Australia vs Afghanistan Archives

Mitchell Marsh hopeful for a turnaround in “must-win” India game

SAINT VINCENT: Australia’s T20I captain Mitchell Marsh expressed his confidence in his team’s ability to force a turnaround in the must-win ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 Super Eights fixture against India.

Australia suffered a massive blow to their semi-final hopes after they succumbed to a shock loss against Afghanistan at Arnos Vale Ground here on Saturday.

A victory over Afghanistan would have taken Australia, alongside India into the semi-finals. But, they now need to beat India in their final Super Eights fixture, scheduled on June 24, to advance into the knockouts.

However, if India beat Australia and Afghanistan defeat Bangladesh then India and Afghanistan would go through, marking the end of Australia’s campaign.

Australia captain Mitchell Marsh, consequently, termed their match against India a “must-win game” and asserted that the pressure would bring the best out of his players.

“First things first, (we have to) recover. We have a lot of belief in our group. We are a very good cricket team. Yes, tonight we had an off night but I guess there’s also a positive in the fact that in 36 hours we go again. It’s a big game, it will be against India obviously and it’s a must-win game,” stated Marsh during the post-match press conference.

“I think if you look back at the short history of this team, I know for a fact that it brings out the best in our guys, so the boys will certainly be up and about for it.

“We’ve got a good bunch of people and I believe our best is up there with the best. So, we need to bring that on whatever day it is, in a couple of days’ time and move forward pretty quickly.”

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Australia, who have done exceptionally well with the bat and ball this tournament, were sloppy in the field against Afghanistan as the former champions put down five catches but Mitchell Marsh remained confident in his team’s ability in the department.

“There’s a lot of things you can look at, the reality is there’s small margins here when the scores are low,” said Marsh.

“We don’t want to have too many off nights in the field but I also believe that at our best we’re an unbelievable fielding side.

“It’s easy to look at tonight and, yes, it was disappointing but ultimately, we have 36 hours to turn it around and I still believe that our best is very good in the field.

“We certainly pride ourselves on our fielding. Can’t question the boys putting in the work. I think it’s no different to any other skill set. We put in the work, we didn’t execute in the field tonight and ultimately it played a part in us losing the game.”

READ: Mitchell Marsh reveals reason behind shock loss against Afghanistan

Mitchell Marsh reveals reason behind shock loss against Afghanistan

SAINT VINCENT: Australia’s T20I captain Mitchell Marsh opened up after his side’s shock loss at the hands of Afghanistan in a crucial ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 Super Eights fixture here at Arnos Vale Ground on Saturday.

Marsh, while addressing the post-match press conference after Australia’s 21-run defeat, stated that his team had an off-night and also that they allowed the opposition to score freely.

“They probably got 20 too many. Lot of teams have bowled first in this tournament. Don’t think it was won or lost at the toss. We had an off-night on the field,” stated Marsh.

“Wasn’t the easiest of wickets, but both teams played on it. As I said, we got outplayed today. We just need to win, and there’s no better team to do it against,” he added.

Australia were sloppy in the field against Afghanistan as the former champions put down five catches but Mitchell Marsh remained confident in his team’s ability in the department.

“There’s a lot of things you can look at, the reality is there’s small margins here when the scores are low,” said Marsh.

“We don’t want to have too many off nights in the field but I also believe that at our best we’re an unbelievable fielding side.

“It’s easy to look at tonight and, yes, it was disappointing but ultimately, we have 36 hours to turn it around and I still believe that our best is very good in the field.

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Marsh then went on to defend Australia’s decision to rest Mitchell Starc, stating that they pick a team that can win games in certain conditions.

“Any time you make a decision like that, Starcy’s unlucky in a sense,” said Marsh. “But we’ve said right from the start of the tournament that we’ve got 15 guys here and we’ll pick a team that we think can win us the game in those certain conditions.

“Everything pointed towards Ash tonight and I thought he did a brilliant job. Four overs, one for (17). He was outstanding. The reality is when you’ve got this much talent, someone’s always unlucky to miss out.

“… I don’t think the game was won or lost in the Powerplay tonight.”

READ: Pat Cummins takes back-to-back hat-tricks in T20 World Cup 2024

Maxwell’s double ton lifts Australia avoid Afghanistan scare to reach semis

MUMBAI: Glenn Maxwell’s marathon 201-run knock lifted Australia to edge spirited Afghanistan by three wickets to qualify for the ICC World Cup 2023 semi-finals.

Set to chase 292, Australia found themselves in deep trouble as Afghanistan bowlers ran through their top and middle order to restrict them to 91/7 in the 19th over.

Coming out to bat at number six, Glenn Maxwell played a sensational knock – aided by a couple of missed chances by Afghanistan fielders – and powered Australia to pull off an astounding victory with 19 balls to spare.

The right-handed batter put together an unbeaten and one-sided partnership with skipper Pat Cummins, who scored a responsible 12 runs. His 68-ball knock featured only one boundary.

Glenn Maxwell, who battled through cramps, smashed 21 boundaries and 10 sixes on his way to an unbeaten 201 in just 128 deliveries.

His 201-run knock marked the first double century by an Australian batter in ODI cricket and is also the highest individual score by an Aussie in a run chase.

For Afghanistan, Azmatullah Omarzai, Naveen-ul-Haq and Rashid bagged two wickets each.

Ibrahim Zadran started the innings cautiously after his captain opted to bat, however, he lost his opening partner Rahmanullah Gurbaz (21) in the eighth over with a meagre 38 runs on the board.

He was joined by Rahmat Shah and together they added 83 runs for the second wicket to drag Afghanistan’s total to 121 before Shah was dismissed by Glenn Maxwell.

Rahmat Shah played a cautious knock of 30 runs from 44 balls, with a solitary boundary.

Skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi assisted Zadran in knitting a 52-run partnership for the third wicket but he was cast by Mitchell Starc after scoring 26 off 43.

Watch ICC World Cup 2023 Live on ARY ZAP

Ibrahim Zadran held on to one end, amidst Australia’s clinical bowling, losing partner after partner and completing his fourth ODI hundred.

Rashid Khan joined the fray in the 46th over, with the scoreboard reading 233, he along with settled Zadran added 58 valuable runs from only 28 balls to help lift Afghanistan’s total to 291 in their allocated 50 overs.

Rashid Khan’s unbeaten 35-run cameo featured two boundaries and three sixes from 18 balls.

Meanwhile, Zadran finished his innings unbeaten at 129 runs from 143 balls with the help of eight boundaries and three sixes.

Australia’s Josh Hazlewood picked two wickets, while Starc, Maxwell and Adam Zampa managed one wicket each.

READ: New Zealand name five spin bowlers for Bangladesh Tests

AUS vs AFG: Afghanistan win toss, bat first against Australia

MUMBAI: Afghanistan have won the toss and elected to bat first against Australia in the 39th match of the ICC World Cup 2023 at Wankhede Stadium.

Afghanistan

Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Azmatullah Omarzai, Ikram Alikhil (wk) Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Naveen-ul-Haq

Watch ICC World Cup 2023 Live on ARY ZAP

Australia

Travis Head, David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis (wk), Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell, Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood

HEAD TO HEAD RECORD:

Overall ODIs: Matches 3, Australia 3, Afghanistan 0

ODI World Cup: Matches 2, Australia 2, Afghanistan 0

READ: New Zealand name five spin bowlers for Bangladesh Tests

Australia defend scrapping Afghanistan cricket series

SYDNEY: Australia on Friday defended their hotly contested decision to pull out of a cricket series against Afghanistan following a Taliban crackdown on women’s “basic human rights”.

“Basic human rights is not politics,” Cricket Australia chief executive Nick Hockley said in a statement sent to AFP after Afghanistan’s cricket board lashed the cancellation as “pathetic”.

The Australian men’s team had been due to face their Afghan counterparts for three one-day internationals in the United Arab Emirates in March, following a tour of India.

“It is clearly a very challenging and sad situation. We did not take this decision lightly,” Hockley said.

Cricket Australia had been hopeful of playing Afghanistan and was in regular contact with the Afghanistan Cricket Board, he added.

“However announcements by the Taliban in late November and late December signalling the deterioration of basic human rights for women in Afghanistan led to our decision to withdraw from these games,” he said.

Hockley said the Australian cricket authority consulted with the Australian government and others before scrapping the games.

He also responded to Afghanistan’s best-known international cricketer and leg-spinner Rashid Khan, who had criticised the cancellation and warned he would be “strongly considering” his future in Australia’s Big Bash League.

“We acknowledge and applaud Rashid Khan’s and other Afghanistan cricketers’ comments at the time condemning the Taliban’s decision to ban women from universities. Rashid will always be welcome in the BBL,” Hockley said.

Australia was committed to growing the game for women and men, the cricket chief said, adding that he hoped better conditions for women and girls in Afghanistan would allow cricket between the countries to resume “in the not too distant future”.

READ: Salt’s 77*, Parnell’s late cameo help Capitals sink Sunrisers in SA20

T20 WC elimination looms as Australia seal narrow win over Afghanistan

ADELAIDE: The defending champions Australia claimed two crucial points as they edged Afghanistan by a mere four runs but remained on the brink of elimination from the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 due to a lesser net run rate.

Despite their third win in five matches, the defending champions’ semi-final qualification is subjected to England losing their last Super 12s match as the latter take on Sri Lanka on Saturday.

England’s victory over Sri Lanka, by any margin, would take them to this year’s mega event semi-final as Jos Buttler-led side have a better net run rate than Australia.

Earlier, last year’s finalists New Zealand became the first team from any of the two groups to book their berth in the semi-finals, courtesy of Australia failing to amass 185 in the first innings against Afghanistan.

Afghanistan, set to chase 169, narrowly missed upsetting the defending champions and fell just four runs short.

Rashid Khan’s quickfire cameo of an unbeaten 48 off just 23 deliveries kept the game alive for Afghanistan but Marcus Stoinis held his nerves calm in the final over as he defended 23 runs to keep the Asian side at bay.

Besides Rashid, Gulbadin Naib also added to the misery of the Aussies with his magnificent 39-run knock as he conceded just 23 deliveries before a direct hit from Glenn Maxwell ended his impressive knock.

Adam Zampa and Josh Hazlewood bagged two wickets each for Australia, while Kane Richardson made one scalp.

Australia, batting first on the invitation of Afghanistan captain Mohammad Nabi, managed to amass 168/8 in their quota of 20 overs, thanks to a quick unbeaten fifty from Maxwell in the death overs.

The side embarked on their innings with a decent run rate as their left-handed opener David Warner provided a solid foundation with a quick cameo of 25 in just 18 deliveries, while his partner Cameron Green could score just three.

The defending champions had a new batting pair – Mitchell Marsh and Steve Smith – at the crease but they failed to anchor the innings as the latter fell just after scoring four.

Following the slump, Marsh then joined hands with Marcus Stoinis and carried the proceeding to 83/3 in the 10th over.

Afghan spinner Mujeeb Ur Rehman, however, struck in the 11th over to put an end to the budding partnership as he got Marsh caught behind.

The all-rounder fell five runs short of his half-century as he scored a quick 45 off just 30 deliveries with the help of three boundaries and two sixes.

Marcus Stoinis then attempted to stop the flow of wickets as he anchored the innings with a sensible 25-run knock off 21 balls and added 53 runs for the fifth wicket with Maxwell before falling in the 16th over.

Following his dismissal, Australia then began to lose wickets at an alarming rate as Matthew Wade (6), Pat Cummins (0), and Kane Richardson (1) fell cheaply.

Maxwell held his ground firm and kept the scoreboard ticking single-handedly and guided Australia to 168/8 in 20 overs.

The right-handed top-scored with an unbeaten half-century and amassed 54 runs off just 32 balls, laced with six boundaries and two sixes.

Naveen-ul-Haq led the bowling attack for Afghanistan with 3/21, while Fazalhaq Farooqi bagged two wickets. Rashid Khan and Mujeeb, on the other hand, struck out a batter each.

Afghanistan win toss, opt to bowl first against Australia in T20 WC

ADELAIDE: Afghanistan have won the toss and elected to bowl first against Australia in an all-important Super 12s clash of the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022.

Australia: David Warner, Cameron Green, Mitch Marsh, Steve Smith, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade (c), Pat Cummins, Kane Richardson, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood

Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Usman Ghani, Ibrahim Zadran, Gulbadin Naib, Darwish Rasooli, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi (c), Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazal Farooqi

Australia beat Afghanistan to secure third spot in ICC U19 WC

COOLIDGE: Australia beat Afghanistan in a close contest by two wickets to secure third position in the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup.

Afghanistan’s bowlers made comeback in the match to put Australia in deep trouble while chasing 202 runs in third place playoff.

Starting off the chase with decent 53-runs opening partnership, Australia looked in good touch. Campbell Kellaway (51) and Nivethan Radhakrishnan (66) also supported Australia’s on chasing pathway after they lost a wicket for 53. The two batters scored 60 runs together to put Australia in driving seat.

But, strong comeback from Afghanistan’s bowlers brought excitement into the game. Nangeyalia Kharote bagged three wickets while Shahidullah Hasani and Noor Ahmad took two wickets each to help Afghanistan clean up Australia’s middle-order.

At last, Australia cruised the target at snail’s pace to finish off things on a winning note.

Earlier, Ijaz Ahmad Ahmadzai rescued Afghanistan with his 81-runs knock. His innings included five boundaries and as many sixes. Afghanistan were bowled out for 201 runs.

William Salzmann and Nivethan Radhakrishnan bagged three wickets each for Australia.