Bowlers, Nabi take Afghanistan to convincing win

An excellent bowling effort followed by some clinical batting led by Mohammad Nabi helped Afghanistan get the better of Zimbabwe by five wickets in the first Twenty20 International between the two sides at Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Monday (February 5).

After asking Zimbabwe to bat, the Afghans missed a couple of chances to allow the opponents to get off to a good start but pulled things back in the middle overs to keep the total to 120/9. That was never likely to test Afghanistan too much, and they paced their chase well to get to 121/5 in 14.4 overs despite a spirited fightback by the Zimbabwe bowlers.

Mohammad Shahzad, representing Afghanistan for the first time since late March last year after serving an International Cricket Council suspension for taking a prohibited substance, did the initial hitting, scoring 20 in 11 balls before nicking Blessing Muzarabani behind to Brendan Taylor. Karim Sadiq, the other opener, had already been dismissed and Asghar Stanikzai, the Afghanistan captain, fell soon after and the Asian side were 51/3 in the seventh over.

Nabi and Sharafuddin Ashraf kept Afghanistan on course for the target with a 29-run stand before Ryan Burl trapped Ashraf, after 18 in 15 balls, in front with one that turned less than the batsman expected, and though Najibullah Zadran fell for a duck soon after, Nabi was on song. The experienced all-rounder, who had earlier returned 1/2 in his only over, kept the scoreboard ticking over with smart placements and brought out the big hits when he sensed an opportunity.

Nabi found an enterprising partner in Shafiqullah, who swung the bat around well in his 14 not out off nine balls, as he scored an unbeaten 40 off 27 balls with four fours and three sixes before the winning run came from a wide bowled by Kyle Jarvis.

When Zimbabwe batted, Solomon Mire gave them a quick start, hitting five fours and two sixes in a 21-ball 34 before he was dismissed off the penultimate ball of the Powerplay overs, which ended with the scoreboard reading 52/1. But after Mire fell, miscuing a pull off Aftab Alam to Nabi at mid-wicket, 11 overs passed without a single four or six, and Zimbabwe lost six wickets in the process as the pendulum swung the Afghanistan way.

Gulbadin Naib, one of the big reasons for the brakes on the scoring rate, accounted for the rather sedate Hamilton Masakadza, who followed his opening partner back to the dugout for a 23-ball 18 in the ninth over, and in the very next over, by Ashraf, Zimbabwe lost Taylor, run out for three, and Sikandar Raza, caught at cover for one. Then, once Rashid Khan came into the attack, it got worse for Zimbabwe as the star leg-spinner sent back Burl, Jarvis and Tendai Chatara on his way to returns of 3/19.

Wickets fell all around him, but Malcolm Waller stayed strong, scoring an unbeaten 27 from 16 balls, with three fours and a six – all but one four coming in the final over bowled by Alam – to give Zimbabwe a bit of momentum going into the break.

While Rashid was the most successful of the Afghanistan bowlers, Naib’s 1/8 from three overs played a big role in keeping Zimbabwe quiet, while Ashraf also did well in ending with 2/31, recovering well after being taken for 23 runs in his second over by Mire and Masakadza.

The second and final game of the series will be played on Tuesday at the same venue, which will also host the subsequent five-match One-Day International series.