Afghanistan captain Naseer Khan Maroofkhil's decision to set a target in overcast conditions in East London, South Africa on Tuesday backfired big time. Batting first against New Zealand in their second Group D match of the ongoing ICC Under-19 Men's Cricket World Cup 2024 at Buffalo Park, the Afghan colts lasted all of 21.3 overs and mustered a measly 91-run total. (More Cricket News)
After losing their campaign opener by 181 runs against Pakistan -- 103 all in 26.2 overs while chasing a 284-run target -- Afghanistan batters needed some sort of protection against the seaming deliveries. But they were once against exposed, and the result: another abject surrender.
ALSO READ: Gill To Receive BCCI Honour
Only two batters -- Jamshid Zadran (22 off 32) and Arab Gul Momand (10 not out off 20) -- reached double-digit scores even as skipper Maroofkhil, who got out for a seven-ball duck against Pakistan, managed a single off 13. It took just four deliveries to unravel the Afghan innings as Ryan Tsourgas had Zadran's opening partner Hassan Eisakhil caught by Kiwi captain Oscar Jackson.
Tsourgas also claimed the wicket of Khalid Taniwal, the Afghan No. 3 in the third over, but the wrecker-in-chief was Matt Rowe. The pacer, cousin of Hannah, who's played 93 internationals for the White Ferns, claimed a fifer (5/21 in eight overs) despite going wicketless in his first 23 overs.
New Zealand started their campaign with a 64-run win against a fighting Nepal side. Thanks to Snehith Reddy's unbeaten 147-run knock in 125 balls, they managed to post 302/8 in 50 overs, then restricted Nepal to 238/9.
Playing XIs
Afghanistan U-19: Jamshid Zadran, Khalid Taniwal, Rahimullah Zurmati, Hassan Eisakhil, Numan Shah (wk), Sohail Khan Zurmati, Arab Gul Momand, Allah Ghazanfar, Khalil Ahmed, Bashir Ahmad, Naseer Khan Maroofkhil (c);
New Zealand U-19: Tom Jones, Luke Watson, Robbie Foulkes, Oliver Tewatiya, Oscar Jackson (c), Lachlan Stackpole, Zac Cumming, Sam Clode (w), Matt Rowe, Ewald Schreuder, Ryan Tsourgas
