Cricket

Noor five-for seals 3-0 series sweep for Afghanistan in Sharjah

Sharjah: Young spinner Noor Ahmad produced a spellbinding performance, taking his maiden T20I five-wicket haul to help Afghanistan seal a commanding 3-0 series sweep against Zimbabwe in Sharjah. Noor's magical figures of 5 for 13 in 3.3 overs decimated the opposition, bundling Zimbabwe out for a paltry 79 before Afghanistan knocked off the target in just 8.1 overs to claim a dominant seven-wicket victory.

Early Inroads by Afghanistan Pacers

Electing to bowl first, Afghanistan skipper Ibrahim Zadran aimed to test his side's chasing capability. The grass-tinged Sharjah surface offered plenty of early movement for the fast bowlers, and Afghanistan's pacers capitalized immediately.

Returning fast bowler Fazalhaq Farooqi struck in the very first over, finding the edge of Innocent Kaia’s bat. In the second over, Player of the Series Azmatullah Omarzai removed Brian Bennett, reducing Zimbabwe to a precarious 8 for 2. Debutant Abdullah Tarakhail quickly joined the party, taking his first international wicket with just his second ball as Zimbabwe captain Sikander Raza miscued a lofted shot to mid-off.

Burl Fights Back Amid Heated Exchange

Facing a collapse inside the powerplay, Ryan Burl offered the only substantial resistance for Zimbabwe. Burl counter-attacked in the fifth and sixth overs, driving his team to 37 for 3 by the end of the powerplay.

The match also saw moments of high drama and tension. In the absence of the Decision Review System (DRS), a turned-down LBW shout sparked a heated verbal exchange between leg-spinner Rashid Khan and Burl. On-field umpires Ahmad Shah Pakteen and Farooq Khan had to step in on separate occasions to separate the two players.

Shortly after the confrontation, Burl’s fighting effort came to an end when he was adjudged LBW off Abdollah Ahmadzai for 30 off 29 balls—the top score of Zimbabwe’s innings.

Noor Ahmad Too Hot to Handle

Once Noor Ahmad entered the attack, Zimbabwe’s batting line-up collapsed entirely. The left-arm wrist-spinner broke the back of the innings in the 11th over, snapping up three wickets in four balls as batters struggled to read his variations.

Wessly Madhevere was stumped off a flighted wrong'un, while Tafadzwa Tsiga fell for a golden duck, caught in the slips off another googly. Tadiwanashe Marumani then holed out to long-off, where Omarzai took a brilliant diving catch. Noor went on to clean up the tail, wrapping up Zimbabwe's innings for 79 in 14.3 overs—their second-lowest total in T20I history.

Noor’s career-best figures of 5 for 13 extended his exceptional record against Zimbabwe, taking his average against them down to a staggering 5.66.

Rapid Chase Seals the Series Sweep

Chasing 80 for victory, Afghanistan played with freedom. Promoting Mohammad Akram to open, Afghanistan hit early boundaries despite losing early wickets to Ernest Masuku. Sediqullah Atal's aggressive strokeplay ensured Afghanistan reached 54 for 3 inside the powerplay.

Azmatullah Omarzai and skipper Ibrahim Zadran quickly completed the formal rites. Zadran hit consecutive boundaries, while Omarzai finished the match in style with a massive six off Vincent Masekesa. Afghanistan overhauled the target in just 49 balls (8.1 overs), marking their second-largest T20I victory in terms of balls remaining and securing their 22nd win in their last 24 T20I matches.

Brief Scores

Zimbabwe: 79 all out in 14.3 overs (Ryan Burl 30, Wessly Madhevere 10; Noor Ahmad 5-13, Abdullah Tarakhail 2-14)

Afghanistan: 81 for 3 in 8.1 overs (Ibrahim Zadran 25*, Sediqullah Atal 21; Ernest Masuku 2-21)

Result: Afghanistan won by 7 wickets (with 71 balls remaining) and won the series 3-0.