DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Afghanistan skipper
Mohammad Nabi on Saturday
said his team will be no pushovers in the Asia Cup Twenty20 tournament after a
crushing eight-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the opening match.
اضافة اعلان
Fast bowler
Fazalhaq Farooqi returned figures of
3–11 to help bundle out Sri Lanka for a paltry 105, a total their batsmen
overhauled in 10.1 overs in Dubai.
Left-hander Hazratullah Zazai, unbeaten on 37, and
wicketkeeper-batsman Rahmanllah Gurbaz, who hit 40 off 18 balls, put on 83 runs
for the opening wicket to build on the dominance started by the bowlers.
Afghanistan, in Group B with Sri Lanka and
Bangladesh, have made a thumping start to their campaign in the six-nation
tournament that acts as a tune-up to the T20 World Cup in October-November in
Australia.
“There are no upsets against opposition teams. We
have properly worked on this tournament,” Nabi said after being asked on
Afghanistan creating shock wins. “We came early, worked hard and tried to
acclimatize.”
Afghanistan, who got Test status in 2017 and played
their first five-day match against India a year later, have made giant strides
in international cricket.
“We have come here to play as a proper Test nation.
We are not here to participate and go back. We will fight on pitches that
favour our strengths,” said Nabi.
“We want to qualify for the next round (Super 4) and
give a tough time to opposition teams.”
Nabi credited the bowling led by Farooqi and the
batting with Gurbaz giving the team a fiery start in his opening blitz to tear
into the Sri Lankan attack.
He said both bowling and batting were “perfect”.
Technology and
controversy
Farooqi, a left-arm quick, stood out for Afghanistan after he struck with
successive deliveries in the first over of the innings to send Kusal Mendis and
Charith Asalanka trudging back to the pavilion for two and naught.
Naveen-ul-Haq then
sent back
Pathum Nissanka caught behind after the batsman reviewed the on-field
call and the third-umpire upheld the decision despite no visible spike on the
ultra-edge, leaving the batsman and dressing room stunned.
Sri Lanka skipper Dasun Shanaka said “with this technology and all, in my
opinion that’s not out” — a thought that was shared by his opposition number
Nabi in the post-match press conference.
At that point Sri
Lanka were struggling with just five runs on the board and three wickets down
in the opening two overs.
Danushka
Gunathilaka (17) and Bhanuka Rajapaksa (38) attempted to hit back with a flurry
of boundaries in a 20-run sixth over before spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman broke the
44-run stand.
Wickets kept
tumbling with the 13th over providing two runouts, including the end of
Rajapaksa while attempting a second run.
Chamika
Karunaratne made 31 to take the team total past 100 before being bowled by
Farooqi.
Afghanistan
openers came out all guns blazing as Gurbaz smashed three fours and four sixes
in his 18-ball blitz before falling to leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga.
Zazai kept up the
attack with Ibrahim Zadran, who made 15 before being run out, to bring alive
the Afghan supporters and silence the Sri Lankan crowd.
India meet Pakistan in a
hotly-anticipated Group A clash on Sunday at the same venue.
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