In a stunning turn of events at the ICC World Cup, Afghanistan achieved a remarkable victory over their neighboring rivals, Pakistan. The game unfolded as a thrilling clash of cricketing prowess, marked by standout performances.
Afghanistan’s opening batsmen, Ibrahim Zadran and Rahmanullah Gurbaz, displayed exceptional form, propelling their team towards a total of 283 runs to win the match. In a relentless pursuit of this target, the Afghan duo exhibited their aggressive intent.
After 16 overs, Afghanistan’s score stood at an impressive 105-0. Zadran reached his fifty after a composed innings of 54 balls, laced with eight boundaries, while Gurbaz achieved his half-century in just 38 deliveries.
Before this encounter, Afghanistan had experienced a somewhat challenging campaign, with only one win from four matches.
Pakistan’s innings was built around captain Babar Azam and opener Abdullah Shafique, both of whom notched up half-centuries.
However, Afghanistan’s teenage leg spinner, Noor Ahmad, played a pivotal role by taking two crucial wickets, slowing down Pakistan’s progress.
To stabilize Pakistan’s innings after a minor collapse when they were four down at 163 runs, contributions of 40 runs each from Iftikhar Ahmed and Shadab Khan were instrumental.
Pakistan concluded their innings at 282, losing seven wickets.
In the lead-up to the match, Pakistan won the toss and chose to bat. It was Pakistan’s fifth match of the World Cup, where they had secured two victories and faced two defeats in their previous encounters.
On the other hand, Afghanistan, with just one win from four matches, made a strategic change by including left-arm spinner Noor Ahmad in place of fast bowler Fazalhaq Farooqi.
This tactical maneuver ultimately paid off as Afghanistan went on to secure a memorable victory, shaking the cricketing world and leaving fans in awe of their performance.
