Asghar Afghan announces retirement from international cricket midway through T20 World Cup

T20 World Cup | AFG vs NAM: Namibia's dream run faces stern Afghan opposition on its way

Namibia have won three matches in a row in the T20 World Cup 2021 and are having the time of their life as a team. They would look t continue their impressive showing as they face a stern challenge in Afghanistan which pushed the group leaders Pakistan to its limit until Asif Ali bailed them out. Thus this match is equally important for Afghanistan who would now try to win their remaining games to challenge both New Zealand and India for the all-important second position in the group to try and make it to the semi-finals. What's at stake? For Namibia, it is a big-big chance to play against a team that is not as big as India, Pakistan and New Zealand and whose batting looks vulnerable. If they bowl to their potential, they might restrict Afghans to a total that might be given a try in the presence of the batters like David Wiese, Gerhard Erasmus and JJ Smit who have shown in various games that they have the quality to bat for a long time as well as hit big. For the Afghans, it is yet another opportunity to earn a big win and boost their confidence before a big game against India which might be the deciding game of the group given how hard Afghans have been playing and their skills that are coming good at UAE. What needs to change? For Afghanistan, it would be a test of their batting as their bowling would be more than just covered by their spin department. The batting looked supreme against Scotland as the small ground in Sharjah was utilised well by the left-handers. But Dubai was a big ground and against the pace of the Pakistani pacers, the Afghan batters were truly exposed. True that Namibia don’t have as fas bowlers as Pakistan, but the ground at Abiu Dhabi is immensely big and the Namibians bowl very good line length as has been evident from their last three games. Thus it can be troublesome for Afghanistan. For Namibia, their batting is a big issue. Apart from Wiese, Erasmus and JJ Smit, the batters at the top order have not been able to perform well. The likes of Zane Green, Craig Williams and Michale van Lingen need to pick themselves up and give a fiery start for the middle and lower order to build upon. Afghanistan vs Namibia: Match Details Match Number - 27 Date and Time: October 31, 2021, 03:30 pm IST, 02:00 pm Local, 10:00 am GMT Venue: Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi Broadcast and Livestream: Star Sports and Hotstar Pitch Report The pitch at Abu Dhabi has been a trying wicket for the batters as it has generally remained slow. Most of the matches here have been played in the daytime and at day, a score of anything above 150 is getting difficult to chase. The pitch would be slow and sluggish and the shine on the wicket wouldn’t mean that it would be a bouncing wicket. It’s just a facade to varnish the wear and tear within. Weather Forecast The temperature at the stadium will fall from 34-degree Celsius at 02:00 pm to 31-degree Celsius by 06:00 pm and similarly, the humidity will increase from 39% to 60% meaning that the wicket would be dry and help spinners. Team News Afghanistan The Afghan team could make one change and bring in Hamid Hassan in place of Karim Janat who had a horrid day at the office against Pakistan. Hassan is an experienced campaigner and has played many games. He can bowl quickly and hence a better option than Janat. Probable XI Hazratullah Zazai, Mohammad Shahzad (wk), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi (c), Asghar Afghan, Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan, Karim Janat/Fareed Ahmad, Naveen-ul-Haq, Mujeeb ur Rahman. Namibia For Namibia, there is no reason to change the playing XI as they have a settled team which can be very dangerous if all the players play to their potential. Probable XI Craig Williams, Zane Green (wk), Gerhard Erasmus (c), Michael van Lingen, David Wiese, JJ Smit, Jan Frylinck, Pikky Ya France, Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton, Ruben Trumpelmann, Bernard Scholtz CE XI Fantasy team Wicketkeepers Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Batters Hazratullah Zazai, Najibullah Zadran, Gerhard Erasmus All-rounders Gulbadin Naib, David Wiese, JJ Smit, Jan Frylinck Bowlers Mujeeb ur Rahman, Rashid Khan, Ruben Trumpelmann Vice-Captain David Wiese Captain Mujeeb ur Rahman

T20 World Cup | SA vs SL: David Miller overshadows Wanindu Hasaranga's hat-trick to take Proteas home

It took South Africa’s David Miller just two deliveries to change the complexion of the game between the Proteas and Sri Lanka when the left-hander unveiled his calibre and smacked a couple of maximums on the trot in the final over of Lahiru Kumara. Needing 15 in the last over, Miller and Kagiso Rabada completed the task on the penultimate delivery of the match to steal a win by 4 wickets in Sharjah. South Africa didn’t really start off the chase in a steady manner and kept losing wickets at regular intervals but it was captain Temba Bavuma who held the fort at the other side. The Proteas were 49/3 when Bavuma was joined by Aiden Markram at the crease and the two batters chipped in with a partnership of 47 runs for the fourth wicket. But what unleashed next simply pushed the South African side on the backfoot. Sri Lanka spinner Wanindu Hasaranga cleaned up Markram for 19 off 20 at the end of the 15th over. The right-arm bowler then returned back in the 18th over to dismantle the middle and lower middle-order as he first removed Bavuma for a run-a-ball 46 after he was caught in the deep by Nissanka and then completed the hat trick after scalping the wicket of Dwaine Pretorious on the very next delivery. Hasaranga became the second bowler after Curtis Campher to pick up a hat trick in this T20 World Cup. But just when everyone thought that the job was done, Miller showed up in his true class and helped his side pull a rabbit out of the hat. While Miller eventually remained unbeaten at 23 off 13, Rabada chipped in with 13* off 7 during the course. Hasaranga was the pick of the bowlers for Sri Lanka after he returned with figures of 3/20 in 4 overs. Earlier, in the day, the Sri Lankan batting unit didn’t really get in the groove as they lost wickets at regular intervals and it was the lone warrior Pathum Nissanka who held his nerves and went on to score 72 off 58 during the course. But he fell short of partners at the other end as the Lankan lions were bundled out for 142 in 20 overs. Tabraiz Shamsi and Pretorious picked up three wickets each while Nortje scalped a couple for the side. South Africa captain Temba Bavuma lauded Miller for his knock and taking the team over the line. “It's hard to keep everything at the back of my mind, and we had a job to do. We took it deep and it was a good thing that we managed to get over the line. David hasn't done that for us in a while, and it's great that he came good at the right time,” he said in the post-match presentation. Sri Lanka will now play England in Sharjah on Monday while South Africa will be up against Bangladesh on Tuesday in Abu Dhabi.

T20 World Cup | Chris Woakes-led England bowling attack squeeze life out of Australia in Dubai

England carried on with their dominant performance with the ball against arch-rivals England and left them reeling at 21-4 at the start of the seven-over mark. Chris Woakes started the slide with the wicket of David Warner and followed it up with a big wicket of Glenn Maxwell. In between his two overs, Woakes also plucked a one-handed catch to send Steve Smith back to the pavilion off the bowling of Chris Jordan. Staying aware of the challenge of bowling Moeen Ali in the powerplay, which has been Eoin Morgan’s tactic this tournament, he flipped the spin bowling duty to Adil Rashid. He started off decently and came back to pick up the dangerman Marcus Stoinis after flummoxing him with a googly. England fielded an unchanged side in the game while Australia made a brave call of bolstering their spin-bowling department at the expense of Mitchell Marsh, who was favourite to occupy the number three position in the tournament. At the end of the 12th over, half the Australian team was back in the pavilion with Liam Livingstone removing Matthew Wade at the team score of 51-5. Now they are left with only the duo of skipper Aaron Finch and Ashton Agar if they have to post a decent and fighting total on a fresh looking pitch at the Dubai International Stadium. No count that Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins can use the long handle too, but the conditions in Dubai are trying.

T20 World Cup | SA vs SL: David Miller snatches Twitter limelight from hat-trick man Wanindu Hasaranga

No one batsman has hit more sixes for South Africa in T20 internationals than David Miller and he did just that with immense ease and just when his side required it the most and took them over the line against Sri Lanka. South Africa needed 15 runs off the last over and Miller despatched two sixes out of the Sharjah cricket ground and finished Sri Lanka’s fight that was fuelled by a hat-trick from Wanindu Hasaranaga. The leg spinner was on the top of his game and picked Aiden Markram, Temba Bavuma and Dwaine Pretorious on his three consecutive balls and broke the backbone of Proteas batting lineup.