Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan Archives

ICC slaps two-match ban on Sri Lanka’s Wanindu Hasaranga

DUBAI: The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Sunday, imposed a two-match ban on Sri Lanka’s T20I captain Wanindu Hasaranga over a strong criticism against umpire Lyndon Hannibal.

“Hasaranga was found guilty of breaching article 2.13 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to ‘Personal abuse of a Player, Player Support Personnel, Umpire or Match Referee during an International Match’,” the ICC said in a statement.

“Hasaranga’s accumulation of five demerit points (he got three for this infraction) results in a conversion to two suspension points. This means he will either get a ban for one Test match or two ODIs or T20Is, whichever comes first, for the player or player support personnel.”

The Sri Lankan skipper was also fined 50 per cent of his match fees and will miss his side’s first two T20Is against Bangladesh next month.

The incident occurred in the final T20I of the three-match series between hosts Sri Lanka and Afghanistan when umpire Hannibal did not rule Wafadar Momand’s high full toss to Kamindu Mendis as a no-ball.

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Mendis shuffled down the pitch but the delivery would have gone above the waist height of the batter had he been standing at the popping crease.

The batter asked the umpire to check the no-ball, however, according to the ICC playing conditions a player can only ask the umpire to review a decision in case of a dismissal.

A dot and wide ball followed the last-ball six from Mendis, which was not enough as they required 10 to win.

Following Sri Lanka’s defeat, their captain Wanindu Hasaranga did not mince his words and ruthlessly criticized the umpire over the debated decision.

“That kind of thing shouldn’t happen in an international match,” said Hasaranga.

“If it had been close [to waist height], that’s not a problem. But a ball that’s going so high… it would have hit the batsman’s head if it had gone a little higher.

“If you can’t see that, that umpire isn’t suited to international cricket. It would be much better if he did another job.”

READ: Gladiators share update on Wanindu Hasaranga’s availability in PSL 9

Sri Lanka eke out narrow four-run victory over Afghanistan

Rookie Sri Lanka fast bowler Matheesha Pathirana claimed four wickets to help rescue the hosts after their batting collapse and hand Afghanistan a narrow four-run defeat in Saturday’s T20 opener.

Sri Lanka were all out for 160 with six balls remaining and Afghan opener Ibrahim Zadran led the reply, batting through the innings with 67 not out.

But his chase was bereft of support with the next top-scorer Karim Janat making 20 at number seven before Pathirana sent him back.

Pathirana, 21, was given Player of the Match honours for only his second career T20I match after two quick dismissals that left Afghanistan still short by 11 at the end of the penultimate over.

Afghan seamer Fazalhaq Farooqi took three wickets to help bowl out Sri Lanka after their late-innings collapse.

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The hosts were well placed at 146-5 heading into the last four overs but lost the last five wickets for just 14 runs from 25 deliveries.

All-rounder captain Wanindu Hasaranga top-scored for Sri Lanka with 67 after promoting himself to number six, temporarily steadying a lacklustre innings in a 72-run partnership with Sadeera Samarawickrama.

He made his second T20 half-century in just 24 deliveries with an elegant boundary through extra cover off Qais Ahmed.

The partnership was broken in the next over when Samarawickrama chanced a single to covers but a direct hit from Ibrahim Zadran found him run out.

Hasaranga followed soon afterwards after a miscalculated drive to long-off, easily caught by Ibrahim Zadran off Naveen-ul-Haq.

Sri Lanka won the solitary Test of the tour and swept their ODI series against Afghanistan 3-0.

Dambulla hosts the remaining two T20 matches of the series on Monday and Wednesday.

READ: Jonny Bairstow bags unwanted Test record against India

Hasaranga claims Sri Lanka has ‘one of the best bowling’ attacks in world

Sri Lanka’s T20I captain Wanindu Hasaranga has claimed that his side possesses ‘one of the best bowling outfits’ in the world.

While talking to the media ahead of the first T20I against Afghanistan today, Hasaranga showed faith in his bowlers, who according to him make the best bowling attack in T20I cricket.

“If you look at world cricket, we’re one of the best teams in terms of bowling outfits,” said the star all-rounder. “If you look at the rankings, myself and Maheesh [Theekshana] are in the top 10.”

The Sri Lankan captain then praised his country’s pace attack and expressed the belief that they can win matches for the team.

“Dushmantha Chameera was unlucky with his injury, otherwise he’d also be here. But in his place we have Binura [Fernando] who has come in, and there’s also Matheesha [Pathirana] and Nuwan Thushara. We know how good those two are. Dilshan Madushanka is also there.

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“In terms of bowlers we have quite a few options, so when we come to playing on good tracks – especially T20s – we need to see exactly how to bowl. We’ve bowled on good wickets before, so I think in T20s it’s from the bowlers that you’re going to win matches.

Hasaranga also asserted that the series against Afghanistan will help them find the best combination for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2024 in the West Indies and the United States of America (USA).

He also stated that his side would be well-prepared for the mega-event, considering the fact that the conditions in the Caribbean are similar to Sri Lanka.

“The types of wickets we’re going to play on at the World Cup, there’s a good chance we’ll play on similar wickets during these next six games.

“With that, we’ll be aiming to figure out how we can win a game with our combination of bowlers.”

READ: Marcus Stoinis ruled out of New Zealand T20Is

Nissanka-inspired Sri Lanka crush Afghanistan to celebrate series sweep

PALLEKELE: Pathum Nissanka’s century, paired up with Avishka Fernando’s blistering 91 powered Sri Lanka to humble Afghanistan in the third ODI to complete a 3-0 whitewash of the series.

Opting to bat first, Afghanistan registered a decent total of 266 on the board before bundling out in the penultimate over.

Openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran gave their side a blazing start, racking up 39 runs in 4.3 overs.

The stand, however, shortlived as Avishka Fernando’s direct hit saw Zadran walking back after scoring 13 off 10 deliveries.

Gurbaz then put together an anchoring second-wicket partnership with Rahmat Shah. The duo added 47 runs before Akila Dananjaya castled the opener in the 18th over.

He fell two short of his half-century, scoring 48 off 57 deliveries, hitting six boundaries and a six.

The touring side then sustained another blow when their skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi fell in the 20th over after managing to score a mere five.

Meanwhile, Rahmat remained steadfast and stitched another vital partnership for Afghanistan when he added 58 runs for the fourth wicket with Azmatullah Omarzai before finally perishing in the 30th over.

Shah remained the top-scorer for Afghanistan with 65 off 77 balls with the help of seven boundaries and a six.

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Omarzai then took the reigns of Afghanistan’s batting charge and knitted a crucial partnership with Ibrahim Alikhil.

Their fifth-wicket partnership yielded 57 runs before both perished in quick succession.

Omarzai scored 54 off 59, laced with four boundaries while Alikhil made 32 in 38 deliveries.

Their back-to-back dismissal ignited a lower-order collapse and Afghanistan lost their remaining five wickets for just 29 runs to ultimately fold on 266.

Pramod Madushan led the bowling attack for Sri Lanka with 3/45, followed by Asitha Fernando, Dunith Wellalage and Dhananjaya, picking up two wickets each.

In return, Sri Lanka comfortably chased down the 267-run target for the loss of three wickets and 88 balls to spare, courtesy of an exquisite start, provided by their openers Nissanka and Fernando.

Avishka Fernando dominated the opening stand with a belligerent knock. He smashed 10 boundaries and five sixes on his way to a 66-ball 91.

But Fernando had an agonizing end to his sensational knock as he mistimed a drive straight to extra cover to fall just nine short of a fourth ODI ton.

Nissanka then joined forces with skipper Kusal Mendis, who made sure to keep the momentum intact with a brisk 40 off just 29 balls.

The pair added 68 runs for the second wicket before both perished in quick succession.

Nissanka top-scored for Sri Lanka with 118 off 101 deliveries, smashing 16 boundaries and two sixes.

Sri Lanka registered a comfortable 42-run win over Afghanistan in the first ODI, followed by a thumping 155-run win in the second.

The two teams will now square off in a three-match T20 series, starting in Dambulla on February 17.

READ: Rilee Rossouw named Quetta Gladiators’ captain for PSL 9

Afghanistan stun Sri Lanka to boast World Cup semi-final hopes

PUNE: A combined bowling and batting effort propelled Afghanistan to stun Sri Lanka by seven wickets in the 30th match of the ICC World Cup 2023 at Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium.

Set to chase a modest 242, Afghanistan comfortably knocked the winning runs for the loss of just three wickets with 28 balls to spare.

Afghanistan’s pursuit, however, got off to a shaky start as Dilshan Madushanka castled in-form opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz for a four-ball duck in the first over.

Following the blow, opening batter Ibrahim Zadran and Rahmat Shah anchored the run chase with a 73-run partnership.

The duo appeared to have settled down before Madushanka struck again to get rid of Zadran, who scored 39 off 57 deliveries, hitting four boundaries and a six.

Shah was then joined by his captain Hashmatullah Shahidi and they kept Afghanistan in command by knitting a formidable 58-run partnership before the former perished.

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Rahmat Shah scored a 74-ball 62 that featured seven boundaries.

Shahidi then joined forces with Azmatullah Omarzai, who scored at a brisk rate to deny Sri Lanka any chance of a comeback.

Shahidi and Omarzai put together an unbeaten 91-run partnership with both scoring unbeaten half-centuries.

Omarzai top-scored for Afghanistan with a 63-ball 73, laced up with six boundaries and three sixes while Shahidi scored a cautious 58. His 74-ball knock included two boundaries and a six.

Madushanka led the bowling attack for Sri Lanka with two wickets while Kasun Rajitha could bag one.

A convincing seven-wicket victory lifted Afghanistan to fifth in the ICC World Cup 2023 standings while Sri Lanka slipped to sixth, followed by seventh-placed Pakistan.

Afghanistan drew first blood after opting to bowl with the wicket of Dimuth Karunaratne in the sixth over at a total of 22.

Sri Lankan skipper Kusal Mendis then joined hands with Pathum Nissanka (46) to raise 62 runs for the second wicket before Azmatullah Omarzai broke the stand with the wicket of Nissanka.

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Mendis added 50 more runs with Sadeera Samarawickrama for the third wicket to help raise the total to 134, however, Mujeeb Ur Rahman sent both of them packing in consecutive overs to halt Sri Lanka’s progress.

Sri Lanka slipped from 134-3 to 185-7, courtesy of Afghanistan’s brilliant bowling effort, which looked poised to book them under 200.

However, former captain Angelo Mathews and Maheesh Theekshana stuck around to add 45 runs off 42 balls for the eighth wicket to aid Sri Lanka’s total to 230.

Fazalhaq Farooqi then rained on their parade as he picked up both wickets in back-to-back wickets before Kasun Rajitha’s run-out in the final over ended Sri Lanka’s innings at 241.

Other than Farooqi, Mujeeb Ur Rahman achieved figures of 2-38, while Azmatullah Omarzai and Rashid Khan picked one wicket each.

READ: Pakistan penalized following loss against South Africa

ICC World Cup 2023: Afghanistan win toss, elect to field first against Sri Lanka

PUNE: Afghanistan have won the toss and elected to field first against Sri Lanka in the 30th match of the ICC World Cup 2023 at Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium.

Sri Lanka

Pathum Nissanka, Dimuth Karunaratne, Kusal Mendis (c)(wk), Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Angelo Mathews, Maheesh Theekshana, Kasun Rajitha, Dilshan Madushanka, Dushmantha Chameera

Watch ICC World Cup 2023 Live on ARY ZAP

Afghanistan

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

HEAD TO HEAD RECORD:

Overall ODIs: Matches 11, Sri Lanka 7, Afghanistan 3, NR 1

ODI World Cup: Matches 2, Sri Lanka 2, Afghanistan 0

READ: Pakistan penalized following loss against South Africa

Sri Lanka avoid Afghanistan scare to reach Asia Cup 2023 Super 4s

LAHORE: Sri Lankan bowlers held their nerves calm to deny Afghanistan a miraculous run chase and stormed into the Asia Cup 2023 Super 4s.

Afghanistan had to chase down 292 in 37.1 overs to make it to the next round and they came within touching distance to pull off a sensational feat, courtesy of quickfire knocks by their middle-order.

Afghanistan needed three off one delivery to secure the Super 4s berth but Mujeeb Ur Rahman fired the ball off Dhananjaya de Silva straight to Sadeera Samarawickrama at long-on.

However, Afghanistan still had a chance to make it to the Super 4s if they got to 295 in 37.4 overs but Fazalhaq Farooqi, the number 11, seemed unaware of the equation as he blocked the next two deliveries off de Silva before falling on the third.

With two wickets in four deliveries, Dhananjaya de Silva snatched a narrow two-run victory from Afghanistan.

Afghanistan got off to a dismal start to their pursuit as they were two down for 27 in five overs after both openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz (4) and Ibrahim Zadran (7) failed to score big.

Gulbadin Naib put on a brief partnership with Rahmat Shah before perishing in the ninth over to leave Afghanistan reeling at 50/3.

Rahmat was then joined by skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi and the pair knitted an anchoring 71-run partnership to stop the flow of wickets.

Rahmat and Shahidi had anchored the run chase but the required run rate surged drastically in the process.

The dire need to score big got the better of Shah, who misread the slower bowl from Kasun Rajitha and ended up spooning to Pathirana, who took a low well-judged catch.

Rahmat scored 45 off 40 deliveries, laced with five boundaries and a six.

Coming out to bat at number six with Afghanistan at 121/4 in 18.4 overs, Mohammad Nabi turned the game on its head with belligerent hitting.

The experienced all-rounded thrashed Sri Lankan bowlers all around the ground to score the fastest half-century for Afghanistan in ODI cricket, taking just 24 deliveries.

His fifth-wicket partnership with Shahidi had pushed Sri Lanka to the backfoot but Maheesh Theekshana claimed the prized wicket of Nabi in the 27th over to draw a much-needed breakthrough for Sri Lanka.

Nabi remained the top-scorer for Afghanistan in the all-important Asia Cup 2023 fixture with a 32-ball 65 which featured six boundaries and five sixes.

Spirited Afghanistan seemed unhurt by Nabi’s dismissal as Karim Janat (22) and Hashmatullah Shahidi kept scoring rapidly before Dunith Wellalage removed both batters in the same over.

Shahidi scored an anchoring 59 off 66 balls, hitting three boundaries and a six.

Following back-to-back blows, Najibullah Zadran and Rashid Khan took the reigns of Afghanistan’s run chase and kept their side in the hunt with crucial cameos.

The pair added 39 runs at a rapid pace for the eighth wicket before Kasun Rajitha removed Zadran to pose a major dent to Afghanistan’s onslaught. Zadran scored 23 off 15 balls.

Rashid, who scored 12 runs off Dunith Wellalage in the 37th over to bring it down to three off one, remained not out with a 16-ball 27.

Kasun Rajitha led the bowling attack for Sri Lanka with 4/79, followed by Wellalage and de Silva taking two each while Matheesha Pathirana and Theekshana made one scalp each.

Sri Lanka got off to a flying start after winning the toss with an opening stand of 63 runs between Pathum Nissanka and Dimuth Karunaratne before Gulbadin Naib picked three wickets in quick succession to reduce Sri Lanka to 86-3.

Nissanka played a 41-run knock in 40 balls, featuring six boundaries, while Karunaratne scored 32 off 35, laced with as many boundaries.

Kusal Mendis and Charith Asalanka then knitted a 102-run partnership in 99 balls for the fourth wicket to recover from the loss of three quick wickets before Rashid Khan removed Asalanka to give Afghanistan a much-needed breakthrough.

Subsequently, Mendis went back to the pavilion, missing out on his hundred in an unfortunate fashion as the ball ricocheted off Rashid’s hands as he spilt Dasun Shanaka’s catch off his own bowling.

Mendis scored a brisk 92 off 84 balls, laced with six boundaries and three sixes.

Shanaka was removed two balls later as Rashid Khan castled him, reducing Sri Lanka to 227-7.

Dunith Wellalage and Maheesh Theekshana then counter-attacked with a 64-run stand to lift Sri Lanka to finish at 291 in 50 overs.

Wellalage remained unbeaten at 33 off 39, while Maheesh Theekshan was bowled by Gulbadin Naib on the final ball of the innings after scoring 28 off 24.

Naib topped the bowling charts with figures of 4-60, while Rashid Khan contributed with two wickets.

Afghanistan is set to chase the total in 37 overs to qualify for the Super Four Stage of the Asia Cup 2023.

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Asia Cup 2023: Sri Lanka win toss, elect to bat first against Afghanistan

LAHORE: Sri Lanka have won the toss and elected to bat first against Afghanistan in the sixth match of the ACC Men’s Asia Cup 2023.

PLAYING XIs

Sri Lanka: Pathum Nissanka, Dimuth Karunaratne, Kusal Mendis (wk), Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Dasun Shanaka (c), Dunith Wellalage, Maheesh Theekshana, Kasun Rajitha, Matheesha Pathirana

Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Karim Janat, Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi

HEAD TO HEAD RECORD:

ODI Matches-10, Sri Lanka-6, Afghanistan-3, NR-1

READ: ICC World Cup 2023 Trophy reaches Pakistan for a historic three-day tour

Bowlers-led Sri Lanka sink Afghanistan to seal series win

HAMBANTOTA: Dushmantha Chameera-led Sri Lanka’s bowling attack decimated Afghanistan’s batting lineup before openers powered them to blow away Afghanistan in the third ODI and seal the series 2-1.

In the decisive final ODI of the three-match series, Afghanistan batters struggled against a ruthless bowling attack by Sri Lanka after their skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi opted to bat as the coin flipped in his favour.

The visitors had a dismal start to their innings as they lost their first wicket in the second over with Rahmanullah Gurbaz being the first to walk after, scoring a mere eight.

Afghanistan continued to lose wickets at regular intervals as their batters appeared hapless against Sri Lankan bowlers and soon bundled out for a meagre 116 in the 23rd over.

Veteran all-rounder Mohammad Nabi remained the top-scorer for Afghanistan in their dismal show with the bat, scoring a run-a-ball 23 while opener Ibrahim Zadran (22) and Gulbadin Naib (20) were the other notable run-getters.

Dushmantha Chameera was the pick of the bowlers for Sri Lanka for his sensational figures of 4/63, followed by Wanindu Hasaranga’s 3/7.

Lahiru Kumara bagged two wickets for Sri Lanka while Maheesh Theekshana made one scalp.

Set to chase a mere 117, Sri Lankan openers made it an easy affair, courtesy of their brilliant 84-run partnership.

Pathum Nissanka was the core aggressor of the match-defining stand as he struck 51 off just 34 deliveries, laced up with eight boundaries and two sixes before Gulbadin Naib trapped him plumb in the 11th over.

Meanwhile, Dimuth Karunaratne then put on an unbeaten partnership with Kusal Mendis and completed a thumping victory for their side with 204 balls to spare.

Karunaratne top-scored for Sri Lanka with a 45-ball 56 which featured seven boundaries.

Whereas, Mendis batted sensibly for his 17-ball 11 and hit a boundary.

Naib remained the only bowler to pick up a wicket for Afghanistan while the rest went wicketless.

READ: Babar Azam pips Joe Root in ICC Test Batting Rankings

Ibrahim, bowlers propel Afghanistan to stun Sri Lanka in first ODI

HAMBANTOTA: Ibrahim Zadran fell short of his well-deserved hundred by just two runs but it was enough to propel Afghanistan to a dominant six-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in the first ODI of the three-match series here on Friday.

Set to chase 269, Afghanistan completed the pursuit for the loss of just four wickets and 19 balls to spare at the back of magnificent half-centuries by Ibrahim Zadran and Rahmat Shah.

The touring side got off to an unwanted start to the run chase as they lost their hard-hitting opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz (14 off 23) in the sixth over with 25 runs on the scoreboard.

Following an early setback, Ibrahim Zadran and Rahmat took charge of Afghanistan’s run chase and laid a solid foundation with a brilliant 146-run partnership.

Ibrahim was the core aggressor of the second-wicket stand before Kasun Rajitha got rid of him in the 30th over.

The right-handed opener fell just two runs short of what could have been his fourth ODI century and third against Sri Lanka. He smashed 11 boundaries and two sixes on his way to top score for Afghanistan with a run-a-ball 98.

Rahmat Shah then joined hands with skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi in the middle and put on a vital 40-run partnership for the third wicket before falling in the 37th over, briefly after amassing his half-century.

He hit three boundaries amid his 55-run anchoring knock and faced 80 deliveries in the process.

Following Rahmat’s dismissal, Hashmatullah spearheaded his side’s run chase and put on a 42-run partnership with Mohammad Nabi before Kasun Rajitha struck again for Sri Lanka and removed the Afghanistan captain. He scored 38 off 47 deliveries, hitting four boundaries.

Mohammad Nabi and Najibullah Zadran (seven off six) then completed a comfortable run chase for Afghanistan in the 47th over as they stitched an unbeaten 16-run partnership.

Nabi remained unbeaten in the run chase with a 28-ball 27 which featured four boundaries.

Rajitha led the bowling attack for Sri Lanka with 2/49 while Lahiru Kumara and Matheesha Pathirana could pick up a wicket.

Put into bat first, Sri Lanka bundled out for a modest 268 in 50 overs despite Charith Asalanka’s 91 and Dhananjaya de Silva’s half-century.

The home side got off to a dismal start to their innings and kept losing wickets at regular intervals which saw them restricted to 84/4 in the 20th over with opener Pathum Nissanka also perishing after a fighting 38-run knock.

Following the slump, Charith Asalanka and de Silva launched Sri Lanka’s recovery and added 99 runs to the total before the latter perished soon after completing his fifty.

Dhananjaya de Silva scored 51 from 59 balls with the help of five boundaries.

Meanwhile, Asalanka stood his ground firm and put on brief partnerships with Dasun Shanaka (17) and Dushan Hemantha (22) before finally departing in the final over; courtesy of a runout.

Asalanka scored 91 off 95 deliveries, laced up with 12 boundaries.

Sri Lanka’s batting tail remained hapless against a disciplined Afghanistan bowling attack and was bundled out on the final delivery of their innings.

Fazalhaq Farooqi and Fareed Ahmad picked up two wickets each for Afghanistan while Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Noor Ahmad and Mujeeb Ur Rahman struck out a batter apiece.

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