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Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe series in UAE [Afghanistan won T20Is 2-0, ODIs 4-1)

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UN talkz

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Zimbabwe and Afghanistan have agreed to play five ODIs and two T20Is against each other in Sharjah in February 2018. The tour begins with back to back 20-over games on February 5 and 6 before moving onto the 50-over leg which is scheduled to take place between February 9 to 19.

Afghanistan were in talks to play their maiden Test against Zimbabwe around the same time as well. The original plan was that they would stop over in Sharjah, play each other, and then Zimbabwe would travel Bangladesh for an ODI tri-series in January-February.

But with the World Cup qualifiers due to take place in March, and both teams being involved in the tournament, Zimbabwe Cricket suggested to the Afghanistan Cricket Board that it might be better to play the Test at a later time.

“We are still discussing the proposed Test and looking at playing it after the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier,” a ZC official said. With Zimbabwe suffering a cash crunch, they may also prefer to play their Test matches away from home.

Afghanistan have also announced a three match ODI series against Ireland to take place in Sharjah on December 5, 7 and 10.

The ACB chairman Atif Mashal appeared happy that the team was getting good exposure in limited-overs cricket. “The two T20Is and five-match ODI series at Sharjah Cricket Stadium will give both sides [Afghanistan and Zimbabwe] a valuable opportunity to face each other for competitive cricket ahead of the ICC World Cup Qualifiers in March.”
Tour schedule

Feb 5 – First T20I, Sharjah
Feb 6 – Second T20I, Sharjah
Feb 9 – First ODI, Sharjah
Feb 11 – Second ODI, Sharjah
Feb 13 – Third ODI, Sharjah
Feb 16 – Fourth ODI, Sharjah
Feb 19 – Fifth ODI, Sharjah

https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/20...o-play-limited-overs-series-in-february-2018/
 
For all the bad press UAE gets, it seems to attract cricket teams from around the globe - amazing.
 
Good for Afghanistan - think they get a lot of home support in Sharjah?
 
Afghanistan have dominated Zimbabwe recently, let's see if that changes now that Zimbabwe have Brendan Taylor and Kyle Jarvis back.
 
hadi123 said:
Afghanistan have dominated Zimbabwe recently, let's see if that changes now that Zimbabwe have Brendan Taylor and Kyle Jarvis back.
Click to expand...

Jarvis has surprisingly been bowling at 125 mph. He was never quick but even by ZIM standards that's slow. Apparently he did hit 148 once vs South Africa some time ago...
 
On spinning wicket with Nabi, Rashid and Mujeeb bowling 3/5 of the bowling will give Afghanistan advantage in T20 and ODI.

However knowing the nepotistic selection of Afghanistan they will not select Mujeeb. He is ready as is Darwish Rasool who seem to be perfect for limited overs cricket especially T20.
 
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thelandofthebravepeople said:
On spinning wicket with Nabi, Rashid and Mujeeb bowling 3/5 of the bowling will give Afghanistan advantage in T20 and ODI.

However knowing the nepotistic selection of Afghanistan they will not select Mujeeb. He is ready as is Darwish Rasool who seem to be perfect for limited overs cricket especially T20.
Click to expand...

man that Rasooli guy is awesome
Pakistan were lucky as he did not fire today
He should be played in senior LOI team as soon as possible
 
thelandofthebravepeople said:
On spinning wicket with Nabi, Rashid and Mujeeb bowling 3/5 of the bowling will give Afghanistan advantage in T20 and ODI.

However knowing the nepotistic selection of Afghanistan they will not select Mujeeb. He is ready as is Darwish Rasool who seem to be perfect for limited overs cricket especially T20.
Click to expand...

Is Mujeeb an off spinner?
 
Good series and it will be competitive. Zimbabwe have shown great improvement in the recent times and with Taylor and Jarvis returning, they can be a handful. Afghanistan are brilliant as well and with their U19 team winning Asia cup, it is a surely a great time for the team.
 
The captains of Afghanistan and Zimbabwe National teams took part in conference today in Sharjah, which was also attended by Afghanistan’s Head coach, Phil Simmons.

Addressing the press, Afghanistan’s skipper Asghar Stanikzai said: “We are well prepared for this series. We have quality spinners in our side which will be helpful considering that the wicket at Sharjah is well suited for the spinners.” He added that the inclusion of Mohammad Shahzad has further strengthened the batting line-up.

When asked about their chances against Afghanistan in this series, Zimbabwean captain Graeme Cremer said:” Afghanistan are always a tough team to beat. They have a solid batting line up and some great spinners in their side.”

Afghanistan’s head coach, Phil Simmons also expressed confidence in the team. Answering a question on how he rates the current team, He replied:” The team is good. Coming from Kabul’s cold weather, it was hard to start with. But over the last two weeks, they have worked really hard so we are getting to where we want to be.”

After the press conference, both the captains unveiled the trophies of the T20I and ODI series.


_DSC1019.jpg_DSC0991.jpg
 
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This is going to be a very good practice for both teams and I won’t be surprised if both of them stun WI in WC qualifiers. At the end, playing games is the most important thing to fix your own game more than who is playing against. ZIM has 4-3 against SRL and away from home, in last 6 months without much contribution from Taylor, therefore they should be a very good match for AFG. Probably, the side batting first more times will win the ODI series, while AFG’s are clear favourite in T20
 
Ireland beat Afghanistan 2-1 here so I don't think an Afghan win is a foregone conclusion.

Zimbabwe are competitive, they beat Lanka 3 times in 6 matches in the SC. And with Jarvis and Taylor they look stronger.

I also hope that Afghanistan will invite us for a full series.
 
1st T20I played at Sharjah:

Zimbabwe 120/9
Afghanistan 121/5 (14.4 overs)
 
hadi123 said:
1st T20I played at Sharjah:

Zimbabwe 120/9
Afghanistan 121/5 (14.4 overs)
Click to expand...

Was this the AFG "U19" team or the national team. Is Mohammad Shehzad back? Incorporate Rashid, Mujeeb etc on top of that and it is a really good line up. Got to get rid of the useless Stanikzai and that Zadran guy though, they're just there due to politics.
 
DeadBall said:
Was this the AFG "U19" team or the national team. Is Mohammad Shehzad back? Incorporate Rashid, Mujeeb etc on top of that and it is a really good line up. Got to get rid of the useless Stanikzai and that Zadran guy though, they're just there due to politics.
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It's gotten worse. The Stanikzai is still there on top of that called more useless old cricketers back.
 
DeadBall said:
Was this the AFG "U19" team or the national team. Is Mohammad Shehzad back? Incorporate Rashid, Mujeeb etc on top of that and it is a really good line up. Got to get rid of the useless Stanikzai and that Zadran guy though, they're just there due to politics.
Click to expand...

Yes Shahzad played. It was the national team so the likes of Rashid etc played.
 
Good little T20 in progress. Muzarabani has pace but needs to learn some variations.

Afghanistan 155-6 with 8 balls left in the innings.
 
Good catching from Zimbabwe. Heath Streak has identified fielding as an area of improvement.
 
Zimbos took 5 wickets and gave away 3 runs in the last 2 overs, almost all catches taken on the boundary line. Masakadza currently struggling.
 
Nabi, Rashid and now Mujeeb. Afg have a really good spin attack.
 
I dont see anythng special in Mujeeb

Rashid khan wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyy better
 
Looking at the scorecard in Sharjah, doesn't seems we are going to see high scoring PSL this time.
 
Executioner said:
I dont see anythng special in Mujeeb

Rashid khan wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyy better
Click to expand...

He bowls in the power play, takes wickets and is quite miserly. 4 overs 21/2 today. However it could be that he hasn't been found out yet.
 
Too many dots consumed by Zimbabwe - inexcusable given they have so many wickets in hand.
 
Feb 6, 2018 - 2nd T20I at Sharjah Cricket Stadium (night)
Afghanistan 158/9 (20 ov)
Zimbabwe 141/5 (20 ov)
Afghanistan won by 17 runs
 
Zimbabwe sans masakadza and raza didnt give the vbe of playing t20
 
Watching the batting of Zimbabwe is unwholesome. They had it in the bag until 15th over then they bottled it.:rahat
 
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A confident start for Afghanistan in the 1st ODI against Zimbabwe in Sharjah as they reach 67/0 (12/50 ov) after they won the toss and elected to bat
 
Does anyone know what happened to Hamed Hassan, the Afghan Fast bowler?? Cricinfo says that he is still only 30, yet he hasn't played for 2 years. The guy was a beast with a killer Yorker. Averages like 20 with the ball in odis and used to bowl over 140kph.
 
Sher Khan said:
Does anyone know what happened to Hamed Hassan, the Afghan Fast bowler?? Cricinfo says that he is still only 30, yet he hasn't played for 2 years. The guy was a beast with a killer Yorker. Averages like 20 with the ball in odis and used to bowl over 140kph.
Click to expand...

Hamid injured himself against England Lions XI in UAE few years ago, ever since he hasn't been able to make a proper comeback.

He was in the squad for this series, but got injured again during training and has been asked to rest again for 3 weeks.

He is done, won't be able to bowl as he did in his prime
 
Needing 334 for victory, Zimbabwe are 79/3 (14). They need 255 more runs from 36 overs
 
Cricket in UAE is a curse for everyone..................
 
MMHS said:
Cricket in UAE is a curse for everyone..................
Click to expand...

But Afghan seems to be doing quite well in spite of poor pitches.. Given enough resources and exposure, Afghanistan can become the third best team in Asia..
 
Rashid khan is some kind of wizard.. He had an excellent IPL, BBL and his international stats are out of this world even accounting for the fact that he has played against lowly ranked teams
 
Gubol123 said:
that would be a great contest. Infact Afghan can give BD a run for its money even in BD. Afghan has excellent spinners
Click to expand...

Afghanistan needs one or two good pacers. Dawlat isn't consistent anymore and Hamid as well Shapoor are a past chapter.

Also need to get ride of Asghar Stanikzai
 
Gubol123 said:
But Afghan seems to be doing quite well in spite of poor pitches.. Given enough resources and exposure, Afghanistan can become the third best team in Asia..
Click to expand...

They are batting first - need to see them chasing in ODI. Indeed a good team because of bowling and hitters - they can be best team as well, if proper system is placed, because physically average Afghans are best suited for cricket in South Asia.

But, AFGs will face the biggest challenge that we are facing - introduced in big league when the game/generation is dominated by T20. Cricket is a slow game by nature and you learn the trait through FC system, not from nets or coaching clinic - and, it's extremely specialist skills game - all-rounders, batsman-WK .... doesn't cut at highest level. SRL & ZIM were the last 2 countries introduced in the game when the basics were still there - still they are struggling to maintain the level of skill required.... now WI & PAK has joined the band party - and, I am sure against popular beliefs, you can see the impact.

It's a slow death for cricket - it can't maintain the required skill level unless players learn the trait from 4/5 days game ..... it can't survive financially with focus on developing/investing through FC system. Similarly, you can survive with bat a little, bowl a little, keep a little.... players in T20, but the game is based on specialist skills - you have to find space for every type of specialist, which isn't possible in 20 or even 50 overs game. This is sadly the last generation - already spin play is finished, movement is half done, next is bowling skills - basically bowlers going to do a job that bowling machine can do. We might not see the overall decline because they are compensating the lack of skills by degrading playing context and taking every bit out of wicket, which is diluting stats as well (even for bowlers, I can explain when free) - but it's killing the core game from inside like cancer.

Eventually, we might see a world of cricket like Baseball, where only IPL & Ranji Trophy survives as the premier cricket event like MLB, and rest world plays it as part time - there are many such sports played in middle age has extincted from world - cricket is next. Cricket actually is the oldest surviving modern game - already over 150 years ...... it's due to die first.
 
Lion of Khyber said:
Afghanistan needs one or two good pacers. Dawlat isn't consistent anymore and Hamid as well Shapoor are a past chapter.

Also need to get ride of Asghar Stanikzai
Click to expand...

True but they have gun spinners. Also, even BD lacks good pacers apart from Mushfiqar (he is bowling really well against SL). BD will either prepare a spinning track or flat track. Both will take pacers out of the picture. So it won't be a very big handicap in BD. But for everywhere else you are right. they need some pacers and better batsman. They are an exciting team though. No other team was this exciting at the same stage in their development. SL might be the closest one..
 
Rahmat Shah reached the milestone of 1000 ODI runs to help Afghanistan (333/5) set up a 154 run victory over Zimbabwe (179). Afghanistan lead the ODI series 1-0
 
MMHS said:
They are batting first - need to see them chasing in ODI. Indeed a good team because of bowling and hitters - they can be best team as well, if proper system is placed, because physically average Afghans are best suited for cricket in South Asia.

But, AFGs will face the biggest challenge that we are facing - introduced in big league when the game/generation is dominated by T20. Cricket is a slow game by nature and you learn the trait through FC system, not from nets or coaching clinic - and, it's extremely specialist skills game - all-rounders, batsman-WK .... doesn't cut at highest level. SRL & ZIM were the last 2 countries introduced in the game when the basics were still there - still they are struggling to maintain the level of skill required.... now WI & PAK has joined the band party - and, I am sure against popular beliefs, you can see the impact.

It's a slow death for cricket - it can't maintain the required skill level unless players learn the trait from 4/5 days game ..... it can't survive financially with focus on developing/investing through FC system. Similarly, you can survive with bat a little, bowl a little, keep a little.... players in T20, but the game is based on specialist skills - you have to find space for every type of specialist, which isn't possible in 20 or even 50 overs game. This is sadly the last generation - already spin play is finished, movement is half done, next is bowling skills - basically bowlers going to do a job that bowling machine can do. We might not see the overall decline because they are compensating the lack of skills by degrading playing context and taking every bit out of wicket, which is diluting stats as well (even for bowlers, I can explain when free) - but it's killing the core game from inside like cancer.

Eventually, we might see a world of cricket like Baseball, where only IPL & Ranji Trophy survives as the premier cricket event like MLB, and rest world plays it as part time - there are many such sports played in middle age has extincted from world - cricket is next. Cricket actually is the oldest surviving modern game - already over 150 years ...... it's due to die first.
Click to expand...

Regarding the afghans i agree that they will struggle when they get introduced to big league. They probably will be competitive in LOIs and may not do so well in Tests. There is also a small chance that they will specialize being a spin friendly team and go with 3 or four spinners and win a bunch of home matches. you never know. But we cannot deny the fact they are really exciting as cricketing team than any other team in the history at the same stage of development

regarding the bowling the impact of T20, why so despondent my friend :) I do think think current status does not auger well for the future of cricket. But cricket, just like everything else, will evolve and come out stronger. the nature of cricket might change a bit, but overall it will remain highly skill based and more importantly specialist based. Actually most of the big teams are already realizing that. India plays more or less the same team across formats, atleast 7 to 8 of them are same. They are also moving more nad more towards specialists and investing in bowlers. Australia is same with respect to bowlers. They will play the same top bowlers for their tests and important tournaments. They will invest in specialist bowlers. this onslaught on the bowlers that we see in the current era will actually result in better bowlers. Even with such a lopsided rules favoring the batsman there are number of bowlers averaging sub 28 (new sub 25), like Starc, Bumhra, Hasan Ali, Shami, Chahal, Rabada, Tahir, Yadav, etc. Most of these bowlers esp from Aus and India bowl on roads and it is staggering that they still average sub 28 and many of them sub 24. So there is a mini revolution happening and teams are realizing the importance of specialist bowlers who will win them matches. Even with lopsided rules, two new balls, heavy bats and all the protections it is never easy to face 145+ yorkers and bouncers. It also takes basic FC skills to negotiate quality spinners. So they will bring some kind of sanity and balance to the matches. Currently all top teams have real high quality bowlers

India - Bumhra, Shami, CHahal, Yadav, Bhuvi
AUs - Starc, Hazelhood, cummins, Lyon, Zampa (needs time)
SA = Rabada, Morkel, Tahir, Ngdi(new kid on the block)

The one team that is yet to get the memo about specialists is England. Hopefully they will find atleast three full time bowlers to compliment all their quality batsman. Then they will be real world beaters..

For me the ideal combination would be
five front line batsman (who can average 50+ in tests and 45+ ODIs at a good strike rate)
Excellent wicket keeper (who makes the team on wicket keeping skills) - decent bat but may or may not make it to any team only on his batting skills.
Five specialist bowlers (One/Two wrist spinner and atleast two pace bowlers who can bowl in excess of 145)
Bonus -
couple of top five batsman are either finger spinners or medium bowlers who can give you may be five overs when more than one of your specialist is having a bad day. These batsman never go out of the team due to bad bowling. They can go out even if they get a fiver if they are failing repeatedly in their primary skills
Couple of bowlers can defend well and hopefully swing their arms well (preferably big burly pacers)

This above team will win you matches across formats. May be if the conditions are too bowling friendly you can drop a bowler and take a batsman instead.. Otherwise the above combination will give any team their best chance of winning more matches than they lose
 
Lion of Khyber said:
Hamid injured himself against England Lions XI in UAE few years ago, ever since he hasn't been able to make a proper comeback.

He was in the squad for this series, but got injured again during training and has been asked to rest again for 3 weeks.

He is done, won't be able to bowl as he did in his prime
Click to expand...

That is sad, brother. He was a delight to watch in his prime. Loved his style, celebrations and aggression.
 
Zimbos accelerating at the right time. 39 runs in the last 2 overs. 278/3 after 45.
 
Rashid is bowling exceptionally well in this landslide. Leggis are always exciting to watch.
 
Rashid back into the attack and takes a wicket, first ball. Zimbos must look to score 310 + at least from here on.
 
Superb knocks from Taylor and Raza.

Taylor needed to prove he was worth the time and money ZCB poured into regaining his services.
 
Well done Zim.

Nice strategy, somehow survive the spinners and then go after their garbage pacers and smash them to all parts.

Very impressive innings by Taylor and Sikandar has been brilliant as well.
 
Quite a coincidence - AFGs also posted 333/5 in first game, batting first. Now, they have the chance to better 179 of ZIM.
 
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