Jobaaj Stories
Afghanistan achieved a remarkable win against England in a thrilling ICC ODI match. After a tough start, being at 39/3, Afghanistan managed to post a total of 325 runs. The key to this recovery was Ibrahim Zadran, who played a match-winning knock of 177 runs off 146 balls, marking the highest individual score in Afghanistan’s ODI history. His partnerships with Hashmatullah Shahidi (103 runs) and Azmatullah Omarzai (72 runs) helped stabilize the innings. But the real game-changer came in the final 10 overs, when Zadran and Mohammad Nabi added 113 runs, giving Afghanistan the momentum to set a strong total.
Coach Jonathan Trott praised Zadran’s resilience and great shots, including a powerful six off Jofra Archer. He also highlighted the contributions from Azmatullah Omarzai and Mohammad Nabi, who helped ease the pressure off Zadran, allowing him to accelerate his innings without any stress. Trott expressed confidence that Zadran has now found his rhythm and hoped for more such performances in future matches.
England’s chase didn’t go as planned, despite Joe Root’s heroic 100. Afghanistan kept taking wickets at regular intervals, putting England on the back foot. Root fought hard but fell when 39 runs were still needed off 26 balls, thanks to a great delivery from Azmatullah Omarzai. England’s tailenders, including Jamie Overton and Jofra Archer, couldn’t manage to get their team across the line. In the end, they needed 13 runs off the last over, but Omarzai kept his calm and took the final wicket, giving Afghanistan the win.
England captain Jos Buttler admitted that the team’s inability to take quick wickets after their early successes, along with costly bowling in the last 10 overs, were key factors in the loss. He also pointed to the injury to Mark Wood, which prevented him from bowling in the death overs and forced England to rely on Joe Root and Liam Livingstone for the final overs, which ultimately didn’t work in their favor.
This exciting win by Afghanistan not only showed their growing strength in ODI cricket but also knocked England out of the semifinals, marking a historic moment for the Afghan cricket team.
