Afghanistan grew to become the fifth workforce to qualify for the Tremendous Eight quarter-finals of the ICC Males’s Twenty20 World Cup after left-arm pacer Fazalhaq Farooqi and all-rounder Gulbadin Naib performed main roles in a seven-wicket win towards Papua New Guinea on Thursday in Trinidad.
Farooqi, 23, delivered a stellar efficiency, bagging three for 16 from his allotted 4 overs, rising his tally to a tournament-leading 12 wickets. His efforts helped Afghanistan bowl out Papua New Guinea for a modest 95 in 19.5 overs of their Group C match below the lights on the Brian Lara Cricket Academy.
Afghanistan stumbled early of their chase, reaching 39 for 2 by the shut of the Energy Play. Nonetheless, Naib steadied the innings with an unbeaten 49 off 36 balls, guiding his workforce to a complete of 101 for 3, sealing the win with 29 balls remaining.
Afghanistan’s third consecutive win
This victory marked Afghanistan’s third consecutive win within the event, securing their qualification from Group C together with co-hosts West Indies. They be part of favorites India, reigning champions Australia, and title hopefuls South Africa within the Tremendous Eight.
“It’s good to have gained [this match] and acquired qualification out of the way in which,” Afghanistan coach Jonathan Trott, the previous England batsman, stated. “To come back to a World Cup and win three straight is a pleasant feeling, however there’s additionally the conclusion and actuality that we haven’t gained something but. We solely achieved the group stage, and we’ve acquired some essential matches developing that we’re going to need to play properly in.”
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The consequence ensured that New Zealand, who reached the semi-finals in every of the final three T20 World Cups and have been runners-up three years in the past, is not going to progress to the second stage of the event. Afghanistan’s victory over New Zealand by 84 runs final Friday on the Guyana Nationwide Stadium, adopted by West Indies’ 13-run win towards them on Wednesday on the BLCA, confirmed the Black Caps’ early exit.
Greater than only a battle for bragging rights
With event organizers utilizing a novel predetermined seeding system for the Tremendous Eight fixtures, the ultimate Group C match between Afghanistan and West Indies on Monday on the Daren Sammy Cricket Floor in St Lucia is predicted to be greater than only a battle for bragging rights.
“We nonetheless have one recreation left, an essential group recreation, and that’s going to be a very good gauge of the place we’re towards a robust West Indies facet, who gained an unimaginable recreation [on Wednesday] from the place they have been in,” Trott added.
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The loss was the third consecutive defeat for Papua New Guinea. West Indies beforehand beat them by 5 wickets on the Guyana Nationwide Stadium, and Uganda edged them out by three wickets in a low-scoring contest. This newest defeat means Papua New Guinea can be eradicated forward of their remaining match towards New Zealand on Monday morning on the BLCA.
