PROVIDENCE (GUYANA): Pacer Fazalhaq Farooqi produced a fiery spell after Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran struck half-centuries in a solid opening partnership as Afghanistan began their T20 World Cup campaign with a comprehensive 125-run victory over debutants Uganda here.
Kolkata Knight Riders opener Gurbaz (76 off 45 balls) and his partner Zadran (70 off 46 balls) registered the second-highest opening partnership (154) in the men’s T20 World Cup as Afghanistan posted a challenging 183/5 after being asked to bat.
Left-arm pacer Farooqi (5/9) then knocked the wind out of the Ugandan batting line-up with his maiden five-wicket haul. The debutants were shot out for 58 in 16 overs.
“The kind of start we wanted as a team. Does not matter who we play, it is about the mindset,” skipper and country’s biggest cricket icon Rashid Khan said after the match.
“The hard work we have done in the last few weeks, the way the openers started and the way our bowlers bowled – it was a great overall team effort,” Rashid, who polished off the tail, added.
“That is the beauty of this team. We have so many options and that makes it easy as a captain,” the world’s premier T20 spinner gushed.
Seamer Farooqi was twice on the brink of claiming a hat-trick. He was lethal with the new ball.
After being hit for a four off his first delivery, he bowled a brilliant in-swinger which clipped Ronak Patel’s bat before crashing onto the stumps. He then trapped Roger Mukasa leg before wicket with a similar delivery.
“I have missed it (getting the hat-trick) a few times (smiles). Something that is not under my control and if I get a chance again, I will try to get that hat-trick,” Farooqi said while collecting his ‘Player of the Match’ award.
Naveen-ul-Haq also picked up two wickets in his first over, leaving Uganda in dire straits at 18/5.
Farooqi then returned in the 13th over to snare three more wickets to register his career-best figures in T20 Internationals.
He first deceived Riazat Ali Shah with a slower delivery to bowl him out before forcing skipper Brian Masaba to nick the ball with an eager Gurbaz collecting it.
He missed out on a hat-trick again but claimed his fifth victim in the last ball of the over.
“I kept it simple and wanted to hit the wickets. Playing franchise cricket helps you improve and helps on the big stage as well.
“Playing with so many big players, it helps in dealing with pressure and in bowling in the right areas,” said Farooqi, who has played for SRH in previous editions of IPL.
Earlier, with the ball coming onto the bat nicely and a fast outfield, Afghanistan’s openers started strong.
Gurbaz assumed the role of the aggressor first as he smacked the second ball of the innings for a six. Zadran quickly followed suit, hitting four consecutive boundaries in the sixth over off Dinesh Nakrani.
By the end of the first powerplay, Afghanistan were scoring at an impressive rate of 11 runs per over.
Gurbaz, who had four boundaries and as many sixes, raced to his fifty off just 28 balls in the ninth over.
While Zadran, who sent the ball to the fence nine times and over it once, reached his half-century in the 12th over.
Uganda’s poor fielding only added to their woes.
Gurabaz was dropped off a no ball in the 14th over which yielded 25 runs as the Afghanistan raced to 150.
It looked like the duo would bat the full 20 overs but Uganda bowlers fought back and kept the total under 200.
Afghanistan’s next challenge will be infinitely tougher against a formidable New Zealand side.
“Big game for us. It is about keeping things simple,” said Rashid.
Afghanistan chief coach Jonathan Trott on Tuesday said the decision to rope in Dwayne Bravo as the team’s bowling coach for the ongoing T20 World Cup worked wonders as the West Indian has made his job easier.
Riding on left-arm pacer Fazalhaq Farooqi’s (5/9) fiery spell after Rahmanullah Gurbaz (76) and Ibrahim Zadran’s (70) solid opening partnership, Afghanistan routed debutants Uganda by 125 runs here.
Speaking to the media after his side’s first win, Trott credited the contribution of Bravo, who according to him, has brought about a change in the approach of Afghanistan bowlers.
“DJ (Dwayne Bravo) coming into the side, fantastic. Having quality coaches also with huge experience as players (is great), but also vast franchise experience in this format of the game,” Trott said in the post-match press conference.
“(It’s) only a brilliant thing to have a player like him coming to the side as coach and it makes your job a lot easier but it also makes the coaching more enhanced, especially with the bowlers.
“We’ve seen the start of his first game with us and we saw the bowlers bowl really well, so credit to Dwayne. So (a) nice start for the boys.”
Uganda, who were bowled out for 58 in 16 overs, might have been outplayed by the Afghans in their first-ever T20 World Cup match but captain Brian Masaba was more focussed on the positives.
“Pretty special moment for us, hearing our national anthem and seeing our flag at the World Cup,” Masaba said after the match.
“First game at the World Cup, (a) lot of nerves, so good to get that out of the way.
“Something I will cherish for the rest of my life. We will look to come out and play better next game. They got off to a pretty good start and then it was about fighting back. It was very important how we fought back and full credit to the boys for that,” he added.
While Uganda will take on Papua New Guinea in their second Group C match here on Thursday, Afghanistan will be up against New Zealand at the same venue on Saturday.
