Image Credit- ACB
Rashid Khan has been
the centre of attention prior to Afghanistan’s opening Twenty20 International
Series match against Ireland. Following surgery for a back ailment that kept
him out of play for four months, he was scheduled to return. Rashid was instantly
back to his usual cheerful self, as though his influence could never be
diminished by pain. With the exception of the fact that Harry Tector’s 3 for 19
from four overs that evening overshadowed his efforts, luck was a stronger
force.
After Tector was
dropped on 19 with Ireland at 90 for 5 in the 15th over, the team shot Ireland
to 149 with an undefeated 56 off 34 balls. He made four catches in a Twenty20
international, which is the most by any Ireland fielder. The ball followed him
across the pitch as well.
Legspinner Ben White led Ireland’s bowling attack with 4 for 20, as Afghanistan
collapsed for 111. As the stadium in Sharjah appeared to empty only when Rashid
was removed as the ninth Afghanistan wicket, that handed them a 1-0 lead in the
three-match series.
On a slow, well-used
ground, Rashid spun the ball both ways, putting the brakes on after Ireland had
scored 48 during the powerplay. After bowling one over for five, he returned
for the eleventh over. Paul Stirling misplayed a big and flat ball to long-on,
while Curtis Campher was cleanly cleaned up by a googly turning in to hit
middle and leg from outside off. Dispersed around the stands, the Afghanistan
fans leaped at their hero’s ability.
Rashid missed the hat-trick – the ball turned into left-hander Neil Rock,
beating him, the wicketkeeper and first slip – but later dismissed Gareth
Delany, who scored a useful 16 from No. 7, while adding 35 with Tector.
Tector came to bat
at number four, and in the ninth over, he welcomed Mohammad Nabi into the
assault by pulling his second ball for four. But with him caught at one end,
what had been 54 for 1 in the eighth over quickly turned into 72 for 5 in the
12th. After both of Ireland’s openers gave up early wickets, Rashid and his
spin partner, rookie Nangeyalia Kharote, went through the middle order.
Tector, though, remained composed and patient. When he crashed Kharote for his
first six to begin the 14th over, he gave a taste of what fun was to follow.
Fazalhaq Farooqi moved to his left from short, fine leg and missed a
controllable catch as Tector made the decision to pursue Rashid. That raised an
alarm, and Tector saw off Rashid before opening up the floodgates in the last
three overs.
Most of all suffered
was Naveen-ul-Haq. With 14 runs off the 18th over, Tector smashed a yorker and
another near-yorker for four before chipping a slower ball over Naveen’s head.
Tector clubbed the final four balls for 6, 4, 4, 4: over deep square, to deep
extra cover, to deep point, and to deep third. Naveen also delivered the final
over, which ended at 19 runs. Tector scored 30 runs off his final 11 balls.
On Friday night,
there was a chance for three bowlers to claim a hat trick. Following Rashid,
Josh Little bowled Azmatullah Omarzai in the second over of Afghanistan’s chase
after Sediqullah Atal chipped to mid-off. A little later on, White was the
third of those.
There was some debate after that. On the fourth ball of the thirteenth over,
White got rid of Nabi with a no-ball. Replays, however, showed that White’s
heel had landed slightly behind the line, which prompted Stirling to speak with
the umpire. Nabi was given a life, nevertheless, and the ruling held.
But with two balls
remaining in the over, White got Ijaz Ahmad Ahmadzai, who was making his debut,
to drag a short ball to deep square leg. Kharote, who he had knocked over the
first ball, was next, as he threw one up and got it to dip before drifting away
to strike off stump. After scoring four goals, White diverted all attention
from the guy that the audience had come to see.