Kabul: Afghanistan cricket team toured Bangladesh in February and March 2022 to play three One Day International (ODI) and two Twenty20 International (T20I) matches. The series was a part of the 2020–2023 ICC Cricket World Cup Super League. The ODI matches took place in Chittagong, with the T20I matches played in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh.
In the first ODI, Afghanistan made 215 runs in their innings with Najibullah scoring 67 runs. In reply, Bangladesh were reduced to 45/6 in the twelfth over of their run chase, with young lad Fazalhaq Farooqi who is an emerging fast bowler in the national team, taking four wickets. However, Afif Hossain and Mehidy Hasan Mirazthen 174-run unbeaten partnership and resistance led Bangladesh reaching 219/6 to win the match by four wickets.
In the second ODI, Bangladesh set a target of with 306 runs, Afghanistan batting second in the match could not make it to the end. Although Rahmat Shah and Najibullah Zadran scored half centuries but Bangladesh went on to win the match by 88 runs.
Afghanistan won the third and final ODI by seven wickets, with Rahmanullah Gurbaz scoring an unbeaten century and wining player of the match, concluding the series win for Bangladesh’s with as 2–1.
In the T20i series, Bangladesh won the first T20I match by 61 runs, after they had made 155/8 in their innings, and bowling Afghanistan out for 94 runs while Afghanistan won the second T20I match by eight wickets, with some excellent bowling spells of fast bowlers and batting of Hazratullah Zazai and Usman Ghani, with awarding Azmatullah Omerzai player of the match and Fazalhaq Farooqi player of the series. The series drawn 1-1 while awarding trophy to team Afghanistan as being the guest country. The great thing about the series that was warm welcomed by cricket fans and enthusiasts was giving chance to fresh youth talents as Riaz Hassan, Ibrahim Zadran, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Azmatullah Omerzai, and Qais Ahmad who proved themselves with some great performances. Particularly, Afghanistan was really looking for a fast bowling duo that they found in Farooqi and Omerzoi whose excellent bowling let Afghanistan win the 2nd T20i with their fast bowling strength after a long time.
Sayed Naseem Sadaat
Afghan cricket team’s tour to Bangladesh ends
