Gurbaz and Ibrahim set up Afghanistan's series-sweeping show
The openers put on a 159-run partnership to help beat Zimbabwe 3-0
The openers put on a 159-run partnership to help beat Zimbabwe 3-0
Scorer: K Vairavan | Commentator: Rashad Mahbub
The Afghanistan stand-in captain, Ibrahim Zadran, collects the trophy and joins his teammates for the celebration! That wraps up all the action from the match today. Thank you for tuning in! You can join us here for the Women's World Cup Final match. This is Rashad Mahbub signing off on behalf of K. Vairavan. Goodnight and goodbye.
Player of the Series, Ibrahim Zadran: "I was a little bit upset with the performance in the Test match that we lost. I thought to come back stronger for the T20 series. I took the responsibility and wanted to enjoy the game. This is what I have achieved. Yes, I've changed a little bit technically and mentally as well. Technically, I was just trying to show the intent needed in T20 cricket. I was trying to use the crease and didn't want to play from one area, and it helped a lot. That's why I've got runs in this series. If you look at the guys overall, we played as a team. Rashid Khan got very important wickets. Mujeeb Ur Rahman and the bowlers got wickets in today's game. Gurbaz batted really well. All the guys batted and bowled well. We played as a team, and that's why we won the series. It happens in cricket. When you lose, there's no need to overthink it. You just need to focus on yourself, trust yourself, and back each other and your skills. If you focus on these things, the result will automatically come to you. This is what we, as a team, did well"
Player of the Match, Rahmanullah Gurbaz: "I think the wicket was good. Ibrahim Zadran and I were discussing just now, and the thought going on between us was that we needed to go as deep as we could. That's why we put a good total on the board, and we made it easy for the rest of the team. [On the Opening Partnership] This is not our first time building a partnership, and we do it all the time. It's always a very nice feeling when I bat with Ibrahim because the way we communicate things on the field is special. The communication and understanding between us are the most important points. I haven't really kicked on in this series, but I thought I did that today. I was a little bit away from the big scores for the last few months, and I was struggling a little bit. But I was happy with the way I played the balls today. Today was my day, and I'm happy that I made something out of it and did something for my team."
Sikandar Raza: "[On the Team's Fight and Mindset] It was a monumental effort, and I'm very pleased with the batting today, especially looking at the first two games. I had said that the team demands more from each other, especially from me. The batters challenged themselves after the last game, saying we are much better than what we are producing. We took a lot more honor in our performances today. I think we all needed a kick up the backside today. We challenged one another and kept telling ourselves that we are better than what we were producing. We said, 'If you look at the last T20 innings we have played against Test nations, this is not who Zimbabwe is. Let's just demand a lot more from each other because we deserve better.' We're really happy with how the boys responded. [On Ryan Burl's Performance] Burl certainly needed that--he has batted really well throughout. He was hurt more than anyone else because he sets such high standards for himself. Sometimes, as a cricketer, you need that pain and that hurt within yourself. The way Burl came out and executed his skills, the skills he is famous for, I'm really happy for him. The country and the dressing room needed that innings from him today. [Focus for the Next Assignment] We have about a week's break before our next assignment. In Pakistan, we're going to have to learn to skin the cat slightly differently because of the wickets and the challenges that will be thrown at us. Watching the recent series there, the dew is starting to come in, and the wickets are starting to change a little bit. We have to prepare better with both bat and ball. We should be very prepared and geared for a very high-pace and high-intensity series so that nothing surprises us."
Suren: "Zim have to be mighty proud of themselves for putting up such a fierce fight. They haven't backed down in this chase. "
5:06 pm Phew! That was a proper 40-over T20I cricket match, delivering a rollercoaster ride of ups and downs for both teams. Zimbabwe faced early trouble, losing Myers and Taylor cheaply in the Powerplay. Bennett and Sikandar Raza began the reconstruction, quickly finding boundaries. By the halfway mark, Zimbabwe were well-placed at 92/2. Raza brought up his 16th T20I fifty off just 28 balls, only to be dismissed on the very next delivery. Bennett followed shortly after. As the required run rate climbed, Ryan Burl kept the power-hitting going, smashing two massive sixes off Mohammad Nabi's over. His wonderful cameo, which included five massive sixes, finally ended when he was bowled trying for yet another six off Mujeeb's bowling, departing with 37 off 15 balls. Despite some late hitting from Musekiwa, the scoreboard pressure proved too much for the home team batters. Afghanistan held their nerve in the death overs, picked up wickets regularly. Ahmadzai bagged three wickets, while Fareed and Farooqi grabbed two wickets each. Post-match presentation and interviews are coming up shortly.
Afghanistan won by 9 runs
R Ngarava c Mujeeb Ur Rahman b Abdollah Ahmadzai 5 (3b 1x4 0x6) SR: 166.66
Free Hit
Right, 18 runs needed from 3 balls. Can Masakadza hit a six here?
TT Maposa b Abdollah Ahmadzai 4 (3b 1x4 0x6) SR: 133.33
The openers put on a 159-run partnership to help beat Zimbabwe 3-0