Afghanistan Knock Out England
Afghanistan vs. England Champions Trophy Thriller
Ibrahim Zadran’s Historic Innings
Tournament debutants Afghanistan sent England packing from the Champions Trophy after opener Ibrahim Zadran’s epic 177 set up their narrow eight-run victory in a Group B thriller on Wednesday. Zadran produced the highest score in the tournament’s history to help Afghanistan overcome Jofra Archer’s three early wickets and rack up 325/7.
England’s Chase Led by Joe Root
Joe Root’s classy 120 kept England alive in the chase until the 46th over. However, Afghanistan chipped away with regular wickets, eventually bowling them out for 317 with one ball left in the innings. England were eliminated after their second successive defeat in the tournament, and Jos Buttler risks losing the captain’s job after overseeing yet another poor campaign in an ICC event.
Captain Comments and Historical Context
“I don’t want to say any emotional statements right now,” Buttler said. “For myself and the guys at the top, we should consider all possibilities.”
Afghanistan also beat England at the 2023 ODI World Cup in India. “As a team, we are happy,” Afghan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi said. “I know the whole nation will be happy. We’ll look towards the next game.”
Jofra Archer’s Early Impact
Archer produced a three-wicket burst after Shahidi elected to bat in a contest that several British politicians wanted England to boycott over the curtailment of women’s rights in Afghanistan under the Taliban’s rule. Rahmanullah Gurbaz dragged one onto his stumps, Sediqullah Atal was trapped lbw, and Rahmat Shah holed out, leaving Afghanistan tottering on 37/3 in the ninth over.
Afghanistan’s Fightback
Zadran combined in a 103-run stand with Shahidi (40) to prop up Afghanistan, while Azmatullah Omarzai (41) and Mohammad Nabi (40) chipped in with useful cameos down the order. Zadran needed 106 balls to bring up his sixth ODI hundred and went on to overcome England opener Ben Duckett’s 165 against Australia on Saturday as the highest individual score in the history of the tournament. His 146-ball blitz, studded with six sixes and 12 fours, earned Zadran the Player of the Match award.
England’s Struggles
England looked ragged towards the end of the Afghanistan innings when misfielding and injuries to Mark Wood and Liam Livingstone compounded their problems. After bowling eight wicketless overs, Wood limped off the field, but Livingstone returned to send down a tidy, two-wicket final over.
England stuttered early in their reply, losing Phil Salt and Jamie Smith inside seven overs. Duckett (38) got a reprieve when Shahidi dropped him at mid-off, but the opener could not make the most of it. Harry Brook (25) and Buttler (38) could not convert their starts, but Root scored at a run-a-ball rate despite battling cramps towards the end of his knock.
Afghanistan’s Bowling Highlights
Omarzai, who finished with impressive figures of 5/58, ended Root’s classy knock when the batter fell caught behind trying to play the ramp shot. Jamie Overton made 32, and a hobbling Wood returned to bat again, but England fell agonizingly short of the target.
Brief Scores as Afghanistan Knock Out England
Afghanistan: 325/7 (Zadran 177, Omarzai 41, Nabi 40; Archer 3/64, Livingstone 2/28)
England: 317 all out in 49.5 overs (Root 120, Buttler 38, Duckett 38; Omarzai 5/58, Nabi 2/58)
