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Afghanistan (and Zimbabwe) tour of Bangladesh 2019

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Abdullah719

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The Bangladesh Cricket Board declared the schedule of the tri-nation T20I series at home involving Afghanistan and Zimbabwe, following Zimbabwe Cricket’s confirmation of availability Wednesday.

The BCB was waiting for a final call from Zimbabwe on their participation in the series which fell in jeopardy following an International Cricket Council stance.

The ICC last month banned Zimbabwe from participation in ICC events, and barred financial support, believing the governing body of cricket of the African nation has been politically interfered.

Bangladesh’s month-long home series will start with the lone Test match against Afghanistan, to be played in Chittagong’s Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, starting from September 5.

The Afghans before the Test will play a two-day practice match against a BCB XI at MA Aziz Stadium.

Bangladesh and Afghanistan will then be joined by Zimbabwe for the triangular T20I series, set to start in Dhaka on September 13 with the host taking on Zimbabwe.

At the same venue, Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, Afghanistan will play Zimbabwe and Bangladesh will take on Afghanistan on September 14 and 15 respectively.

Chittagong will host the remaining three league matches.

Bangladesh will play Zimbabwe on September 18 followed by the Afghanistan-Zimbabwe tie on September 20.

In the last league phase game, Bangladesh will play Afghanistan for the second time in the series on September 21.

Top two teams in the points table will play the final, scheduled to be held in Dhaka on September 24.

https://www.dhakatribune.com/sport/...s-schedule-involving-afghanistan-and-zimbabwe
 
Will Zimbabwe be able to play? Their suspension is still going.

If Zimbabwe doesn't play, I hope they invite Ireland.

It is a good opportunity for BD to get form back.
 
The Bangladesh Cricket Board have confirmed the tour dates for Bangladesh’s one-off Test against Afghanistan and the T20I tri-series which follows, and will also involve Zimbabwe.

While the suspension of Zimbabwe Cricket by the ICC bars them from participating in ICC events, the continue to be allowed to play bilateral – or indeed tri-lateral – cricket against other ICC members.

Afghanistan will arrive on 30 August and play a two-day tour match before the first-ever Test match between the side gets underway at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram.

Zimbabwe will arrive during the Test and play a practice game before the three sides take part in a T20I tri-series. The first three games will be at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur, while the second three will be back in Chattogram.

The final, and the final game of the tour, will take place at SBNCS in Mirpur on 24 September

Full schedule

Afghanistan arrive, 30 August

Bangladesh v Afghanistan, Only Test, Chattogram, 5-9 September

Zimbabwe arrive, 8 September

Bangladesh v Zimbabwe, 1st T20I, Mirpur, 13 September
Afghanistan v Zimbabwe, 2nd T20I, Mirpur, 14 September
Bangladesh v Afghanistan, 3rd T20I, Mirpur, 15 September
Bangladesh v Zimbabwe, 4th T20I, Chattogram, 18 September
Afghanistan v Zimbabwe, 5th T20I, Chattogram, 20 September
Bangladesh v Afghanistan, 6th T20I, Chattogram, 21 September
TBC v TBC, T20I Final, Mirpur, 24 September

https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/1302761
 
AFGHANISTAN SQUADS ANNOUNCED FOR BANGLADESH TEST AND TRIANGULAR SERIES IN SEPTEMBER

Afghanistan Cricket Board selection committee today announced a 15-member squad for the only test against Bangladesh as well as a 17-member squad for the T20I triangular series that will also feature Zimbabwe.

Chief selector Andy Moles, who was accompanied by member of selection committee Mujahid Zadran, announced both squads in a press conference held at ACB Headquarters in Kabul.

The 15-member squad for the only test against Bangladesh is as follows:

Rashid Khan (C), Ihsanullah Janat, Javid Ahmadi, Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Asghar Afghan, Ikram Alikhil, Mohammad Nabi, Qais Ahmad, Sayed Ahmad Shirzad, Yamin Ahmadzai, Zahir Khan Pakteen, Afsar Zazai and Shapoor Zadran.

The squad for the Afghanistan-Bangladesh- Zimbabwe T20I Triangular Series is as follows:

Rashid Khan (C), Asghar Afghan, Mohammad Nabi, Hazratullah Zazai, Najeeb Tarakai, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Mujeeb ur Rahman, Shafiqullah Shafaq, Najib Zadran, Shahidullah Kamal, Karim Janat, Gulbadin Naib, Fareed Ahmad Malik, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Fazal Niazai, Dawlat Zadran and Naveen ul Haq.

Addressing the press, Mr. Moles said, “We have selected a 17-member squad for the T20I matches as per the advice of the Captain as we have two important tournaments; T20I Asia Cup and ICC T20 World Cup 2020 ahead of us. We will seek to prepare good sides for these tournaments and those players who perform well, will be considered for selection.”

Moles added that the reason to select more players in the T20I squad is to determine appropriate position of those players in the playing order while also preparing a good side for the upcoming tournaments. He emphasized that all players are selected based on their skills and abilities and that more youngsters will be considered for selection in the future as well.

Responding to a question from reporters, Mr. Moles said, “We will also consider the performance of players in the upcoming Shpageeza Cricket League and Afghanistan Premier League T20 for future selection. “

It is worth mentioning that Ibrahim Zadran, Qais Ahmad, Sayed Ahmad Shirzad, Zahir Khan Pakteen and Shapoor Zadran have not made their Test debuts yet while Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Shahidullah Kamal, Fazal Niazi and Naveen ul Haq are yet to play a T20 International.

The Test squad will leave to Abu Dhabi tomorrow where they are scheduled to participate in a training camp from 22nd to 29th of this month before travelling to Bangladesh on 30th to play the only test against the host nation from 5th to 9th September.

In the triangular series, the National team is scheduled to play its first match on 14th September against Zimbabwe, second against Bangladesh on 15th, Third against Zimbabwe on 20th and fourth against Bangladesh on 21st September while the Final is scheduled to be played on 24th September.

https://cricket.af/acb-news-info/1114
 
It should be an interesting series. It will be disappointing if BD doesn't win both Test and T20 (considering it is a home series).

It is an opportunity for BD to get confidence/momentum back.
 
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Bangladesh are paying extra attention to preparing to play spin ahead of their first-ever Test against Afghanistan.

Bangladesh will host Afghanistan in a one-off Test starting on 5 September. The teams have built up a keen rivalry in limited-overs cricket in recent times, and six wins to each suggest they are evenly matched. In red-ball cricket, the more experienced Bangladesh go in with an advantage over the newest Test side. Yet, they are leaving no stone unturned in their preparations.

Wary of Afghanistan's spin attack, and given that their home surfaces tend to encourage the slow bowlers, they are keen that their batsmen aren't left exposed.

"We are planning a bit differently for the match against Afghanistan as they have a very good spin attack," opener Shadman Islam told reporters in Mirpur after training on Thursday, 29 August. "We always work extra for facing pacers, so we thought of putting in some extra work to play spin this time.

"Most of their players, like Rashid Khan or Mohammad Nabi, all bowl with variations. For that reason we are working on playing spin more as we usually work on playing pace."

Rashid, the 20-year-old leg-spinner who will be leading Afghanistan in Tests for the first time, has had a fair amount of success against Bangladesh. In nine limited-overs games, he averages 15.05 with the ball against them. The hosts, however, are determined not to be intimidated by him. While he may be the No.1 bowler on the MRF Tyres ICC T20I Rankings, Bangladesh know that the red ball brings its own challenges.

"We do not have any extra plans regarding Rashid Khan," said Shadman, who made his Test debut against West Indies in Dhaka late last year. "To bowl in shorter formats and in Tests are two different things. So we are not worried about him as we plan to play in the usual way we play against spinners.

"We play against some quality spinners in our country, so I do not think that Rashid Khan can put us under extra pressure. Also the format is very different, it cannot be matched with T20s.”

Afghanistan will play a tour game from 1 September before the Test at Chattogram. That will be followed by a T20I tri-series with Zimbabwe joining them.


https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/1328945
 
Bangladesh Test Squad: Shakib Al Hasan (c), Soumya Sarkar, Shadman Islam, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Liton Das, Mahmudullah, Mohammad Mithun, Mosaddek Hossain, Mehidy Hasan, Taijul Islam, Nayeem Hasan, Abu Jayed, Taskin Ahmed, Ebadat Hossain
 
Newly-appointed Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan is confident that his side will be able to mentally transition into the longer format, ahead of their one-off Test against Bangladesh.

"We have that mental preparation and we have worked on how to play four-day cricket, five-day cricket,” Rashid told reporters upon Afghanistan’s arrival in Dhaka on Friday, 30 August. “We have worked on that, we have had a good practice camp before coming here. We will try our best to be positive and do well in the game.

"It [Test cricket] is different and you have to have different kind of mentality for that. You have more time, and certainly there is more pressure in Test cricket. As a player, you need to switch on and switch off, and we are ready for that."

Afghanistan, who were formally awarded Test status in June 2017, have played two red-ball games thus far. Against India, in their long-format debut, they lost by an innings and 262 runs in June 2018. But they convincingly beat Ireland by seven wickets in March this year.

Rashid, who replaced Rahmat Shah as the Test skipper in July, expressed his excitement at the new role, and looked forward to the challenge of infusing inspiration into the team, after a disappointing run at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019, which they finished winless after nine games.

"I am pretty excited with the new role and the team. I will try my best to be positive and enjoy the game,” Rashid said.

Bangladesh might be ninth-placed in the MRF Tyres ICC Test Rankings, but Rashid is fully aware, and wary, of what they are capable of achieving in their conditions.

"They are playing well, and especially in the World Cup, they were unbelievable," Rashid said. "Their cricket improved day by day, and as a team, we need to take it positively. We prepare well for each and every team and it will be a good series for us."

Afghanistan will play a two-day practice game against a Board President’s XI in Chittagong ahead of the one-off Test, which begins on 5 September. They will then feature in an ODI tri-series, involving Bangladesh and Zimbabwe.

https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/1329766
 
Abdullah719 said:
Bangladesh Test Squad: Shakib Al Hasan (c), Soumya Sarkar, Shadman Islam, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Liton Das, Mahmudullah, Mohammad Mithun, Mosaddek Hossain, Mehidy Hasan, Taijul Islam, Nayeem Hasan, Abu Jayed, Taskin Ahmed, Ebadat Hossain
Click to expand...

Bangladesh have announced their squad for the one-off Test against Afghanistan next month.

Fast bowler Taskin Ahmed has been included in the squad – his last Test appearance came in October 2017 – while left-arm seamer Mustafizur Rahman is not in the 15-man list.

Taskin was initially included in Bangladesh’s squads for their ODI and Test series against New Zealand earlier this year before a left ankle injury ruled him out of contention.

Tamim Iqbal, Bangladesh’s experienced left-handed opener, has not been included in the squad.

Shakib Al Hasan is set to return to the international stage having been rested for last month’s ODI series against Sri Lanka and will captain the side in their first-ever Test against the Afghans.

The Test will begin on 5 September in Chattogram.

https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/1329296
 
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I think it was a good decision to drop Tamim. He is horribly out of form. It is better we try someone new and build for future.

A bit surprised to see no Mustafiz.
 
The Test match could be very close. Same Bangladesh side lost by a big margin to a club level Zimbabwe side less than a year ago.

T20 series will be close too.

Might have been a waste to invite a dying Zimbabwe side. Nepal or Netherlands would have offered much stronger competition to be honest.
 
Shutdown Corner said:
The Test match could be very close. Same Bangladesh side lost by a big margin to a club level Zimbabwe side less than a year ago.

T20 series will be close too.

Might have been a waste to invite a dying Zimbabwe side. Nepal or Netherlands would have offered much stronger competition to be honest.
Click to expand...

It was 1-1 (BD-Zimbabwe Test series last year).

Netherlands would've been good. Not sure about Nepal.
 
Senior Zimbabwe batsman Hamilton Masakadza has expressed gratitude towards Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) for giving the opportunity to his side to play cricket again. Masakadza, who retires after the upcoming tri-series in Bangladesh, made the comments on the backdrop of Zimbabwe’s suspension by the ICC – which prevents the country from playing in any ICC tournaments, but can participate in bilateral or trilateral events.

“Bangladesh have shown a lot of support to us. We are very grateful to the Bangladesh Cricket Board that they have given us the opportunity to play cricket again,” Masakadza told reporters on Tuesday at Mirpur.

“Important thing is now we are playing and looking forward to get back on the field and playing again,” he added.

The 36-year-old Masakadza expects a tough challenge from Bangladesh, who are coming off a morale-crushing Test defeat to Afghanistan.

“T20 is obviously played in different conditions. In Test cricket, toss plays an important role. T20 cricket is played on much better wickets and is a shorter format, so we can expect a tough challenge,” said Masakadza.

“I am not surprised at Afghanistan’s performance. On this kind of a wicket, winning the toss helps you in winning the game because they have got quality spinners,” he said.

He hopes Zimbabwe makes it to the final as he reckons T20 format suits them the best. “Obviously, we want to make it to the final because this is our strongest suit. The guys are really confident and upbeat about the chances.

“We have some success here as well. Chances are very high but obviously we will be playing against two high quality teams and we want to go all the way,” he said.

Masakadza, who made his debut in 2001, will bring the curtains down on his 18-year-old international career. Quizzed if he has made plans after retirement, he said: “Definitely it has been a long tough road for me. Enjoyed every moment representing my country. Still a work in progress but I want to slow down. Next series is after the T20 World Cup early next year, so I wanted to step down and focus on myself.”

https://www.cricketcountry.com/news...ing-zimbabwe-opportunity-to-play-again-890113
 
Afghanistan put forward a dominant performance as they claimed a 28-run victory over Zimbabwe in Mirpur.

A stellar stand of 107 between Najibullah Zadran and Mohammad Nabi helped Afghanistan to an imposing total of 197/5, with the pair smashing 10 sixes between them. At one stage the show of carnage between the two batsmen saw seven maximums arrive from seven consecutive deliveries. Despite a fighting batting performance, the target proved too much for Zimbabwe.

It was debutant bowling to debutant to begin the second match of the Bangladesh tri-series, after Zimbabwe elected to field and opened the bowling with the left-arm spin of Ainsley Ndlovu, while Afghanistan opted to open with the potentially explosive pairing of Hazratullah Zazai and 17-year-old keeper-batsman Rahmanullah Gurbaz, making his first appearance for the national team. While Hazratullah was kept quiet, departing for a slower than run-a-ball 13, Rahmanullah more than made up for it, taking any chance to pull or sweep as he scored a rapid 43 to set up his side for a big score on a pitch offering plenty of help for the slower bowlers.

A relatively sedate period followed his dismissal, Sean Williams (2/16) pinning him leg before with a quicker ball, but the partnership of Nabi and Najibullah breathed life back into the innings, the excitement culminating when they sent the ball over the boundary from seven consecutive balls: four from Tendai Chatara and three from Neville Madziva, leading to the leakage of 51 runs from two overs. A four through point which landed inches short of the boundary brought the six streak to an end, but it was still enough to take Najibullah to fifty from only 22 balls. The century partnership was brought up in the final over from 35 balls, Zimbabwe unable to end the partnership until the final delivery of the innings when Nabi failed to clear long on, departing with 38 runs to his name from only 18 balls, his partner walking off unbeaten with 69 from 30 as Afghanistan posted an unassailable total of 197/5.

Hamilton Masakadza and Brendan Taylor joined forces to get Zimbabwe’s innings underway, and Taylor hit back-to-back sixes from Mujeeb’s second over to get the run chase properly rolling. That was to be the height of Zimbabwean hopes though, as Masakadza was run out from the final ball of the over after a hesitation setting off for a tight single.

Taylor departed in the next over, spooning a catch to mid-wicket as he tried to flick a ball from Farid Malik past short fine leg, and Williams fell two balls later edging behind to the same bowler. When Craig Ervine was trapped leg before in the seventh over, Zimbabwe were all but out of it. Some lower-order resistance from Regis Chakabva (42* off 22) was enough to make the margin respectable, but the result was never in doubt.

https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/1344453
 
Following their 25-run defeat to Afghanistan in their second match of the ongoing tri-series, Bangladesh have decided to make several personnel changes for the remainder of the series.

Rubel Hossain and Shafiul Islam, the two experienced fast bowlers, have been recalled as part of the revamp. Meanwhile, they've dropped the axe on Soumya Sarkar, who hasn't had a great run of form recently.

They've also left out off-spinner Mahedi Hasan as well as fast bowlers Abu Hider and Yeasin Arafat, who were yet to feature in any of Bangladesh's two games so far.

Youngsters Najmul Hossain, Aminul Islam and Mohammad Naim, none of whom are more than 21 years old, have been drafted in as part of the shake up.

Left-handed batsman Najmul has represented Bangladesh in a handful of games, but none in the shortest format. Leg-spinning all-rounder Aminul and opening batsman Naim are yet to wear Bangladesh colours across formats.

Rubel, 29, has played 27 T20Is for Bangladesh, the last of which came in August 2018. The 29-year-old has been a touch expensive in the shortest format, and has a chance to make amends. Shafiul, also 29, last played a T20I in late 2017.

After three matches, Bangladesh are second in the points table, sandwiched between Afghanistan and Zimbabwe. Their top order had endured a failure against Zimbabwe as well, but a belligerent half-century from Atif Hossain saved them the blushes in that game. The next game is on Wednesday, 18 September, against Zimbabwe.

Squad: Shakib Al Hasan (c), Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Mahmudullah, Sabbir Rahman, Mosaddek Hossain, Liton Das, Afif Hossain, Taijul Islam, Rubel Hossain, Shafiul Islam, Mustafizur Rahman, Mohammad Saifuddin, Mohammad Naim Shaikh, Aminul Islam, Najmul Hossain

https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/1346905
 
The development and welfare of the Bangladesh cricket lies on their fearless cricket what Bangladesh batting coach Neil McKenzie once again reminded the players whose morale down after losing six matches on the trot.

The situation comes to the fore after the shock loss to India and Pakistan in the ICC Cricket World Cup in the United Kingdom (UK). They therefore were whitewashed by Sri Lanka 3-0. The last but not least, they lost to Afghanistan in a one-off Test on home soil, the loss that created furore in and out of the country.

But the much-needed victory against Zimbabwe in the tri-nation opener stopped the barrage of the flaks for the nonce.

Now from all the fronts the praise poured on them for their fearless cricket especially Afif Hossain and Mosaddek Hossain Saikat’s spellbound performance behind the success.

Bangladesh batting coach Neil McKenzie joined the party and eulogised Afif and Mosaddek for their fearless cricket that bailed Tigers out of their six-match losing streak with a three-wicket victory on home territory.

McKenzie said that the better outcome will obviously come for them if they can apply such calculative and team effort in their games.

“We would obviously like to win with no wickets down. But this is cricket and it’s a team game. So, we knew we had a long batting line-up. There is trust in the whole sort of the team. We put a lot of emphasis on playing for a team and trusting the guys out there,” said Neil McKenzie.

“Afif came back after his little one game couple of years ago. With Saikat, he really showed a matured innings and played with freedom. There is lot of attention in Bangladesh like many other big countries and they are very passionate about their cricket. With the team going well, everybody is up and when the team going down, then no one can play,” McKenzie told media.

“The guys have a lot of pressure of themselves and took off the pressure from themselves. And really played with no fear. That’s why we want to take our cricket forward, to play brave cricket. Afif came in and hit his first ball for four and hit some great boundaries and in the next over Saikat came in and he hit two magnificent shots for sixes. So calculative effort and really as I said good team effort with no fear,” he added.

McKenzie billed international cricket as hard, where you need to have patience unless you never come out of vicious circle of demoralisation, stating that they have to make belief on their players, who are potential and talented will bring the team forward.

“International cricket is a hard cricket, I think, where you can’t always score. Look at Shakib who was magnificent in the World Cup. There are a lot of guys who played really well in last six months in international cricket. As soon as they don’t score in one or two games and everybody gets excited and upset whatever,” he viewed.

“International cricket is hard cricket and best in the world also failed. But we have to keep faith on the talented bunch of cricketers. I saw the ‘A team’ which is going to Sri Lanka and there are lot of talented players there. Bangladesh got a lot of talented cricketers and we need patience and we need trust and we need belief,” he added.

Citing the names of Soumya Sarkar and Liton Das, the batting coach said that they have good potentials and selectors should carry on them both with some other players.

“You can trust them after what they have done. Soumya Sarkar, he came well in the Ireland final against West Indies. You guys have definitely watched that on TV. He scored fifty off no time. He is a proper player and he needs belief. He can’t have people questioning his ability all the time. He has come back with lot of big hundreds. He got a great 80 against Zimbabwe five to six months ago. He had a great tour in Ireland. He showed glimpses what he could have done in the World Cup,” he said of Soumya.

“Liton Das, we have seen what he can do. He got a 140 in the Asia Cup, that’s now four years ago. It was just six or seven months ago whatever it was or wherever it was. He has great 90 against West Indies in an unbelievable historical chase at Taunton. So these guys can play,” he said of Liton.

“We just need to trust these guys and give them backing. You can’t score hundred in all the time. Hopefully selectors chose them for long enough and get out your little performances there because they all are good players. I think the biggest thing we got we have so many good players at the moment and we just need guys to jump out the box and lot more consistent and that’s we are looking for.”

“There’s no doubt about their ability it’s all about the consistency. So instead of scoring 80 or 100, then nothing we want a 100 then we want a 100 and 50, 40 and whatever it is. So it’s just the consistency we are looking for but when someone fails at front, we are a team and someone needs to pick up the responsibility. And that’s what good teams do. When it is your day and openers are really going well and you are very happy for the openers.”

“When it is not their day, it’s opportunity for number seven, number eight. And that’s exactly what happened in first phase opening match against Zimbabwe. It was a good day and it was very happy for the coaches to see a team stick together and play small brand of cricket and brave cricket and get their team Bangladesh through. For me some negatives but one big positive,” he concluded.

http://m.theindependentbd.com//post/216007
 
Mahmudullah, the Bangladesh all-rounder, who was Player of the Match as they beat Zimbabwe on Wednesday, 18 September to seal a spot in the tri-series finals, has expressed his hope of carrying that winning form into their final two matches.

Bangladesh have two matches lined up against Afghanistan in the series – the last league game, and the final – with the visitors unbeaten on their tour so far, including in the one-off Test before the tri-series when Bangladesh were beaten by 224 runs.

Afghanistan's hold over the hosts extended to the limited-overs format as well, with Bangladesh being comprehensively beaten by 25 runs in their tri-series clash. It was their fourth successive loss in five T20Is between them.

Mahmudullah, who starred against Zimbabwe with a fluent 41-ball 62, is hoping to carry that level of performance into the clashes against Afghanistan. "We need to focus on our next match," Mahmudullah said. "They are ranked higher than us, and we need to keep that in mind.

"In recent times, the results are not going our way. We lost the Test match, lost to Sri Lanka, and the last T20 match too. Our next step will be to continue the dominance and put up a same or even better performance to win against Afghanistan, which would give us more confidence and help us have a morale boost ahead of the final."

Mahmudullah walked to the middle in the eighth over of the clash against Zimbabwe, with the scoreboard reading 65/3. He added 78 runs with Mushfiqur Rahim to guide his team to a par total of 175/7, and he hit five sixes and a four in his 41-ball stay. "I was prepared to counter attack, even if that was the first ball of the innings," Mahmudullah said.

"Basically, I don't play too many reverse sweeps, but I tried and I could not connect. But Mushfiqur's strength is playing those shots. I think we are more capable in skill-hitting rather than power-hitting. We could utilise the power only when we are set in the crease. There is no Chris Gayle and Andre Russell in Bangladesh team. We are more focused on skill-hitting.”

The 33-year-old also heaped praise on Aminul Islam, the young leg-spinner, who returned 2/18 on his international debut. "When I first saw him [Aminul Islam] bowling in the nets, I felt there's an X-factor in him," Mahmadullah said. "He seems aggressive with a good physical attitude. I was talking to him on the field and told him, 'whatever you do, do it with courage.' I think he was also feeling that.

"I felt that he was quite aggressive when he was bowling and fielding, which is very important in T20 cricket. It might not work every day, but it will give him success most of the time. I am very happy about his performance."

https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/1350081
 
aving lost their three games in the tri-series in Bangladesh, Zimbabwe will be hoping for a consolation win when they take on an unbeaten Afghanistan in the fifth Twenty20 International in Chattogram on Friday, 20 September.

Overview

Afghanistan v Zimbabwe, Match 5, T20I tri-series
Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Chittagong
Friday, 20 September; 06:30pm local, 12:30pm GMT

Zimbabwe's 39-run defeat to Bangladesh on Wednesday was their second against the hosts, and it confirmed their elimination from the series. Their final league clash will be against Afghanistan, whom they have never defeated in T20Is, with Zimbabwe being beaten in all the eight matches played between them so far.

It is, however, the final international appearance for captain Hamilton Masakadza, and Zimbabwe will be keen to bid farewell to him on a winning note.

Afghanistan, meanwhile, have maintained their rise in the shortest format – their latest victory over Bangladesh was a record 12th in a row against the side. Both their wins so far in the tri-series have been brought about by strong contributions from the middle order, and disciplined efforts from their spinners.

However, given how Afghanistan's top order has been less than impressive in the series so far – they were reduced to 19/3 in the last match – captain Rashid Khan will hope his top three can work themselves into form before the final against Bangladesh in Dhaka.

Rahmanullah Gurbaz, the opener, scored a blistering 24-ball 43, before Najibullah Zadran and Mohammad Nabi put on a 107-run stand, with the aid of seven consecutive sixes, to help Afghanistan post 197/5. Zimbabwe lost four wickets in the first seven overs of their chase, and eventually went down by 28 runs.

What they said

Rashid Khan, Afghanistan captain: "I think the senior players took the responsibility and that's how we recovered from four down to 160-plus. It's always good to win against any team. We need to keep the momentum with us and do this each and every day."

Hamilton Masakadza, Zimbabwe captain: "We can't get to the final, but there's some motivation for the next match, we have never beaten Afghanistan. For the guys who are just starting (their careers), there's a long way to go."

Conditions

The forecast is for considerable cloud cover throughout the day in Chattogram, with spots of rain in the evening raising the possibility of a delayed start. Teams batting first have won each of the last four T20Is played at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium.

https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/1350077
 
Zim 156/3 (19.3) beat AFG 155/8 (20 overs) by 7 wickets....

good win for Zim against an inform Afg bowling lineup .... even stevens for now
 
The Zimbabwe skipper hit 71 as he guided his side to victory in his last game for his nation.

Afghanistan skipper Rashid Khan's decision to bat first after winning the toss looked an inspired decision as his side's openers got off to a flying start. Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Hazratullah Zazai added 83 for the first wicket inside ten overs before Zazai fell to Tinotenda Mutombodzi.

Gurbaz's scoring rate began to slow but the 17-year old did reach his maiden T20I half-century. Gurbaz saw Shafiqullah at the other end, a wicket that prompted a somewhat of a collapse. Having been well poised at 106/2, Afghanistan slipped to 140/6 as Christopher Mpofu took career-best T20I figures of 4/30 from his allotted set of overs.

Mpofu was well supported by Tinotenda Mutombodzi who took 2/18 from three overs as Afghanistan finished their innings on 155/8.

Masakadza opened the batting with the experienced Brendan Taylor and the pair added 40 for the first wicket before Taylor was caught by Najibullah Zadran off the bowling of Mujeeb Ur Rahman. This brought Regis Chakabva to the wicket and the pair added 70 runs for the second wicket as Zimbabwe lowered the required run-rate with two of their more experienced batsmen at the crease.

The skipper was the second wicket to fall as Dawlat Zadran had him caught by Mohammad Nabi for 71. Virtually every single Afghanistan player went over to the departing captain to shake his hand as his international career, which began all the way back in 2001, came to a close. Hamilton ends his 18-year international career with 9,543 international runs, a tally only bettered by the Flower brothers, Andy and Grant.

Chakabva gave Mujeeb a second wicket, departing for 39 leaving Sean Williams (21*) and Mutombodzi (1*) to see Zimbabwe to victory with three balls remaining.

https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/1350640
 
Surprised to see Zimbabwe beating Afghanistan. They won out of nowhere.

Happy for Masakadza.
 
Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan, who hurt his left hamstring during the final league stage game against Bangladesh, is in doubt for their repeat clash on Tuesday, 24 September, in the final of the tri-nation series, also involving Zimbabwe.

The 21-year-old sustained the injury while fielding during the eighth over of Bangladesh's successful chase at Chattogram on Saturday, 21 September.

Afghanistan had already secured qualification for the final, so defeat wasn't as big a concern as the injury to their captain and most accomplished T20I player. He vinced in pain as he pulled up and was attended to by the team physio before hobbling off the ground.

He showed a lot of character in returning to the field later, and also claimed the wickets of Mahmudullah and Atif Hossain to try and dent Bangladesh's chase despite being in evident discomfort.

Rashid is the No.1 bowler on the MRF Tyres ICC Men's T20I Rankings, and Afghanistan will fancy their chances in the final a lot more if he is able to participate. Team manager Nazim Jar Abdur Rahim Zai said the injury would be monitored over the next couple of days.

"I cannot say that he will be available [for the final]," Zai told reporters. "He is doing well and let's see what's happening. We will have two or three days for recovery. I hope it's not that serious because he is our captain and main player and we will monitor him tomorrow and the day after [before taking any decision]."

https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/1353626
 
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