Latest Updates on World Cricket

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Young Afghanistan fast bowler Naveen-ul-Haq shared a cryptic post on Instagram after his team's victory against Australia during the Super Eight match in the T20 World Cup 2024. Naveen-ul-Haq hit back at critics, and his post garnered attention from cricket enthusiasts on social media platforms.

Naveen-ul-Haq was instrumental in Afghanistan's first-ever victory over Australia at the Arnos Vale Ground in St Vincent on Saturday, June 22 (local time). The Rashid Khan-led team kept their hopes of qualifying for the semi-finals alive with their first victory in the Super 8 stages of the ongoing ICC tournament.

Naveen provided an early breakthrough for his team while defending 149 on a spin-friendly wicket. The right-arm pacer dismissed opener Travis Head for a duck on the third delivery of the first over. Naveen deceived Australia skipper Mitchell Marsh with a slow delivery in his second over, leaving Australia at 16/2.

The 24-year-old picked up the wicket of Ashton Agar in the 18th over. He ended his bowling quota with three wickets for 20 runs in his four overs. The Mitchell Marsh-led team was bowled out for 127 runs in 19.2 overs. The Australian cricket team suffered their first defeat in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024.

[H2]Naveen-ul-Haq Shares A Cryptic Post On Instagram[/H2]
Naveen-ul-Haq took to Instagram to take a dig at critics after his match-winning spell. Naveen shared a collage of two images, one of a person sitting alone in an empty stadium labeled "support" and the other of a packed stadium labeled "congratulations." He captioned the post with a "finger on the lips" emoji.

Naveen Ul Haq's Instagram post. pic.twitter.com/ef8WnDd51p

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) June 23, 2024

Earlier, Afghanistan posted a total of 148/6 in 20 overs after being asked to bat first. Rahmanullah Gurbaz (60) and Ibrahim Zadran (51) added 118 runs for the first wicket in 15.5 overs. The other batters failed to deliver in the final overs. Pat Cummins picked up his second consecutive hat trick in the World Cup.

[H2]They Need That Kind Of Fire Up - Rashid Khan[/H2]
Speaking after the match, captain Rashid Khan mentioned that some players need motivation to remember how good they are. Rashid stated that the competitive spirit kept the players engaged and focused on scoring runs.

"Well, some guys in the team, they need that kind of fire up. Once they keep silent, they forget how good they are and they need the kind of fire up in the middle. And to be honest, in this game, most happiest thing I have seen was the running between the wicket, between Ibrahim and Gurbaz," Rashid Khan said.

The Rashid Khan-led team will face the Bangladesh team in their next match at the same venue on Monday, June 24 (local time). The Afghan team needs to win their upcoming match to stay in the race for the semi-finals of the World Cup.

Also read: "This didn't age well" - Fans troll Ricky Ponting for his 'Australia will go through this World Cup undefeated' comment

 

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Afghanistan has grabbed worldwide headlines after defeating Australia in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024. During the match, Australian all-rounder Marcus Stoinis and Afghanistan wicketkeeper Rahmanullah Gurbaz had a verbal fight that became the highlight of the match.

Afghanistan crushed Australia by 21 runs in match 48 of T20 WC 2024 in what can be dubbed as the biggest upset for the Australian team in the history of T20 World Cups. Afghanistan successfully defended their total in the 2nd innings as Australia remained short of 21 runs for victory.

Also Read: Watch: Kuldeep Yadav gives LBW decision before third umpire, teases Tanzid Hasan with 'finger' signal

[H2]WATCH: Marcus Stoinis vs Rahmanullah Gurbaz on-field fight [/H2]
During the match, Marcus Stoinis and Rahmanullah Gurbaz had a verbal as well as gestural fight. In the 1st innings, Marcus Stoinis dismissed Gurbaz, who slammed the match-winning knock of 60. After dismissing him, he gestured an aggressive send-off.

Later in the 2nd innings, Gurbaz made some comments to Stoinis when the latter came to bat. The duo also had a heated conversation over the incident. Later, Gulbadin Naib dismissed Stonis and the catch was taken by none other than wicketkeeper Gurbaz.

Just after taking his catch, Gurbaz celebrated his wicket and responded with an equally aggressive send-off. ICC also shared the video of Marcus Stoinis vs Rahmanullah Gurbaz on their official Instagram account. Have a look at the video below.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by ICC Hindi (@icchindiofficial)​

[H2]Afghanistan crush Australia by 21 runs [/H2]
Meanwhile, Afghanistan defeated Australia by 21 runs in the match. Batting first, Afghanistan piled up 148-6 in 1st innings. Openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran slammed stunning fifties of 60 and 51 respectively.

However, the rest batters in line could not follow up the batting pace. Karim Janat and Mohammad Nabi were the next top scorers with 13 and 10 respectively as Pat Cummins (3) and Adam Zampa (2) took crucial wickets in the second half.

However, Afghanistan made a stunning comeback in the bowling to defend their total. They bundled out Travis Head and David Warner for 0 and 3. Glenn Maxwell was the star batter with his 59 runs but he could not repeat his heroics of ICC ODI World Cup 2023.

Also Read: Watch: 'Frustrated' Virat Kohli absolutely dejected after Rishabh Pant throws away his wicket; scolds batter in dugout

[H2]Australia lost seven batters for single digits [/H2]
Australia lost 7 batters for single digits to get bowled out for 127 in the end in the final over. Gulbadin Naib, who dismissed Marcus Stoinis, bowled a fabulous spell with his 4-wicket haul. Naveen-ul-Haq picked 3 scalps. Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, and Rashid Khan got 1 wicket each.

Gulbadin Naib won the Player of the Match award for his fabulous bowling show. Afghanistan will next square off with Bangladesh in their final game of the ICC T20 World Cup 2024. The match takes place at Arnos Vale Ground in Kingstown, St Vincent.

Australia will face India in their final match of the Super 8 round of the ICC T20 World Cup 2024. They need a victory at any cost to be able to reach the semi-finals.

 

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Rohit Sharma's team India still have all the possibility to exit the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 from the Super 8s.
Even if they won against Bangladesh yesterday in their second Super 8 game, India can still get knocked out. They still have a game against Australia tomorrow in St. Lucia and it will be the deciding factor for the semis.
Currently, India are the leaders in Group 1 with 4 points and a far superior net run rate. Mitchell Marsh's Australia are second and Afghanistan are third with equal points but it's their net run rate that separates them.

Even though Afghanistan defeated Australia earlier today to help their cause for reaching the semis, they still have a lot to do. Rashid Khan and Co. will have to ensure that they not only beat Bangladesh but beat with a huge margin in their last Super 8 match of the T20 World Cup.
Everything depends on what pans out in the game between India and Australia. On the eve of their match at the Darren Sammy Stadium, here is how India might not reach the semis. For India to reach the last 4, they must win against Australia otherwise the scenario will become difficult for them.
[H2]How India can get eliminated?[/H2]If the Aussies win, then chances will get slim. And if Afghanistan beat Bangladesh in the other match, then the chances will get even slimmer. In such a case, all of Australia, India, and Afghanistan will finish with 4 points each and if the Afghans and Aussies win by a big margin, then India will be eliminated.
Therefore, the only way for India to proceed to the semis is by winning their game against Australia. Rohit Sharma's side have a chance to take their revenge on the Aussies for the loss they handed in the 50-over Cricket World Cup final last year. The same Travis Head, David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Mitchell Starc, and Pat Cummins among others are going to be there.
The Australians will be motivated to play good cricket because they know they have their backs against the wall. And India would want to continue their form to make sure they squeeze through without any risks. All in all, we are set to witness a mouth-watering clash between the two giants who dominated all the ICC tournaments last year.
From the World Test Championship final to the CWC final and now the T20 WC, the Indo-Aussie rivalry is going to light up once again.
[H2]Can India beat the Test and ODI World Champions? [/H2]History says that to become Champions, a team has to beat the most successful team in a particular sport. For a club to win the UEFA Champions League in European Football, they will have to beat Real Madrid. Similarly in international cricket, for any team to win ICC tournaments, they need to beat Australia, a team that has the most ICC trophies.
In 2007, India became the inaugural World T20 Champions by beating Australia in the competition. In the 2011 CWC, the Indians became champions after beating Ricky Ponting's side in the Quarter-finals. In 2019, England lifted the ODI Championship for the first time after beating the same Aussies in the Semi-final.
Therefore, India needs to beat Australia and eliminate them from the competition for their best interest.

 

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Former England U-19 player Azeem Rafiq has claimed that the Pakistani team under Babar Azam, has reached its lowest point.

Azeem Rafiq has become the latest voice his opinion against the Pakistani setup after the Men in Green exited the ICC T20 World Cup 2024. The Babar Azam-led side were expected to get through to the Super 8s from Group A but back-to-back losses to USA and India made their scenario very difficult.

The Green Army did close the T20 WC 2024 on a high, thanks to wins against Canada and Ireland, but the sentiments are hurt. The wins against those two nations will not make up for the fact that they lost to first-timers and co-hosts USA, that too, from a winning situation.

Babar Azam looked helpless when Pakistan lost to the United States in Super Over and things became much more agonizing after the loss to India. We can consider their loss to the USA as an upset but they had the game against Rohit Sharma's side in the palm of their hands.

It was not that the 2007 Champions snatched the victory but it was the Pakistanis who handed them. As Wasim Akram quoted to Star Sports, the team requires an overhaul and needs players who have good game awareness. Akram was critical of Mohammad Rizwan's bizarre shot selection as soon as Jasprit Bumrah was brought into the attack.

Other than Wasim Akram, the likes of Ramiz Raja and Waqar Younis among others had also slammed the team.

[H2]Azeem Rafiq joins list to criticize Pakistan and targets Mohammad Rizwan[/H2]
Much like Wasim Akram, Azeem Rafiq targeted the entire Pakistani team, specifically Mohammad Rizwan. While Akram had slammed Rizwan for lack of game awareness, Rafiq made an admission about the opening batter not being good enough for modern-day cricket.

While speaking to an English outlet, Azeem Rafiq questioned the Pakistani system as to whether they want to improve themselves or not. He claimed that Mohammad Rizwan is not up to the mark when it comes to modern-day aggressive batting and also argued about his position in the senior team.

Azeem Rafiq believes that Babar Azam should be the one to play and not Rizwan as the former is Pakistan's only world-class batter currently. Rafiq concluded by adding that this is the worst Pakistani team that he has ever seen in a long time.

"Do you want to play like England and Australia, or improve? Rizwan's batting isn't suited for modern hitting. Only Babar or Rizwan can play and it must be Babar. He's Pakistan's only world-class player. This is the worst Pakistani team I've seen in a long time," Azeem Rafiq said.

Former U19 captain Azeem Rafiq says this is the worst team he has seen in a long time

Check out his exclusive interview with PakPassion: https://t.co/7SrNpIzydN #PakPassion #AzeemRafiq #T20WorldCup2024 pic.twitter.com/qsZnEaC71W

— PakPassion.net (@PakPassion) June 23, 2024

 

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Former batsman Navjot Singh Sidhu has lavished praise on Team India and has backed the team to go all the way in the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup 2024.

The former cricketer-turned-commentator's comments came after India's brilliant win over Bangladesh in their second Super 8 game of the World Cup. India thrashed the Bangla Tigers by 50 runs to all but seal their spot in the semifinals. The Rohit Sharma-led side had earlier thrashed Afghanistan by 47 runs in its first Super 8 game.

The win has further extended India's unbeaten run in the tournament. Along with South Africa, the Men in Blue are the only unbeaten side in the competition. Coming to the game against Bangladesh, India piled up a big total of 196 for 5, their highest score in the ongoing World Cup.

Hardik Pandya top-scored for India, scoring an unbeaten fifty off just 27 balls to take the team to a 190-plus total. The likes of Virat Kohli (37), Rishabh Pant (36) and Shivam Dube (34) played useful knocks as well. In reply, Bangladesh finished their innings on 146 for 8. Kuldeep Yadav picked up 3 wickets while Arshdeep Singh and Jasprit Bumrah claimed two wickets apiece.

[H2]Playing to win, playing for the team: Navjot Singh Sidhu:[/H2]
Soon after India's clinical victory over Bangladesh, Navjot Singh Sidhu was all praise for the team's intent in the tournament. The former India batsman stated that all the players are playing selflessly for the team in the competition. He also heaped praise on Rohit Sharma's leadership.

"I can describe the intent of this team in one word: selfless. Playing to win, playing for the team. No one is playing for themselves. You see, everyone who has come, tried to bat fast.

"Secondly, no matter what you say, that guy (Rohit Sharma) has no deceit. His leadership quality is so amazing. There is no one in the Indian team now who seems out of form. Under Rohit Sharma's captaincy, there is a purity, a hunger to win, and most importantly, the country is the highest priority," said Sidhu before backing Team India to win the ongoing T20 World Cup.

Intent
Playing for the team @sherryontopp commends #TeamIndia for their comfortable win over Bangladesh & @ImRo45's captaincy in the #T20WorldCup!

Onto #𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐑𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐫𝐲 NOW #AUSvIND | TOMORROW, 6 PM | #T20WorldCupOnStar pic.twitter.com/1AzkHDWqBd

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) June 23, 2024

India will be facing Australia next in their last Super 8 game. The game is scheduled to take place on Monday (June 24). The Men in Blue will be looking to make the most of their form and momentum and defeat Australia. The game will also give India an opportunity to dump Australia out of the T20 World Cup.

 

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Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) player Nitish Rana recently made controversial comments about Cricket West Indies (CWI), criticizing their treatment of spin bowling all-rounder Sunil Narine. Nitish Rana mentioned that the West Indies didn't respect Narine when he wanted to play for the Caribbean cricket team.

Sunil Narine retired from all formats of international cricket in November 2023. Narine last played for West Indies in a T20I match against the Indian team back in 2019. During the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, Rovman Powell said that they tried to convince Narine to come out of international retirement.

Narine delivered an exceptional performance with both bat and ball in the IPL 2024 while playing for the Kolkata Knight Riders. The left-handed batter was the leading run-getter for KKR in this year's tournament. He scored 488 runs at an average of 34.86 and a strike rate of 180.74, including one century and three fifties.

The 36-year-old also excelled with the ball in the marquee T20 tournament. The mystery spinner picked 17 wickets in 15 matches at an average of 21.64 and an impressive economy rate of 6.69, with the best bowling figures of 2/22. The Knight Riders secured their third trophy under the leadership of Shreyas Iyer.

[H2]West Indies Never Used Sunil Narine Well - Nitish Rana[/H2]
Nitish Rana expressed his admiration for Sunil Narine's cricketing prowess, particularly in T20 matches. Rana said that the West Indies underutilized Narine effectively during his career. Rana highlighted that Narine has retired from international cricket.

"How can you not respect a player like Sunil Narine? Especially in T20s. West Indies never used him well. They didn't pay respect to him," Nitish Rana said on TRS podcast.

"Now that Sunil is retired, West Indies coach and selectors want him back. He said that when he wanted to play for West Indies, they didn't respect him but now that he has retired they should give the opportunity to some youngster," Rana added.

[H2]West Indies Needs To Win Their Upcoming Match In T20 World Cup 2024[/H2]
The Rovman Powell-led team got off to an outstanding start in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024. The home team remained unbeaten in the group stages of the ongoing tournament. The West Indies cricket team won all four matches in the group stages, including against strong contenders like New Zealand.

However, the West Indies suffered a loss against England in their first Super Eight match in the World Cup. The Jos Buttler-led team chased down an 181-run target with eight wickets and 15 deliveries to spare. The co-hosts came under pressure and are at risk of elimination from the prestigious ICC tournament.

The two-time T20 World Champions secured a convincing nine-wicket win in Barbados. The Rovman Powell-led team improved their net run rate by chasing down a target of 129 runs in just 10.5 overs. A win in their last Super Eight match against South Africa would guarantee their top spot in the semi-finals.

Also read: "India will surely win the World Cup if"- Gautam Gambhir's coach Sanjay Bhardwaj's sensational demand

 

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Australia Test opener Usman Khawaja came up with a heartfelt message for Rashid Khan after Afghanistan beat Mitchell Marsh-led side in the Super 8 fixture of the T20 World Cup 2024. He lauded the leg-spinner's team for their stupendous effort and also expressed his disappointment with Afghanistan not being allowed to play with Australia.

Afghanistan National Cricket Team came up with a sensational effort in the game against Australia. They kept themselves alive in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 as they defeated the 2021 champions by 21 runs at the Arnos Vale Ground Kingstown in St Vincent.

Asked to bat first, Afghanistan had a stellar start with the bat as Rahmanullah Gurbaz (60) and Ibrahim Zadran (51) batted with great control. The duo added 118 runs for one opening partnership and set the platform for a big total on the board.

But Australia pulled back things incredibly well after that and kept taking wickets at regular intervals. Pat Cummins took his second consecutive hat-trick in the T20 World Cup 2024 while Adam Zampa bagged two wickets as they restricted Afghanistan to 148/6.

Australia were off to a torrid start with the bat as they lost Travis Head in the first over and then David Warner and skipper Mitchell Marsh too fell early. With the team under pressure, Glenn Maxwell (59) stood tall for his team slammed a brutal half-century, and gave a scare to Afghanistan.

However, the introduction of Gulbadin Naib changed the game for Afghanistan. He picked up four wickets in a flash as the Rashid Khan-led side bundled out the opposition for 127 runs to win the game by 21 runs. This was their first-ever win over Australia in the game of cricket.

As Afghanistan won the game, captain Rashid Khan expressed his joy and delight. He took to his Twitter account. He claimed that unbelievable things happen and the win against Australia will make them proud. He stated:

"Unbelievable things happen if you believe! A win we are all going to be proud of, this is for all of you who believe in us."

Here's the post:

Unbelievable things happen if you believe!

A win we are all going to be proud of, this is for all of you who believe in us #T20WorldCup #ICC pic.twitter.com/xX82nT4FGV

— Rashid Khan (@rashidkhan_19) June 23, 2024

[H2]You boys are an inspiration for so many back home and abroad - Usman Khawaja's message to Rashid Khan [/H2]
As Rashid Khan expressed his delight, Usman Khan also came up with a congratulatory message for the Afghanistan National Cricket Team. He stated that the performance will inspire many. He stated:

"Well done Brother. The better team on the day. You boys are an inspiration for so many back home and abroad. So sad we can't see you all play in Australia."

Well done Brother. Better team on the day. You boys are an inspiration for so many back home and abroad. So sad we can't see you all play in Australia. https://t.co/d7PMfxTcgN

— Usman Khawaja (@Uz_Khawaja) June 23, 2024

Notably, Australia didn't opt to play against Afghanistan in the bilateral series twice. This was because Cricket Australia stated that they didn't want to play against a nation who don't support women. After that various Afghanistan players expressed their disappointment with the 2023 World Cup winners and even pulled out of the Big Bash League.

 

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In the last few months, Gautam Gambhir's stature has gone on to the next level in Indian cricket. Gambhir played a vital role in the Kolkata Knight Riders' IPL 2024 triumph and is now in the race to become India's next head coach.

Recently, KKR's vice-captain Nitish Rana opened up on his camaraderie with Gautam Gambhir. Rana has known Gambhir for a long time now and considers him as his idol. Both Rana and Gambhir have played for Delhi's Ranji Trophy team for several years with Gambhir being the senior.

Also read: Not Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma! 2 India stars traveling with personal chefs in T20 World Cup 2024

[H2]Nitish Rana opens up on his biggest learning from Gautam Gambhir[/H2]
During a podcast with TRS on the YouTube channel, Nitish Rana was asked about how Gautam Gambhir's narrative changed in the past few months. Rana revealed that Gambhir's honesty is his biggest strength and he isn't scared of being judged.

"He has his own way of working. He has a unique way of living his life. He is not scared of being judged, which is his biggest strength. He is someone who is very honest. People have taken my honesty in a wrong way every time. They call it my arrogance. If I don't like anything and I will say that bluntly. I don't want to be judged on that. This trait of mine has come from Gauti bhaiya (Gautam Gambhir) because I have been with him in the dressing room for such a long time in domestic cricket and while playing for the same club," Rana said during the podcast.

The outside noise is something that professional cricketers have to deal with almost every day. Rana revealed the method of how Gautam Gambhir wants his players to deal with it.

"He has taught me that you're only answerable to the people in the dressing room and not to the people outside the dressing room which includes people on social media, media, journalists, interviewers," Rana mentioned.

So if you have done anything wrong in a game and you've lost the match, then you must have the guts to accept your mistakes in front of the people in the dressing room. If you can build this character, then you'll never fail in life. This was a big learning for me," the 30-year-old left-hander added.

Watch: Nitish Rana speaking about Gautam Gambhir pic.twitter.com/sJKyJC7fga

— KKR Vibe (@KnightsVibe) June 23, 2024

[H2]KKR won its third IPL title this year[/H2]
Gautam Gambhir's presence in the Kolkata Knight Riders' dressing room was pivotal in the team's IPL triumph this year. Gambhir was roped in as KKR's mentor before this season and that paid huge dividends for the franchise.

KKR were formidable this year as they dominated the season throughout. They topped the points table after the group stages and then thrashed a dangerous Sunrisers Hyderabad by 8 wickets in the final.

The Shreyas Iyer-led side played with freedom and intent as they excelled in every department. Meanwhile, vice-captain Nitish Rana played just two games in the season because of an injury. Rana became fit just in time before the playoffs and played the all-important final as well.

 

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Former Pakistan allrounder Mohammad Hafeez recently opened up on his unceremonious sacking as Pakistan's team director earlier this year.

The former cricketer was roped in by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) after the team's disastrous display at the ODI World Cup where they could not go past the league stage. Mohammad Hafeez was appointed the team director as well as the de facto head coach in November before the tours of Pakistan and New Zealand.

During Mohammad Hafeez's stint, Pakistan could not really get the desired result in Australia and New Zealand. They were whitewashed in the three-match Test series in Australia although they did receive praise from several quarters for their fighting effort. Their fortunes did not change much in New Zealand either as they suffered a 4-1 loss in the T20Is.

Soon after the tour of New Zealand, the PCB parted ways with Mohammad Hafeez after the new management took charge of the board. And recently, the former Pakistan cricketer explained the reason behind leaving the team. Hafeez revealed that he had to leave the post after the change in the PCB management.

"I also couldn't understand because if you look at the performances of the team on the last tour, we were far better this time. On this tour, the boys were ready, they were looking for the challenge. But unfortunately we couldn't win. We should have won two Tests," Mohammad Hafeez said on Club Prairie Fire podcast.

"My contract was to deal with the Pakistan team for four years. But because the management got changed because of the political changes in Pakistan, (I was removed). This is very unfortunate, happening in Pakistan for the last many, many years. Whenever political setup changes, they bring their own chairmanship.

"No one noticed how good Pakistan team was on that tour. They just wanted to sack me for no reason," he added.

[H2]Michael Vaughan on Mohammad Hafeez's sacking:[/H2]
With Mohammad Hafeez revealing that he became a victim of the political change in Pakistan, Michael Vaughan has shared his views on the sacking. The former England captain has reiterated that sacking Hafeez was a mistake by PCB. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Michael Vaughan wrote:

"The PCB were wrong to get rid of him imo .."

The PCB were wrong to get rid of him imo .. https://t.co/s4xX0xxM1M

— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) June 23, 2024

Vaughan had praised Hafeez earlier as well when Pakistan were in Australia. After Pakistan's close loss in the Melbourne Test, Vaughan had tweeted: "Pakistan were very good this week .. too many extras in the first innings & 2 catches that should have been taken away from a famous win at the G .. been very impressed with @MHafeez22 as coach .. "

Pakistan were very good this week .. too many extras in the first innings & 2 catches that should have been taken away from a famous win at the G .. been very impressed with @MHafeez22 as coach ..

— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) December 29, 2023

 

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Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif was all praises for Afghanistan after their memorable win over Australia at Kingstown, St. Vincent. Playing to stay alive in the competition, Afghanistan displayed tremendous grit and determination to outclass an in-form Australian team.

Afghanistan's win has opened up Group 1 now. This means that Australia needs to beat India in their last Super 8 clash in St. Lucia. Meanwhile, if India beats Australia and Afghanistan wins against Bangladesh, Afghanistan will qualify for the semifinals.

Also read: "When they try to attack you"- Kuldeep Yadav says beware of me to Mitchell Marsh and Australia

[H2]Mohammad Kaif lauds Afghanistan after their huge win over Australia[/H2]
Mohammad Kaif heaped praise on the Afghanistan team's performance through his X (formerly Twitter) handle. Kaif mentioned the last time when Afghanistan failed to close out the game in the ODI World Cup 2023 at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. The former India batter stated that Afghanistan's brilliant performance in the field was the difference this time around.

"This win is marked in history. Afghanistan have defeated Australia for the first time in their history. It was a close matter last time also at the Wankhede but some catches of (Glenn) Maxwell were dropped and he made a double hundred and Afghanistan lost," Kaif said in a video posted on X.

Kaif also praised Afghanistan's openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran who put together an opening partnership of 118 on a tricky pitch. He also mentioned Rashid Khan's brilliant captaincy, which involved giving the first over to Naveen-ul-Haq instead of the in-form Fazalhaq Farooqi.

"Brilliant captaincy, brilliant opening partnership by bringing in Zadran (Ibrahim) in place of Zazai (Hazratullah), did not repeat the mistakes they made against India. Zadran and Gurbaz (Rahmanullah) put up a century opening stand on a difficult pitch where the ball was moving around a lot, the ball was gripping, turning, there they put up 148 runs on the board," Kaif mentioned.

"Brilliant captaincy, the first over was given to Naveen-ul-Haq and not to Fazalhaq Farooqi because he knew that Naveen would dismiss Travis Head just like the last time in Wankhede and he did it the same way clean bowling Head with a ball that swung at a fast pace. After that Mohammad Nabi dismissed David Warner," he added.

Afghanistan are truly among the big boys of world cricket - first they beat New Zealand and now Australia. #AusvAfg #T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/czDoxZvGI2

— Mohammad Kaif (@MohammadKaif) June 23, 2024

[H2]Afghanistan stun Australia to open up Group 1[/H2]
After being put into bat first on a difficult pitch where the ball was stopping and turning, Rahamanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran found it extremely tough to get going. But the duo stayed on the wicket and ran extremely hard between the wickets to move the scorecard along.

Both the openers were dismissed in quick succession but they had laid a solid platform for the middle-order batters. But unfortunately, Afghanistan's middle order couldn't fire and they were restricted to 148-6 in 20 overs. Pat Cummins took his second hat-trick in consecutive games.

Chasing a modest target to win, Australia struggled as Travis Head was dismissed in the first over itself. Australia were restricted to 32-3 as Marcus Stoinis joined Glenn Maxwell at the crease. Stoinis was dismissed by Gulbadin Naib which triggered a spectacular collapse.

Maxwell was dismissed for a well-made 41-ball-59 as Matthew Wade followed soon after. Afghanistan didn't mess it up this time around like they did in Mumbai and bundled out Australia for 127.