Afghanistan aim for Test status after title
Coach Rajput hails team’s impressive victories over all associate nations
Afghanistan stamped their authority as the strongest among all the associate countries by emerging as the champions of the Desert T20 eight nation tournament at the Dubai International Stadium on Friday night and also announced that they are on course to becoming a Test playing nation soon.
Speaking to Gulf News, Afghanistan team coach and former Indian Test player Lalchand Rajput, said: “Our aim is now to be a Test playing nation. If we can continue progressing this way and keep performing well we will be able to achieve it.”
In the final, Afghanistan trounced Ireland by ten wickets. Not only Afghanistan bowled out Ireland for a paltry 71 runs in 13.2 overs through a deadly four-wicket spell from Mohammad Nabi, but also won the match in just 7.5 overs.
Afghanistan opener Mohammad Shahzad cracked a breezy unbeaten 52 in 40 balls with nine boundaries and a six with Nawroz Mangal remaining unbeaten on 17.
For Mangal, the first captain of Afghanistan team, it was his last innings as he announced his retirement from international cricket. He was carried off the field by his jubilant teammates as a crowd of over 15,000 that kept chanting ‘Afghanistan Zindabad’ called out Mangal’s name in unison.
Afghanistan reached the final beating Oman by eight wickets in the semi-final. Opener Shahzad cracked a quick 80 runs in 60 balls with three sixes and eight boundaries after Afghanistan restricted Oman to 149 for eight. In the second semi-final, Ireland defeated Scotland by 98 runs.
Hard work
Rajput who shaped the team through intense training sessions, said: “Our hard work is now paying off, the boys are playing positive cricket and believing in themselves they can do it consistently.”
Afghanistan will now soon
Final: Afghanistan bt Ireland by 10 wkts. Ireland 71 in 13.2 overs
(Mohammad Nabi 4 for 10, Amir Hamza 2 for 15, Fareed Ahmad 2 for 20, Karim Janat 2 for 14)
Afghanistan 75 for no loss in 7.5 overs Player of the series and match:
(Mohammad Shahzad 52n.o) Mohammad Nabi. fly to Zimbabwe. “We will now be going to Zimbabwe. Playing against Test playing nations will help us. We will also be playing against West Indies in five One Day Internationals and in three Twenty20 events.”
Next month Afghanistan will take on Ireland. “We will be playing Ireland in five ODIs and three Twenty20 matches. This series is being played in India,” said Rajput
Talking about the huge turnout, Rajput said: “It was tremendous to find the stadium filled with Afghanistan supporters. It shows how big a cricket crazy nation they are as even in Dubai they turned up in large numbers to cheer for their team. It was a special feeling for everyone to win the trophy amid loud cheers.”