Afghanistan 206 for 3 (Shahzad 84, Shah 51, Gayle 2-38) beat West Indies 204 (Powell 44, Mujeeb 4-43, Naib 2-28) by seven wickets
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Afghanistan eased to a seven-wicket win over West Indies in the final of the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier competition in Zimbabwe, bringing to completion a comeback that must rank among the greatest in cricket’s long history. Virtually written off after their disastrous showing in the group stage, Afghanistan rode on their self-belief – and a little bit of luck – to claim the trophy. Five days ago, Rashid Khan said “anything can happen”, and this Afghanistan team has shown that to be true.
Today, West Indies decided to bat first on a tacky, slow surface but their batting never got going, Rovman Powell top-scoring with 44. A Mohammad Shahzad special quickly brought the target within reach, while Rahmat Shah‘s fifty kept the middle order steady, and Mohammad Nabi’s trio of sixes brought an emphatic end to Afghanistan’s time in Zimbabwe.
More to follow…
Liam Brickhill is a freelance journalist based in Cape Town
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Source: ESPN Crickinfo