidence of what we’ve seen in the last two overs, they will do just that!
37th over: Afghanistan 204-2 (Rahmat 39, Hashmat 7) Target 283. Shadab is back and playing his role – we’re up to 11 dot balls in a row. But Hashmat is equal to this task, coming down the track and clubbing past Shaheen at mid-off to get his first boundary – that’s a top shot. A scampered single follows – that’s the 200 for Afghanistan. Remember, they’ve never beaten Pakistan in an ODI before – this is a huge hour. Now Rahmat, the senior partner, takes the cue from his skipper and sweeps a nice delivery in front of square leg for four as well! Bold batting.
36th over: Afghanistan 195-2 (Rahmat 35, Hashmat 2) Target 283. Hasan has a big heart. With a wicket in his column and knowing how important this spell is, he’s charging in and getting it right. But Hashmat knows the deal here too – he’s happy to defend and deny. A shout for lbw to finish… it’s more of that reverse swing, beats that bat, NOT OUT and they elect against sending it upstairs. Well bowled but they’re right to keep their cool – that’s trending over the top of the stumps. For the first time this evening, the asking rate has now gone above a run-a-ball.
35th over: Afghanistan 195-2 (Rahmat 35, Hashmat 2) Target 283. Four runs off Ifti and a bit of turn too, the last ball finding the outside edge off the new man Hashmat. “It’s amazing what a wicket can do,” says Aaron Finch. The next five overs for Afghanistan are so important – the required rate shouldn’t bother them at 5.9, it’s all about denying Pakistan’s ability to get on a roll before Shaheen returns.
34th over: Afghanistan 191-2 (Rahmat 31, Hashmat 1) Target 283. The skipper is the right man to be walking in for Afghanistan now – gives them a bit of left hand/right hand as well. Still… I sense a late twist. This won’t be easy. A wicket and two runs.
WICKET! Zadran c Rizwan b Hasan Ali 87 off 113 (Afghanistan 190-2)
“They need some inspiration,” says Mike Atherton on TV and next ball Hasan Ali finds the outside edge of Ibrahim Zadran! With just enough bounce and movement off the seam, a thick edge flies into the gloves of Rizwan. A fine innings comes to an end but that’s exactly what Pakistan needed after a few tidier overs after drinks. They’re still going to have to bowl them out but that’s the crucial first step.
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33rd over: Afghanistan 189-1 (Ibrahim 87, Rahmat 31) Target 283. Rameez is angry, accusing Imam of being an expert in diving over the ball. Interesting dynamic that, given until very recently he was the grand supremo of Pakistani cricket. Anyway, discussion for another time. Five runs off King Ifti here. But… bring back Shaheen!
32nd over: Afghanistan 184-1 (Ibrahim 85, Rahmat 28) Target 283. Alright – that helps. Hasan, expensive earlier, is back and goes for just one run. Tight overs bring wickets and so it goes. What they can’t do now is give Afghanistan the chance to hit boundaries in the over that follows – the problem all night for Pakistan. A little bit of variable bounce there too. On the back of that, Rameez they should get Shaheen Shah Afridi back on from that end – not a bad shout, can’t leave it too late.
31st over: Afghanistan 183-1 (Ibrahim 85, Rahmat 27) Target 283. From Iftikar they want control – with his finger spin you know exactly what you are going to get. But that works for Rahmat too, who is safe enough getting into position to reverse sweep for the first time and nails it behind point for four! Shot. Eight from the over leaving 100 to win from 19 overs with drinks on the field. Now to stick the landing.
30th over: Afghanistan 175-1 (Ibrahim 82, Rahmat 22) Target 283. Rameez is getting stuck right into the Pakistan players saying they thought defending in the dew it would be a piece of cake – not so. As he rightly identifies, without early wickets – an ongoing problem of late – it’s a tough ask with this bowling attack. Even the good overs, four off Haris here, turn the pressure up on Pakistan – bulk wickets needed.
29th over: Afghanistan 171-1 (Ibrahim 80, Rahmat 21) Target 283. Usama breaks the quiet run for Pakistan, giving Rahmat something to cut for four and he obliges – what a pressure release. And make that two boundaries in a row! Not quite as short but Rahmat backs himself going deep in the crease before playing something of a crosscourt forehand down to long-on – clever! Just when Afghanistan needed a good over to get motoring again they add ten runs. 112 to go in 21 overs.
28th over: Afghanistan 161-1 (Ibrahim 79, Rahmat 12) Target 283. That’s three quiet overs on the trot – Haris this time, three singles off it. With Zadran cramping and Rahmat not going at the same tempo as Gurbaz, this is where this game could turn.
Aaron Finch is a good commentator.
— Michael Appleton (@michelappleton) October 23, 2023
Perceptive, clear, concise, interesting, always thinking about the game.
27th over: Afghanistan 158-1 (Ibrahim 77, Rahmat 11) Target 283. Usama, who bowled a good over before he was taken off earlier, returns for a second spell. And he’s picking up from where he left off, landing each of his legbreaks before finishing with one that bounces a little bit more to beat Zadran – one of the only times we’ve seen the outside edge in play for the entirety of the chase. Well bowled; something to build from. And the cramp is back for Zadran – he’s in some real discomfort here.
26th over: Afghanistan 156-1 (Ibrahim 76, Rahmat 10) Target 283. Haris Rauf returns after copping plenty of tap earlier and sets the field to bowl short at Zadran. Four singles from the over, which includes a yorker to finish at the opener – do what they least expect, and all that - dug out for one. There’s almost no way Pakistan restrict Afghanistan from here – they need nine further wickets to do this.
25th over: Afghanistan 152-1 (Ibrahim 74, Rahmat 8) Target 283. At the halfway mark and Afghanistan have 131 to go – that’s a required rate of 5.2; they’re currently going at 6.1. A nice bit of sportsmanship at the end of the over with Zadran going down with some cramp and Rizwan, the Pakistan wicketkeeper – who cramps up all the time himself - immediately coming to his aid to help the Afghanistan opener stretch out the painful leg. Good stuff. Such a horrible sensation.
24th over: Afghanistan 148-1 (Ibrahim 72, Rahmat 6) Target 283. Seven runs from Shaheen’s fifth over – all out to the sweepers but without risk. Perfect outcome for Afghanistan, not allowing the superstar impose himself on this contest.
23rd over: Afghanistan 141-1 (Ibrahim 68, Rahmat 3) Target 283. Yuk. Shadab drops a classic half-tracker to Zadran who is not missing out in this kind of touch – four to cover. It’s difficult to work out where it has gone wrong for Shadab over the last couple of years – he was World XI standard before then. In fairness, 0/22 from four is fine in terms of the overall analysis tonight in context, but he’s got to apply pressure and get himself into the book, multiple times ideally for Pakistan.
22nd over: Afghanistan 135-1 (Ibrahim 62, Rahmat 2) Target 283. We get a look at the Pakistan huddle after the wicket and Imam was speaking passionately. With a breakthrough achieved, Pakistan must win the next ten overs and apply a bit of scoreboard pressure on a side that’s never chased this many to win an ODI before.
WICKET! Gurbaz c Usama b Shaheen Shah Afridi 65 off 53 (Afghanistan 130-1)
Shaheen is back into the attack and straight into the book! How badly Pakistan needed that! He begins back of a length over the wicket and Gurbaz takes the bait, swinging hard in an attempt to pull, but it’s a top edge instead down to the third man and pouched by Usama. That’s a really good catch, doubly so when you consider the nightmares he surely had after putting Warner down the other day.
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21st over: Afghanistan 130-0 (Gurbaz 65, Ibrahim 62) Target 283. Shadab is a very good cricketer having a very tough time of it. Needs to make the most of this chance. And does a good job here – just two singles coming.
Afghanistan could effectively kill off the 50 over World Cup with a win today. Barring something wildly out of the ordinary, it would almost confirm the semi finalists a long way out and interest will flatline
— Tooves (@OneTooves) October 23, 2023
20th over: Afghanistan 128-0 (Gurbaz 64, Ibrahim 61) Target 283. After 18 fours, time for a big one with Gurbaz dancing at Iftikah then launching him over a long-off for a gorgeous SIX. If you didn’t know better, you would assume this is the top-of-the-table team strolling to a win inside 44 overs to earn some NRR. Maybe they will!
Meanwhile, Matthew Hayden is on one. “This fielding must drive Pakistan fans wild about their cricket team,” he begins. "For mine, it is a non-negotiable in terms of what you bring to the table in modern cricket… all the support staff who are willing and able... and Pakistan find a way to miss out in this space.” Good craic.
19th over: Afghanistan 120-0 (Gurbaz 57, Ibrahim 60) Target 283. Back to business for Afghanistan and back to Pakistan fluffing their lines, poor old Hasan Ali going one hand at deep cover and spilling it over the rope. It’s Shadab on now, swung around to follow his fellow leggie Usama – seven runs taken. 163 needed in 31 overs.
Here watching Travis Head test his arm out while batting in the nets in Delhi & Steve Smith cops a painful blow to his right arm courtesy a snorter from Sean Abbott that jumped off the surface. Just got a bandage & a band-aid on the spot but is about to resume batting #CWC23
— Bharat Sundaresan (@beastieboy07) October 23, 2023
18th over: Afghanistan 113-0 (Gurbaz 54, Ibrahim 56) Target 283. I neglected to mention that the 16th over was sent down by Shadab Khan, back into the side tonight in the place of Mohammad Nawaz, who is ill. But he’s now replaced by the finger spinner Iftikar Ahmed, who everyone is duty-bound to love, right? Whacks it, looks like he’s 50 (at age 33), bowls darts – what a combination. And this is just what Babar Azam needs from him to begin – a blessed quiet over, two runs off it.
17th over: Afghanistan 111-0 (Gurbaz 53, Ibrahim 55) Target 283. Usama’s action is a nice little throwback, bouncing in with twirly wrists and languid arms. Give me that over the raft of bustling leggies that dominate short-form cricket these days. I’m not saying it’s more effective, but it’s a strong look at least. I sense he might’ve turned a corner in this over too – his first without a boundary off him. There’s a wide in there but from a ball that spins big outside the off-stump – more, please.
Gurbaz to 50 from 38 balls!
16th over: Afghanistan 105-0 (Gurbaz 50, Ibrahim 53) Target 283. Nick in Venice isn’t happy that we are going with Shaheen and Afridi interchangeably so let’s go with all the names here: Shaheen Shah Afridi misfields again! He’s running across to cut off the Gurbaz pull but misjudges where he is and the ball sneaks through for yet another boundary – and that’s the 1oo partnership! What a superb start this has been, determined to give Pakistan no space to get into any rhythm. One milestone is followed by another, with Gurbaz cutting a single to reach his classy half century. He’s hit nine fours so far, the pair striking 17 of those between them. Drinks!
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Ibrahim Zadran to 50 from 54 balls!
15th over: Afghanistan 98-0 (Gurbaz 45, Ibrahim 51) Target 283. As Nat Germanos points out on telly, Inrahim has a very good 50-to-100 conversion rate too – if he can kick on to three figures here, the game might be out of reach for Pakistan. “When you’re in a dog fight, you can’t close your eyes.” That’s Matt Hayden, back on comms himself. “It’s a buffet of boundaries” he adds when Usama is pinged for a front-foot no-ball, a free hit set to make matters worse but Zadran clunks it out to deep midwicket for one. Earlier in the over, before the milestone, he cut with authority behind point for four. Remember when Babar Azam, one of the best players on the planet, went about 20 overs with a boundary earlier in this match?
14th over: Afghanistan 89-0 (Gurbaz 43, Ibrahim 45) Target 283. Haris Rauf produced a maiden against the flow to end the power play but has given these two plenty to hit either side of that. More to the point, it’s that they are allowing at least a boundary an over – that denies them the chance to build any pressure of their own. And so it is again, banging it in halfway down and pulled by Gurbaz for four.
13th over: Afghanistan 81-0 (Gurbaz 37, Ibrahim 44) Target 283. Just three overs in this innings have failed to produce a boundary for the Afghan openers and why stop now? Usama, who really does look under the pump – has done since the moment he dropped Warner on Friday, before he went on to add 153 more – gives Zadran another ball to cut. He doesn’t middle it, and on another day that might go to slip, but not tonight it doesn’t. The required rate is down to 5.4 from here.
12th over: Afghanistan 75-0 (Gurbaz 36, Ibrahim 39) Target 283. Make that 13 boundaries in twelve overs now – every bad ball is getting the treatment. On this occasion, it’s not the most convincing moment when Gurbaz takes on a short ball and nearly pops it down Hasan’s throat, but the intent is the key here – they’re determined to let the good times roll here. If they can bat for, say, another 10 overs… it’ll leave Pakistan with a lot of work to do through the middle.
11th over: Afghanistan 67-0 (Gurbaz 30, Ibrahim 37) Target 283. Usama, who had a nightmare of a World Cup debut against Australia, takes up the attack as the field spreads – the first spin. But he falls into the same trap as the seamers, too short and wide to Zadran, who absolutely loves it out there – back to smashing boundaries through cover. The leggie recovers, seven from the over, but immediate pressure.
10th over: Afghanistan 60-0 (Gurbaz 28, Ibrahim 32) Target 283. And after all that… a maiden to to Zadran finish the power play. We saw how resilient Haris Rauf was on Friday when having 24 taken from his first over then backing up to play a role, and he’s done so right away here after his first went for 17. But still, Afghanistan are ahead in this match, make no mistake. Pakistan will have to bowl them out.
9th over: Afghanistan 60-0 (Gurbaz 28, Ibrahim 32) Target 283. Mike Atherton makes a good point on telly about the after-dark conditions at Chennai being good for India when chasing against Australia earlier in the tournament – on that occasion, the pitch was far better for spin when the sun was shining. Back to the middle, and Hasan has replaced Shaheen – swung around to the other end. And guess what? Another boundary – through the off side, that’s the shot of the night so far from Zadran who laces a cover drive between two fielders inside the circle. They’re up to 11 boundaries in nine overs so far. The shots of Pakistan’s coach, Mickey Arthur, are telling – he’s absolutely ticking. Not unusual for him, to be fair.
8th over: Afghanistan 55-0 (Gurbaz 28, Ibrahim 27) Target 283. Haris Rauf is Pakistan’s quickest bowler and he’s on to replace Hasan Ali, who hasn’t been crash-hot so far. But speed is a recipe for yet more boundaries, with Gurbaz overtaking Ibrahim in the space of an over – 17 runs coming from it! The first three boundaries are crunched through the posh side, taking advantage of pace and width – really dominant stuff, not giving the new bowler any chance to settle. The final ball is much better, zipping back off the seam, but luck goes with the right-hander, an inside edge beating going over the middle stump and racing to the rope as well. I said at the start that Afghanistanx needed to put a dent in this chase by the end of the tenth over, well they’ve done that already with two overs left with the field up.
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7th over: Afghanistan 38-0 (Gurbaz 12, Ibrahim 26) Target 283. Shaheen continues in search of a wicket – this is such an important partnership. There’s only one ball for Gurbaz to throw his hands at and he does so by cutting hard into the turf, the ball leaping over the fielder inside the circle and running away for four. Babar has to be careful here – it is not the plan to bowl Shaheen for five overs off the top but there isn’t a lot of seam support with three spin options to follow shortly.
6th over: Afghanistan 34-0 (Gurbaz 8, Ibrahim 26) Target 283. Messy from Pakistan. Before the appeal/overturn there’s a misfield from Shaheen at deep third. It costs them one not three, but still, the energy isn’t good from the men in green so far. This is reinforced by Hasan’s final ball here, giving Ibrahim something short and wide enough outside the off stump to smash away, so he does just that – four more.
“If this is to be the last 50 over World Cup, then the format is done, right?” The question from Kevin Wilson. “I can’t see any logic in pointless bilateral series, and then what is the reason to play the game at the domestic level? I am sure the ECB are looking on, excitedly, having already sidelined this competition. I can guarantee there will be a T20 World Cup every year now for whatever spurious reasoning.”
Well, it depends on how detailed and dramatic you want me to go here. In a paragraph, I suspect there’ll be a dramatic reduction of international cricket by the time we reach the next FTP, which from memory kicks in by 2028. Of course, we’ll get our fill each summer in England and Australia (for instance) where Test cricket underpins the broadcast deals. But those drawn to the idea of IPL and IPL-adjacent T20 leagues dominating the calendar with international windows will be happy.
NOT OUT! Flat line… it has missed everything; no noise picked up. An odd one.
IS IBRAHIM OUT CAUGHT BEHIND HOOKING? He’s given out on the field by Paul Reiffel following the appeal from Hasan Ali but the review comes right away.
5th over: Afghanistan 28-0 (Gurbaz 8, Ibrahim 20) Target 283. Just a couple of singles off Afridi here, giving them nothing. The challenge for Babar Azam, always so, is how he uses the remaining seven overs. They missed a trick against Australia, leaving him until over number 35 after four off the top. But when you’ve got one obvious standout bowler like this, there’s no easy answer for a skipper.
As Tim mentioned earlier, we’ve received sad news of Bishan Bedi’s passing. An all-time master of his craft, which he turned into art with his beautiful approach. Vale.
4th over: Afghanistan 26-0 (Gurbaz 7, Ibrahim 19) Target 283. Zadran takes Hasan Ali over square leg for a few – not quite the timing for another boundary but keeps the pressure on. Better from the experienced right-armer, getting one to come back off the seam to locate the inside edge of Gurbaz but it misses the woodwork. Afghanistan’s batting has been strong through this comp with the exception of their misadventure against New Zealand last week. So much of this is about belief.
3rd over: Afghanistan 22-0 (Gurbaz 6, Ibrahim 16) Target 283. Better from Afridi, who belatedly finds his range. The only scoring shot is increased by one after a couple of wayward throws from the same delivery – both sloppy and funny.
The Cricketer understands that the ICC plans to stage meetings in November to discuss the future of 50-over cricket, with several members concerned about falling spectator numbers both at the grounds and on television | @GeorgeDobell1 https://t.co/iZC6nzwmAO
— The Cricketer (@TheCricketerMag) October 23, 2023
Gee, what a shock this report is. So sad. So avoidable. Own goals everywhere.
2nd over: Afghanistan 18-0 (Gurbaz 5, Ibrahim 13) Target 283. Hasan gets the other new ball and starts well to Zadran – full and straight. But three dots are followed by back-to-back boundaries. The first of those is cut away with ease then the next is another of those square drives we saw in the first over from the right-hander – what a sound that makes out the middle of his bat. It was essential they started this way.
Now, a reminder of where Pakistan are at. Having saluted in their first two games against the Dutch and Sri Lanka, they were then spanked by India and beaten in a high-scoring affair by Australia on Friday. They simply have to win today with South Africa, Bangladesh, New Zealand and England to come - a tough run home.
1st over: Afghanistan 10-0 (Gurbaz 5, Ibrahim 5) Target 283. Four from the first ball! Gurbaz helps away a full swinging delivery that’s off target, clipped to fine leg. Ibrahim’s turn later in the over, using the pace to hammer the left-armer through point on the square drive – too full, top batting. Just the start they needed.
The players are back! Zadran and Gurbaz, can they make the most of the power play? It might help Afridi get busy too, on the back of a five-wicket bag against Australia on Friday. Sure enough, he is taking the first over. 283 is the target. PLAY!
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Nice one, Tim. Lovely to be sharing duties with you over here once again. I caught enough of the first innings to get the sense that this is what we can expect in the second half of the group stage as these grounds take more traffic on them. So with that said, Pakistan’s 282-7 is a touch better than it looks; boundaries won’t be easy to come by once the sweepers retreat. It makes Afghanistan’s upcoming power play even more important than normal with Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran, one of the most exciting opening partnerships in world cricket at the moment, more than capable of putting a real dent into this, even against Shaheen Afridi.
And let’s hope this gets as tense as it was four years ago when these teams met. Maybe not to the extent that it boiled over then with fisticuffs in the crowd (unlikely as that is given how few Pakistan fans are about), but these teams do not get along so you can expect to see a bit of that if the blue-and-reds get close.
Stay in touch with me over the next few hours – email or tweet, you decide.
Pakistan started well, finished very well, and went to sleep in between. Afghanistan’s four spinners were excellent, as if putting on an instant tribute to the late great Bishan Bedi, leader of a spin quartet himself.
The teenage wrist-spinner Noor Ahmad enjoyed a memorable debut, dismissing all the big names in the Pakistan top order – Abdullah Shafique, Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam. But then Iftikhar Ahmed took over, blasting 40 off 27 balls and adding 73 off only 7.3 overs with Shadab Khan. At the break Pakistan are back on top, but Afghanistan have a sporting chance.
That’s me done: Adam Collins will be with you shortly. Thanks for your company as ever.
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PAKISTAN FINISH WITH 282 (Shadab c Nabi b Naveen 40)
50th over: Pakistan 282-7 (Shaheen Shah Afridi 3) Naveen does well at the death, not just dismissing Iftikhar but preventing boundaries and then nabbing Shadab, caught at long-on off the last ball.
WICKET! Iftikhar c Azmat b Naveen 40 (Paistan 279-6)
Live by the sword, die by the sword. Iftikhar toe-ends a wide one to deep extra, but he’s done a terrific job here – 40 off 27 balls, with two fours and four sixes.
49th over: Pakistan 279-5 (Shadab Khan 40, Iftikhar Ahmed 40) Azmat dishes up a wide and then a gift – pace on, in the slot, lofted for another six by the remorseless Iftikhar. The next two balls are wides too, and that’s 16 off the over. The wheels have now left the building.
48th over: Pakistan 263-5 (Shadab Khan 35, Iftikhar Ahmed 32) Naveen continues as Hashmatullah doesn’t have much choice now. He is pumped for six by Iftikhar, then edged for four. Iftikhar has batted like a man who is pissed off with his captain for using up so many overs.
Afghanistan have done so well with their spinners, and yet, in order to win this match, they’re still going to have to pull off the highest run chase in their history.
47th over: Pakistan 250-5 (Shadab Khan 33, Iftikhar Ahmed 21) Rashid is done now, with a thrifty 10-0-41-0, and the wheels are finally coming off for Afghanistan. With the part-time seamer Azmat in their sights, the batters’ eyes light up. Shadab pulls for six, then dabs for four; Iftikhar duplicates the dab and that’s 16 off the over. This partnership has already rattled up 44 off 5.1 overs.
46th over: Pakistan 234-5 (Shadab Khan 22, Iftikhar Ahmed 16) Iftikhar’s crunchy cameo continues as he drop-kicks Naveen for six. With several singles and a couple of wides, the over goes for 13. That’s more like it.
RIP Bishan Bedi
Ah, sad news. Bishan Singh Bedi of India, the best slow left-armer ever to play in a patka, has gone to the great dustbowl in the sky at the age of 77. Condolences to his family and his many friends in the game.
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45th over: Pakistan 221-5 (Shadab Khan 19, Iftikhar Ahmed 8) Matthew Hayden, on commentary, is just saying how hard it is to hit a soft ball on a slow pitch – “like trying to hit an orange” – when Iftikhar manages to swing Rashid into the crowd for six. “That’s out of the orchard!” says Hayden. Nice recovery.
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44th over: Pakistan 215-5 (Shadab Khan 19, Iftikhar Ahmed 2) The four-spinner policy has worked well, but Hashmatullah has to go back to seam now, so Naveen returns. His first ball is a freebie on the pads that goes for four leg-byes but the rest of the over is tight – two singles, four dots.
43rd over: Pakistan 209-5 (Shadab Khan 18, Iftikhar Ahmed 1) After picking up the wicket of his opposite number, Hashmatullah can sniff blood in the water. He gave Noor two slips for his final ball, and now he has a slip in for Rashid. He hasn’t taken a wicket today, but he’s gone for only one boundary in 54 balls: 9-0-35-0.
Noor Ahmad finishes with 3-49
42nd over: Pakistan 206-5 (Shadab Khan 16, Iftikhar Ahmed 0) It was a rather weary last over from Noor, but he has taken the three big wickets and he deserves them for his fearless personality as well as his wristy skill. At 18, he looks a wonderful prospect: Afghanistan cricket may well have found its second superstar.
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WICKET!! Babar Azam c Nabi b Noor 74 (Pakistan 206-5)
Babar finally hits a six – and then perishes! It’s a poor ball from Noor, but it does the trick as a flailing cut shot produces only an easy catch at extra-cover.
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41st over: Pakistan 196-4 (Babar Azam 65, Shadab Khan 15) Babar has got the message at last. He pulls Rashid for two, then tries to flat-bat him for six – and gets only a single as Noor Ahmad, at long-on, comes flying in, risks a broken tooth, and makes a terrific take on the half-volley. The kid is a star.
40th over: Pakistan 191-4 (Babar Azam 61, Shadab Khan 14) Afghanistan are probably the worst fielding side in the World Cup, but they are sharpening up now. Babar, facing Noor, is tied down by two good stops in a row on the off side. Frustrated, he goes for a big pull, gets an edge, almost plays on and could be caught behind – but the ball ends up in the groin of the keeper, Ikram Alikhil. Happily he’s smiling, not wincing.
39th over: Pakistan 189-4 (Babar Azam 60, Shadab Khan 13) Babar hits a four! Mujeeb feeds him a long hop, possibly thinking it’s a safe bet, and he manages to shovel it into the gap to the left of deep square. That’s Babar’s first boundary for several years 47 balls.
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38th over: Pakistan 183-4 (Babar Azam 55, Shadab Khan 12) Back comes Noor. He’s oozing confidence, telling his elders where to stand in the field. The batters are finding the singles, five of them in this over, and Babar even tries a big shot – a lofted sweep, too half-hearted to go for six or even four. Off these last 12 overs, he needs to get 60.
37th over: Pakistan 178-4 (Babar Azam 52, Shadab Khan 10) Hashmatullah, always keen to keep a bit of Rashid up his sleeve, brings back Mujeeb, who gets worked around for four singles and a two. “He’s been good, Babar,” says a commentator. No, he hasn’t! After starting in fourth gear, he’s got stuck in second.
36th over: Pakistan 172-4 (Babar Azam 49, Shadab Khan 6) That was Mohammad Nabi’s last over. His final ball goes for three as Shadab whips it past him, but it’s still been a majestic spell: 10-0-31-1.
Fifty to Babar
Milestones usually get an exclamation mark on the OBO, but I’m sorry, Babar just doesn’t deserve one. Except for this: he hasn’t hit a four for 38 balls!
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35th over: Pakistan 167-4 (Babar Azam 49, Shadab Khan 2) Babar, still uncertain against Rashid, almost plays on as he pats the ball down into his crease. He may not feel any more comfortable on being joined at the crease by Shadab, whom he had just dropped and only brought back when Mohammad Nawaz fell ill this morning.
34th over: Pakistan 163-4 (Babar Azam 47) Shakeel had just played his personal shot of the day, a reverse sweep for four. But then he takes one liberty too many, when Pakistan have mostly been playing too safe. Half the blame for that wicket rests with Babar, who has been so passive since his perky start.
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WICKET! Saud Shakeel c Rashid Khan b Mohammad Nabi 25 (Pakistan 163-4)
Just when he was getting on top, Shakeel miscues a big hit and chips a simple catch to deep mid-on.
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33rd over: Pakistan 158-3 (Babar Azam 46, Saud Shakeel 21) Hashmatullah gets the message about his prodigy needing a rest and brings back his main man, Rashid. He bowls one bad ball, giving Shakeel the chance to cut for four, with a little help from a misfield. Shakeel, so shaky at first, is settling in now.
32nd over: Pakistan 151-3 (Babar Azam 44, Saud Shakeel 16) Newsflash. Pakistan have hit a four! And Mohammad Nabi has conceded one! After seven overs of superlative accuracy, he drags the first ball of this over down and allows Saud Shakeel to get hold of the pull. Nabi keeps calm and goes back to dishing up dots and the odd single, but his figures have taken a tiny dent: 8-0-21-0.
31st over: Pakistan 145-3 (Babar Azam 43, Saud Shakeel 11) Hashmatullah opts to keep Noor on even though he is visibly tiring. He bowls another wide and then a no-ball, but Babar has been treading water for some time now and he can only sky the free hit into the hands of the man at midwicket.
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30th over: Pakistan 139-3 (Babar Azam 41, Saud Shakeel 9) Anybody remember Flat Jack Simmons? Mohammad Nabi is bowling like Jack in his portly pomp. He now has seven overs, none for 15, and unless my memory is playing tricks all of those 15 have come in singles. Fabulous.
29th over: Pakistan 137-3 (Babar Azam 40, Saud Shakeel 8) The batters can’t hit a four to save their lives at the moment. Instead they set about collecting some singles, which goes quite well. Noor bowls his worst over so far, including two wides, one of which bobbles away for two byes. After six overs, two for 26, it’s time for Hashmatullah to give him a breather.
28th over: Pakistan 128-3 (Babar Azam 38, Saud Shakeel 5) Hashmatullah, having some fun with his hand of four spinners, decide to save up five overs of Rashid Khan (5-0-16-0) and bring back Mohammad Nabi. He is just as economical now as he was earlier, going for just two singles.
27th over: Pakistan 126-3 (Babar Azam 37, Saud Shakeel 4) Another good over from Noor, who has Babar Azam, usually so serene, bottom-edging a cut like an absolute beginner. I take it all back about the middle overs, which have suddenly gone from boring to bewitching.
26th over: Pakistan 124-3 (Babar Azam 36, Saud Shakeel 3) Shakeel, living dangerously, gets an inside edge to Rashid Khan which would be the classic spinner’s dismissal, if only there were a short square leg. Off the past five overs, Pakistan have scraped 17 for two. Great stuff from Afghanistan.
25th over: Pakistan 120-3 (Babar Azam 35, Saud Shakeel 0) Now Noor has a left-hander to bowl at, which makes for an even trickier ballgame because he can pitch in the rough. He thinks he’s got Saud Shakeel LBW first ball, and Hashmatullah reviews – less wisely this time, as the contact was outside off. Noor appeals again next ball, also in vain, but he’s on a roll with the figures to prove it: 4-0-15-2.
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WICKET!! Rizwan c Mujeeb b Noor 8 (Pakistan 120-3)
Another one for Noor! He persuades Rizwan to sweep at one that is too far outside off stump and yields only a simple catch to the man on the 45. Noor has now removed both the form players in the Pakistan top order. Teenage kicks, all through the night.
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24th over: Pakistan 118-2 (Babar Azam 33, Mohammad Rizwan 7) Rizwan, such a resourceful operator, sees the need to get back on top here. After a few dots, he surprises Mujeeb by pulling out the slog-sweep and hitting a six.
23rd over: Pakistan 110-2 (Babar Azam 33, Mohammad Rizwan 0) After bamboozling one in-form batter, Noor promptly beats another as Rizwan pushes down the wrong line. That’s a fabulous over from an 18-year-old. And a strange innings from Shafique, who took charge early on and then went into his shell.
WICKET! Shafique LBW b Noor 58 (Pakistan 110-2)
Not given, but Hashamtullah reviews and he’s spot on – it’s hitting leg stump. Noor Ahmad has his first international wicket!
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22nd over: Pakistan 109-1 (Abdullah Shafique 58, Babar Azam 32) Hashmatullah takes Noor off and brings back Mujeeb, who was not at his best with the new ball. He draws an edge right away, as Shafique tries a tentative prod, but it runs away for four. That brings up a fifty partnership that has been less impressive than it sounds (51 off 67 balls, now 53 off 71).
21st over: Pakistan 103-1 (Abdullah Shafique 53, Babar Azam 31) Another tight over from Rashid, three dots and three singles. He and Nabi have bowled nine overs between them for just 23 – but they haven’t taken a wicket. The boring middle overs are back in business.
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20th over: Pakistan 100-1 (Abdullah Shafique 51, Babar Azam 30) Noor Ahmad continues and his second over is a mixed bag: a long hop, spanked away for four by Babar; a wide down the leg side; and a full-length flighted delivery that deceives Shafique through the air and draws an inside edge. It deserves better than to trickle away for a single and bring up the Pakistan hundred.
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Fifty to Abdullah Shafique!
19th over: Pakistan 93-1 (Abdullah Shafique 50, Babar Azam 25) Rashid Khan strays onto Shafique’s pads, allowing him to glance for two and reach fifty off 60 balls. He’s having a very consistent World Cup but he’s been a mixed blessing here, slowing down after a strong start.
18th over: Pakistan 90-1 (Abdullah Shafique 48, Babar Azam 24) After the disgrace of conceding four runs from one over, Nabi is taken off. On comes Noor Ahmad, Afghanistan’s new boy, who is so young that he was born in 2005 – and experienced enough to have played in both the Pakistan Super League and the IPL. He bowls left-arm wrist-spin with a whirl of the arms, and his first over in international cricket goes for five singles.
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17th over: Pakistan 85-1 (Abdullah Shafique 46, Babar Azam 21) Rashid is warming to the task. On a surface that looks fast asleep when anyone else is bowling, he’s making the ball fizz and pop. He gets just enough turn with his leg-break to beat Shafique outside off. And that’s drinks, with Pakistan getting on top and then being pegged back by the breakthrough from Azmat, the thrift of Mohammad Nabi and the skill of Rashid Khan.
16th over: Pakistan 82-1 (Abdullah Shafique 45, Babar Azam 19) Hold the back page: an over from Nabi has gone for four! But it’s four singles. He has now bowled five overs and not one ball has gone for more than one run. Any chance Afghanistan can lend him to England?
In other news, a doting dad writes.
Utterley💔 as I watch him depart again😥
— Don Topley (Toppers) (@ToppersSnr) October 23, 2023
Huge admiration for him as his Father, ex-cricketer & former coach for his recent WCup endeavours - always have him in the trenches. Truly popular lad who will be sadly, missed by all! @englandcricket @cricketworldcup @RCBTweets #EngvSL pic.twitter.com/GCSAmpqyU5
15th over: Pakistan 78-1 (Abdullah Shafique 43, Babar Azam 17) Here is Rashid, the first superstar of Afghan cricket. And right away Babar is rattled – trying to heave a pull away, not getting hold of it, almost giving a catch to deep mid-on. Hashmatullah, seeing this, brings in a slip. Again, just the three singles off the over.,
14th over: Pakistan 75-1 (Abdullah Shafique 41, Babar Azam 16) Pakistan need to do something about Nabi, Afghanistan’s Mr Thrift. They show some intent with a single off each of the first three balls, then it’s back to dots as Babar is suddenly circumspect. Nabi figures latest: 4-0-7-0.
13th over: Pakistan 72-1 (Abdullah Shafique 39, Babar Azam 15) The commentators are wondering why Rashid Khan hasn’t come on to bowl at Babar, who struggles against him. Instead Azmat continues and Babar cashes in, pulling for two, easing through the covers for another two, then pulling for four more. He’s raced to 15 off 12 balls.
12th over: Pakistan 64-1 (Abdullah Shafique 39, Babar Azam 7) The pitch isn’t doing much, even for the spinners, but Nabi is keeping the batters quiet with his change of pace – from slow to very, very slow. He now has the peculiar figures of 3-0-4-0.
11th over: Pakistan 63-1 (Abdullah Shafique 39, Babar Azam 6) Here comes Babar Azam, who rather needs to show that form is temporary, class is permanent. His first shot bodes well: he gets a length ball from Azmat and strokes it on the up, through the covers, for four.
WICKET! Imam-ul-Haq c Naveen b Azmat 17 (Pakistan 56-1)
Catching practice! Imam, seldom happy against the short ball, pulls straight to midwicket.
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10th over: Pakistan 56-0 (Abdullah Shafique 38, Imam-ul-Haq 17) Yes, Nabi was changing ends, so he replaces Mujeeb, who goes off with a disappointing 4-0-29-0. Nabi is thrifty again, just the two singles, but the Powerplay belongs to Pakistan, not least because they have discovered how to hit a six.
9th over: Pakistan 54-0 (Abdullah Shafique 37, Imam-ul-Haq 16) After bowling the best over for some time, Nabi is taken off – perhaps to change ends. On comes Azmatullah Omarzai, the closest thing to a second seamer in this Afghanistan team, and he manages to keep Shafique quiet.
8th over: Pakistan 51-0 (Abdullah Shafique 35, Imam-ul-Haq 15) Mujeeb continues and it doesn’t go well. Shafique dances down to loft him for a straight six – yes really, another one – and then hits a cover drive with a hint of savagery.
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7th over: Pakistan 39-0 (Abdullah Shafique 24, Imam-ul-Haq 14) Naveen goes off after conceding 21 from three overs. On comes Mohammad Nabi, so it’s off-spin from both ends. He has one job – to put the plug in – and he manages it, conceding just a single.
6th over: Pakistan 38-0 (Abdullah Shafique 24, Imam-ul-Haq 13) Sixes are often worth more than six, because of the good vibes they generate. Imam joins in the fun now, cutting Mujeeb for four, and then Shafique sweeps for four. That’s 12 off the over, 23 off the last 11 balls, and Pakistan are in the driving seat.
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Pakistan finally hit a six in the Powerplay!
5th over: Pakistan 26-0 (Abdullah Shafique 19, Imam-ul-Haq 6) Hang on! Shafique has broken the shackles! After clipping a slower ball from Naveen for four, he rocks back and hooks the next one for six. That is surely against Pakistan’s team policy.
Naveen bounces back with a better bouncer that bothers Imam.
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4th over: Pakistan 15-0 (Abdullah Shafique 8, Imam-ul-Haq 6) Mujeeb continues and Pakistan, whose batting is old-school at the best of times, make no effort to attack him.
3rd over: Pakistan 13-0 (Abdullah Shafique 7, Imam-ul-Haq 5) Abdullah, facing Naveen, again flirts with danger. Looking for a chip over midwicket, he gets a leading edge that drops just short of mid-off. Then he pulls himself together and plays the shot he may have been trying in the first over – a lofted square drive for four.
In mid-over we get a close look at the pitch, which is a toasted flatbread. Just add hummus.
2nd over: Pakistan 8-0 (Abdullah Shafique 3, Imam-ul-Haq 5) At the other end it’s spin, naturally: Mujeeb Ur Rahman with the off-breaks that were too hot for England. He starts tidily, going for just three singles – but may have missed the chance of a run-out by misfielding off his own bowling.
1st over: Pakistan 5-0 (Abdullah Shafique 1, Imam-ul-Haq 4) Naveen-ul-Haq, the last seamer standing in this Afghan side, takes the new ball and almost grabs an early wicket. Abdullah Shafique plays an uppish nothing shot, rather too close to the man at backward point, but gets a single for it. Imam, calmer, tucks off his legs for the first four of the day.
The anthems are being sung with both teams giving it some welly. What a shame it is that they have only ever met on neutral ground.
Teams: Afghanistan
A quite different approach from Afghanistan: they’ve picked a fourth spinner! It’s Noor Ahmad, who is (a) a left-arm wristie and (b) only 18. In a more abstract sense, though, their strategy is the same as Pakistan’s – play to your strengths.
Afghanistan 1 Rahmanullah Gurbaz, 2 Ibrahim Zadran, 3 Rahmat Shah, 4 Hashmatullah Shahidi (capt), 5 Azmatullah Omarzai, 6 Ikram Alikhil (wk), 7 Mohammad Nabi, 8 Rashid Khan, 9 Mujeeb Ur Rahman, 10 Naveen-ul-Haq, 11 Noor Ahmad.
Teams: Pakistan
Just the one change. Mohammad Nawaz, who is unwell, gives way to Shadab Khan. Same balance, so even though it’s a bare, turning pitch, Babar Azam keeps faith with pace.
Pakistan 1 Abdullah Shafique, 2 Imam-ul-Haq, 3 Babar Azam (capt), 4 Mohammad Rizwan (wk), 5 Saud Shakeel, 6 Iftikhar Ahmed, 7 Mohammad Nawaz, 8 Usama Mir, 9 Shaheen Shah Afridi, 10 Hasan Ali, 11 Haris Rauf.
Toss: Pakistan win and bat first
Babar Azam wins the toss and opts to have a bat.
Preamble
Morning everyone and welcome to the World Cup’s latest local derby. It’s Pakistan v Afghanistan, for the first time ever in India.
Afghanistan have only played Pakistan in seven one-day internationals and have lost the lot. But they know they can beat their neighbours and seniors because they’ve done it in T20s, where the score is a very respectable 3-4.
Even in ODIs, the Afghans are getting closer: two months ago, at Hambantota in Sri Lanka, their rising star Rahmanullah Gurbaz led them to 300-5, their first total of 260+ against Pakistan, and although they ended up losing as usual it was only by one wicket with one ball to spare. If they hadn’t bowled 24 wides, they would have waltzed home.
Pakistan could really do with a win today after losing their last two games to India and Australia. But Afghanistan have an extra incentive to win, not that they need one. If they manage it, they’ll storm up the table from tenth to sixth, and England will sink to the bottom.
