Player of the Match
Player of the Match
1861dThe Report by Liam Brickhill in Harare

Afghanistan pull off the great escape to make World Cup

Afghanistan lost their group games to Scotland, Zimbabwe and Hong Kong and entered the Super Six with no points, but victories over West Indies, UAE and Ireland - as well as helpful results in other games - meant that Friday's win took them to the 2019 Wo

Match Centre

Statistics

Best performances - Batsmen

PR Stirling
PR Stirling
55(87) 3x4 - 1x6
Control %77%
  • Productive Shot
  • pull
  • 17 runs
  • 2x4 - 1x6
4 0 7 5 12 1 9 17
Mohammad Shahzad
Mohammad Shahzad
54(50) 6x4 - 2x6
Control %75%
  • Productive Shot
  • slog shot
  • 14 runs
  • 2x4 - 1x6
5 7 8 7 5 4 11 7

Best performances - Bowlers

Simi Singh
Simi Singh
O10
M2
R30
W3
Eco3.00
RHB
OFFLEG
2W1W
  • FTFULL TOSS
  • YYORKER
  • FFULL LENGTH
  • GGOOD LENGTH
  • SGSHORT OF GOOD LENGTH
  • SSHORT LENGTH
Rashid Khan
Rashid Khan
O10
M0
R40
W3
Eco4.00
RHB
OFFLEG
2W
1W
  • FTFULL TOSS
  • YYORKER
  • FFULL LENGTH
  • GGOOD LENGTH
  • SGSHORT OF GOOD LENGTH
  • SSHORT LENGTH
LHB
LEGOFF

Scorer: Ranjith P | Commentator: Deivarayan Muthu

5.05pm There we have our two qualifiers for the 2019 World Cup: West Indies and Afghanistan. Afghanistan's players collectively roar: "WE ARE IN!". Afghanistan had lost their first three games but then won four in a row to become the tenth and final team to qualify for the World Cup. Shahzad has already issued a warning to West Indies. Hope you enjoyed our coverage as much as we did bringing it to you. This is Deivarayan Muthu signing off on the behalf of Varun Shetty and P Ranjith. Cheers. Be back for the final on Sunday.

Hamid Seddiqi: "Whole Kabul is shaking with celebrations..."

5pm Let's hear from the two captains. Porterfield: First of all congratulations to Afghanistan. We were probably 25 runs short. Then again in games like this we can't fault anyone. We get back for some rest and recuperation. We had opportunities but we lost three games. We had some key moments but could not take it. Big things on the horizon.

Stanikzai: I am in too much pain but I was playing for the country. It is our dream to qualify for the World Cup. Afghanistan team played bad in first half but they played well and they believed in themselves.

4.45pm Who writes your scripts, Afghanistan? They did not have their captain Stanikzai in the league phase. Their key batsman Mohammad Shahzad was suspended for two matches. Their stand-in captain Rashid Khan said: "Sometimes a tournament doesn't go your way." They barely made it to the Super Sixes. Nepal then handed them a lifeline, then UAE handed them another lifeline. Afghanistan suffered a middle-order wobble today, and it looked like anybody's game in the end overs. Captain Stanikzai, coming back from a bout of appendicitis, eventually sealed Afghanistan's World Cup spot.

Shahzad, Man of the Match: We lost a couple of matches but we played good cricket in the Super Sixes. We had to win this game. The plan is simple: I was waiting for the loose ball and then I don't care. I just hit the boundaries. I believe in myself. The coaching staff say 'just play your natural game'. Oh! I can't believe we have qualified for the World Cup. Let's see West Indies, we are coming! (Shahzad points right at the camera)

Shahzad in #Bossmode. He's leading the Champyaan dance. Great scenes in the Afghanistan camp.

rb: "Amazing ! After loosing first 3 games, AFG needed to win all the rest & still required a very specific set of results in the other matches"

49.1
4
McCarthy to Asghar Stanikzai, FOUR, Afghanistan qualify for the World Cup! Stanikzai punches his fist in the air repeatedly. Heartbreak for Ireland. Heartbreak for Zimbabwe. Off-stump yorker, Stanikzai jabs his bat down and sends a thick inside edge past the leg stump

Afghanistan need one off the last over. This is all but over for Ireland and Zimbabwe

END OF OVER:
49 | 6 Runs | AFG: 209/5 (1 run required from 6 balls, RR: 4.26, RRR: 1.00)

  • Asghar Afghan35 (28b)
  • Najibullah Zadran17 (15b)
  • Boyd Rankin10-0-41-1
  • Tim Murtagh10-0-46-0

James: "Takes it to the final over. MS Dhoni in disguise!"

48.6
1
Rankin to Asghar Stanikzai, 1 run, short on middle stump, miscues a pull over midwicket. Scorers are level
48.5
0
Rankin to Asghar Stanikzai, no run, short and rising into the body, the batsman rises with it, fends to point
48.4
2
Rankin to Asghar Stanikzai, 2 runs, on a length and outside off, dabbed away fine of third man. Stanikzai hobbles back for the second

Ujjwal: "Miraclous performance by Afganistan throughout this tournament. They struggled to get into Super Sixes and now this. Brilliant!"

48.3
0
Rankin to Asghar Stanikzai, no run, Has Stanikzai feathered it behind? There's a little noise and Niall is excited. Back of a length and outside off, he cuts away from the body and misses
48.2
1
Rankin to Najibullah Zadran, 1 run, Najib backs away outside leg, this is darted short and wide outside off. Upper cut away over backward point

Afghanistan 2nd innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st86Gulbadin NaibMohammad Shahzad
2nd27Gulbadin NaibRahmat Shah
3rd4Samiullah ShinwariGulbadin Naib
4th28Mohammad NabiSamiullah Shinwari
5th36Samiullah ShinwariAsghar Stanikzai
6th32Asghar StanikzaiNajibullah Zadran

ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier

Super Six
TeamMWLPTNRR
SL33060.91
NED32140.662
SCOT32140.215
WI3122-0.091
ZIM3122-0.748
OMA3030-1.087
Group A
TeamMWLPTNRR
ZIM44082.241
NED43160.669
WI42240.525
NEP4132-1.171
USA4040-2.164
Group B
TeamMWLPTNRR
SL44083.047
SCOT43160.54
OMA4224-1.221
IRE4132-0.061
UAE4040-2.249