Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi acknowledged his team’s dominant performance in the second ODI against Zimbabwe, stating they “outclassed Zimbabwe in all departments.” The match, held at Harare Sports Club on Thursday, saw Afghanistan secure a resounding 232-run victory thanks to Sediqullah Atal’s explosive century and stellar bowling by AM Ghazanfar and Naveed Zadran.
Shahidi Praises Team Effort
Speaking at the post-match presentation, Shahidi expressed pride in his team’s efforts, particularly highlighting the strong performance by the openers. “Very impressed with the way the openers batted. The credit goes to them. We outclassed them in all departments,” he said. Shahidi emphasized the importance of giving their all and preparing for upcoming challenges, adding, “We gave our 100% and we did well. Our team performance is going up day by day. Everyone takes responsibility and knows their roles. We want to carry on with this performance. We have in mind that we will play Champions, so we want to be prepared for that.”
Match Recap
Zimbabwe won the toss and chose to field, but Afghanistan’s opening pair of Sediqullah Atal and Abdul Malik laid a solid foundation. Atal smashed 104 runs off 128 balls, including 8 fours and 4 sixes, while Malik contributed 84 runs off 101 balls with 11 boundaries and a six. Their 191-run partnership set the tone for Afghanistan’s innings.
After the openers fell, Shahidi (29* off 30 balls) and Mohammad Nabi (18 off 16 balls) added crucial runs to push Afghanistan’s total to 286/6. Zimbabwe’s bowlers struggled, with Newman Nyamhuri being the standout, taking three wickets in his 10-over spell.
Afghanistan’s Bowlers Dominate
Zimbabwe faltered during the chase, failing to build partnerships as Afghan bowlers struck early. Sean Williams (16 off 18 balls) and Sikandar Raza (19* off 32 balls) were the only notable contributors for the hosts.
AM Ghazanfar and Naveed Zadran led the Afghan bowling attack, claiming three wickets each, while Fazalhaq Farooqi added two scalps in his six-over spell. Zimbabwe’s innings ended at a meager 54 runs, with 32 overs remaining.
This victory gave Afghanistan a 1-0 lead in the series after the first match was washed out due to rain.
