Australia dumped from T20 World Cup but Afghanistan’s tactics under scrutiny
Australia are out of the Twenty20 World Cup after Afghanistan created history by beating Bangladesh to qualify for the semi-finals, but the minnows’ heroic performance was marred by questions about the spirit of cricket.
As a tense match neared its conclusion, Afghanistan all-rounder Gulbadin Naib appeared to take a dive at slip to delay the game after coach Jonathan Trott was seen on camera urging his players to slow the game down as another rain shower approached.
Afghanistan will play South Africa in the first semi-final in Guyana on Thursday morning (AEST) following their eight-run victory by the DLS method, after India beat Australia by 24 runs in St Lucia 11 hours earlier.
Gulbadin may be forced to explain to the match referee why he collapsed to the ground clutching his hamstring after Trott’s animated signals from the sidelines.
The player of the match in Afghanistan’s victory over Australia two days earlier, Gulbadin limped from the ground during the third of four rain breaks but later returned unhindered to bowl.
Captain Rashid Khan was unimpressed with his fieldsman’s antics, later saying they couldn’t do anything about the rain, which at that stage had Afghanistan just ahead on Duckworth-Lewis-Stern calculations.
“Mentally, you have to play 20 overs and take 10 wickets. That’s the only way we can get to the semi-finals. There’s no other way,” Rashid said.
“He had some cramp, I think, so hopefully he’ll be alright, but that wicket he has given to us [the eighth wicket to fall] was a massive wicket for us.”
Gulbadin was condemned by broadcast commentators, with former New Zealand fast bowler Simon Doull saying, “That’s not on” and claiming he should “go and play in the Euros [leagues]”. Former Australian captain Lisa Sthalekar questioned whether the sudden and short-lived injury breached the spirit of the game.
Australia, having lost to India by 24 runs earlier in the day, needed Bangladesh to beat Afghanistan by less than 62 runs or in more than 12.1 overs in the last Super Eights match to reach the semi-finals with a superior run rate.
Two days after Afghanistan scored 6-148 to claim a historic victory over Australia in St Vincent, they successfully defended 5-115 on the same tricky pitch, bowling Bangladesh out for 105. It was Afghanistan’s second victory in the Super Eights stage. Australia managed just one win from three games.
India’s victory confirmed their place in the second semi-final against England in Guyana early on Friday morning (AEST). A blazing 92 from just 41 balls by captain Rohit Sharma drove India to 5-205. The final is in Barbados early on Sunday morning (AEST).
In what became his last game for Australia, David Warner went with a whimper, caught at slip for six following an outswinger from Arshdeep Singh. Waiting for the result of the last game meant Warner’s retirement send-off was put on hold until the early hours of the morning.
“We’ll give him a send-off tonight if that is the case later on. It might be a bit of a late one if the fixture finishes the way it has,” Australia’s highest scorer, Travis Head, said after Australia’s loss before heading back to the team hotel.
“A lot has been said about how good Davey has been at the top of the order. He goes down as our best multi-format player. He’ll be missed at the top of the order, but let’s hope it’s not the end of it.”
Source: The Sydney Morning Herald
