Afghanistan seal historic World Cup qualification

Team beats Kenya to book spot in cricket’s 2015 mega event for first time.

SHARJAH:

Afghanistan reached the World Cup for the first time yesterday, completing a remarkable journey from refugee camp cricket to rubbing shoulders with the sport’s superpowers.

The team that was playing in the fifth-tier just five years ago, and is forced by the precarious security situation in its country to stage home matches in the Gulf, swept past Kenya by seven wickets to secure a historic spot in the 2015 showpiece.

After dismissing Kenya for just 93 in the 44th over at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Afghanistan reached their target in the 21st over when captain Mohammad Nabi hit Shem Ngoche through midwicket for a boundary.

They had to endure a brief moment of worry before romping to victory when they were reduced to 34 for three.

But Nabi, who finished on 46 not out, and Hashmatullah Shaidi, put on 62 for the fourth wicket to bring their side home with 175 balls to spare.

Nabi smashed two towering sixes and three fours to assure his team of second place in the World Cricket League behind runaway winners Ireland who have also qualified for the World Cup.

Afghanistan will play in Pool A at the World Cup in 2015 along with co-hosts Australia and New Zealand as well as Bangladesh, England, Sri Lanka and another qualifier.

Netherlands, the UAE, Scotland, Kenya, Namibia, Canada, Uganda, Hong Kong, Nepal and Papua New Guinea will now compete for the last two World Cup berths at the final qualifying event to be staged in New Zealand in February next year.

Afghanistan were already overwhelming favourites to beat Kenya in the last match of an exhausting two-year qualifying competition.

In Monday’s Twenty20 international, they routed the African side by 106 runs and carried that form through to Wednesday when they romped to victory by eight wickets in the first of the two determining One-Day Internationals.

Then, Kenya were dismissed for just 89 with Afghanistan reaching their target inside 18 overs.

Yesterday, Kenya were put into bat and struggled again with Morris Ouma top-scoring with 39.

Rakep Patel, with 18, was the only other batsman to reach double figures in an innings where the first boundary didn’t arrive until the 16th over.

Slow left-armer Hamza Hotak was the leading Afghanistan bowler, claiming three of 19 off his 10 overs. 

Published in The Express Tribune, October 5^th, 2013.

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