Afghan duo share nine wickets to give Scots stark reality check
In the eight months since Afghanistan played their last game of international cricket, the Taliban have recaptured the country. Their return has precipitated a profound humanitarian crisis – many have been killed for working with the previous American regime, thousands of refugees have fled the country and, as repression against women has escalated, girls have been barred from attending schools.
Yet as Afghanistan’s jubilant players embraced in Sharjah after crushing Scotland by 130 runs in their opening World Cup match, it was a reminder of the other thing that Afghanistan has become renowned for, beside its painful history: cricket. In the 17 years since starting to play international cricket, Afghanistan have assembled a fine team. On this evidence, they have a very real chance of reaching the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup.
Afghanistan’s rise has largely been authored by their brilliant spinners. So it was during their 2021 T20 World Cup debut, as Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Rashid Khan shared figures of nine for 29 against Scotland.
Both were beguiling. Mujeeb, a master of bowling in the powerplay, spun the ball both ways while varying his pace, and snared five for 20 with his array of off-spin, carrom balls, leg-spin and googlies.
It meant that when Rashid, the leading spinner in T20 today, came in to bowl after the powerplay, Scotland were already 36 for five. Still, he took the chance to showcase his own mesmerising skills, finishing off Scotland with an array of leg-spinners, top-spinners and googlies, generally delivered well over 60mph with impeccable accuracy. As Rashid took Scotland’s final two wickets in consecutive balls – Josh Davey with a leg-break, and then Brad Wheal with a googly – he will be on a hat-trick when he begins his spell against Namibia next game.
For Scotland, buoyed by their fine victory over Bangladesh to top their first-round pool, this was a chastening result. It was a reminder of the rarefied standards to which they will be exposed in the Super 12 stage. Even a little misfortune – both Calum Macleod and Richie Berrington fell lbw to Mujeeb, when their reviews showed that the ball was only clipping the top of leg stump – provided scant mitigation.
The story of Afghan cricket is already among the most remarkable in 21st century sport. The coming weeks could bring something even more extraordinary.