Sports
T20 World Cup: Afghanistan’s march to semis is an ode to their courage and perseverance
New Delhi, June 26 (IANS) Upon successfully trapping Mustafizur Rahman lbw, Naveen-ul-Haq enthusiastically sprinted around the field at Arnos Vale Stadium in the wee hours of Tuesday. His teammates, as well as support staff members in the dugout, rushed to join him in celebrating Afghanistan’s unprecedented entry into the T20 World Cup semifinals with an eight-run win against Bangladesh.
Back home, streets from Kabul to Kandahar, Khost to Nangarhar, and Jalalabad to Laghman erupted into joyful celebrations. Teary-eyed cricket-loving fans rushed out into the streets to celebrate the team, which added another glorious chapter to its fantastic rise in international cricket.
“The atmosphere was of very, very big celebrations. It’s something very special which has happened and everyone in the country is talking about it,” Raees Ahmadzai, Afghanistan’s assistant coach, told IANS in an exclusive conversation on Wednesday.
“I watched some videos on X, especially from Jalalabad and other parts of the country, where massive crowds came out on the roads amidst very hot weather. Sometimes you cannot control the people in the way they celebrate something special. They were dancing, singing, hugging each other, smiling, laughing and just wanted to celebrate in their own way,” he added.
“Everyone was just shouting, ‘Afghanistan Zindabad, Rashid Zindabad, cricket team Zindabad’. The other day, everyone was just supporting India to beat Australia, as it would make it easy for Afghanistan to qualify for the semi-final. When we beat Australia, it was the moment of the World Cup for us. Now, to qualify for the semi-final, the happiness is at another level,” Ahmadzai said.
Witnessing Afghanistan’s march to the T20 World Cup semifinals made Ahmadzai recall about how cricket became an inseparable part of the country’s culture. Back in 2004, Ahmadzai was a part of the Afghanistan team that finished in sixth place in the Asian Cricket Council Trophy in Malaysia, a tournament featuring 15 teams, including Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bhutan, and Iran.
The lack of facilities didn’t stop them from giving it their all on the field with a winning mindset. “At that time too, we had this mindset of ‘want to win everywhere’ and never thought about facilities. We just had that mindset of ‘Okay, we have come out and let’s do something for the country’.”
“Plus, as players, we are also big lovers of cricket and just wanted to play the game, as there was no other option for us. Now because of that, we have huge talent, and now playing on a big stage, like the IPL or other leagues. So, cricket holds a very special place for everyone in Afghanistan. When Rashid Khan is playing for the country, he’s totally different Rashid, and that means everyone wants to do something very special for Afghanistan,” he adds.
Rashid, Afghanistan’s talismanic captain and leg-spin lynchpin, is one of the most sought-after players in T20 franchise leagues worldwide. In a see-saw clash with Bangladesh, Rashid struck three sixes in making 19 off 10 balls and picked 4/23 with the ball to propel Afghanistan towards the semifinals.
Rashid, the seemingly calm captain, completely transformed into an animated figure – yelling at Noor Ahmad for a misfield, angrily throwing his bat towards Karim Janat when he refused to take a brace, and becoming livid over Gulbadin Naib’s hamstring cramp, which appeared to be a tactic to slow down the match.
“He’s a very simple guy who’s always leading from the front. When the team needed something to take them out of trouble, he’s coming in to lead on that front. In the training sessions, whether it’s fielding or bowling, Rashid is leading by example there.”
“Against Bangladesh, when the team needed someone to stand up on a very difficult wicket, he came, made some crucial runs and took big wickets, and that’s his beauty. The way he is leading the side with a big heart, he’s God’s gift, not only for Afghanistan but also for cricket worldwide,” said Ahmadzai, who hasn’t travelled for the World Cup due to recovery from a knee issue.
Naveen’s initial burst in the power-play set the stage for Rashid & Co to reach the semi-finals while defending 115. Ahmadzai, who played five ODIs and eight T20Is for Afghanistan, shares why he always refers to Naveen as Mr Clever in his social media posts.
“When I mention Mr. Clever, everyone knows that I’m talking about Naveen. He’s a very smart and very clever person. I have never seen such a talented and smart cricketer in my life. I have met many international players, but the way he’s talking, especially in meetings and his knowledge about cricket, and conditions, he’s the Mr. Clever.”
Ahmadzai admires left-arm pacer Fazalhaq Farooqi, who has formed a strong fast-bowling pair with Naveen. “When we went first time to South Africa for the 2020 U19 World Cup, I was the head coach of the team. On seeing Farooqi, I told him, ‘Remember, one day you will represent the country. So, be smart and try to improve day by day.’ Now, he’s the leading wicket-taker in this World Cup.”
When quizzed about Gulbadin Naib’s hamstring cramp at slip just before the rain came, Ahmadzai couldn’t help but let out a hearty chuckle. “I spoke with him about this and said that was not right, man. I would just say, he was taking like a few seconds there. But he said ‘I felt some problem there that time’. I said, ‘Okay I will speak with you when you would come here’.”
Naib’s incredible recovery from a cramp allowed him to dismiss Tanzim Hasan Sakib, and take Afghanistan one step closer to a historic win. “He’s a very experienced person and needs that kind of conditions to bowl which are present in this World Cup. I was surprised to see that he didn’t bowl in the first few matches.”
“But whenever Rashid has given the ball to him, he always picked wicket, like he that crucial wicket game against Bangladesh. Also, the way he bowled against Australia and the way he did showed he’s indeed Mr. Muscle Boy.”
Naib’s Popeye-styled celebrations mention elicits another chuckle from Ahmadzai. “I remember stopping him from doing this celebration many times. Like, ‘don’t do it when you’re taking very simple catches. It’s fine to do it once you get a crucial wicket or take a one-handed catch. Before the game against Bangladesh, I spoke to him and said, ‘You are free to do what you want to do’. His style of celebration has become very special in cricket.”
Ahmadzai recounted what he said to the celebrating Afghanistan team in the dressing room after securing the semifinal spot. “I said to them, ‘I just feel proud of you guys for the way you played on the field and never gave up’. Yes, we didn’t play very well in batting, but never gave up. During this tournament, I have always told them to believe all the time and just try to do their best. Irrespective of whatever happens, keep your head up and just focus on what you can do to your best.”
Afghanistan’s next challenge is facing the undefeated South Africa in the semifinals in Trinidad, with the chance to play the final in Barbados on June 29. “I think it’s a 50-50 game for us now. We never beat South Africa in any format. But again, I’m saying that we can beat South Africa and hope we can beat India in the final.”
“We tied one ODI match with India in Dubai in the 2018 Asia Cup, and we tied a T20I this year (in Bengaluru), where we twice played Super Overs. I was there on both occasions and so, the upcoming games are good opportunities for us. I know for lots of people, it looks very funny. But we can do it on a good day,” adds Ahmadzai.
Ahmadzai concedes that Afghanistan’s facilities are still a long way from meeting international standards. However, they have been fortunate in discovering talented individuals who require little effort to develop their skills. Furthermore, the exposure to various T20 leagues has had a huge impact on the current group of players from Afghanistan.
“If I were to say about cricket in Afghanistan, it’s like going from zero to hero. Like from where we came from and how we started playing cricket to now producing such wonderful cricketers. They have a very good demand at the world stage and all the franchises in various leagues want them to play for their teams.”
Merge the raw talent and desire to spread joy through cricket with the unwavering determination of the Afghan people, who have faced continuous hardships caused by political unrest, economic instability, and natural catastrophes over the past four decades.
What you get is a mentally tough attitude full of perseverance instilled in Rashid & Co, which keeps them in good stead, as they stand on the verge of taking Afghanistan cricket to more incredible achievements in the cricketing world.
“We are brave and mentally strong – like, someone has a family problem and they go back home. But when there have been problems for the last 40 years in your country and still you want to do something for them? That means we have very mentally strong people.”
“Sometimes when players are speaking in Pashto to our people, they just want to give a strong message and to let them know that we just want to make them happy and let’s celebrate something when we have the opportunity.”
“We never think for ourselves. I remember when we started playing cricket, for seven to eight years, we had nothing and were sleeping in the mosque. Mohammad Nabi is the big evidence of this. We were sleeping in the mosque.”
“There was no one to help us, no support, nothing from anyone, no family support. But we never gave up and now we can see what it has become today. It’s a totally different story now. Everyone is talking about Afghanistan cricket now, not only in the country but everywhere in the world,” signed off Ahmadzai.
–IANS
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Dusseldorf, July 2 (IANS) An unfortunate late own goal by Jan Vertonghen proved decisive as France edged past neighbours Belgium and into the quarterfinals of UEFA Euro 2024. Playing at the Dusseldorf Arena, France faced a tough fight from Belgium, but they rode their luck to seal a place in the last-eight stage.
France started the match as the favourite but the first real frisson came at the other end. Belgium had fallen into a pattern of waiting for counters, but it was from a dead ball that they nearly took the lead. Kevin De Bruyne arced a free-kick into the France box that evaded everyone and forced Mike Maignan – seeing the ball late – to scramble a save with his feet.
That presaged a positive spell from the Red Devils, who were nonetheless fortunate to end the first half level, Marcus Thuram heading narrowly wide from a Jules Kounde cross before Aurélien Tchouameni blazed over. Tchouameni had the first bite after the interval too, his shot from the edge of the area deflected by Wout Faes and batted away by Koen Casteels.
France were building pressure, but their attempts were mostly wayward and off-target. Thuram, Tchouameni, and Kylian Mbappe all sent efforts over and William Saliba screwed a shot wide after Romelu Lukaku had at least found the target for Belgium. The Roma forward tested Maignan with a fierce strike, and the France keeper was likewise equal to a De Bruyne drive.
The Red Devils looked like they might make France pay for their spurned chances – until the breakthrough finally came. Substitute Randal Kolo Muani was the instigator, turning in the area and beating Casteels with a shot that took a crucial deflection off Jan Vertonghen. Tough on Belgium, perhaps, but France had long threatened to strike and they can now look forward to the quarterfinals.
–IANS
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Sports
Cycling: Biniam Girmay makes history, becomes first black African to win Tour de France stage
Turin, July 2 (IANS) Richard Carapaz grabbed the first yellow jersey of his career on Stage 3 at the Tour de France, but Monday’s finale in Turin was all about Biniam Girmay as the Eritrean created history in the sport’s biggest race. Girmay saw off a reduced bunch of sprinters in a messy finale to become the first Black African to win at the Tour, following up from his victory at the Giro d’Italia in 2022.
Biniam Girmay (Intermarche-Wanty) became the first Black African to win a stage at the Tour de France as he edged a chaotic sprint on Stage 3.
The road opened up gloriously for the Eritrean cyclist in the closing stages as he took victory ahead of Fernando Gaviria (Movistar) and Arnaud De Lie (Lotto Dstny). Girmay, who also won a stage at the Giro d’Italia in 2022, was overcome with emotion in his post-race interview.
A messy finale saw Alpecin-Deceuninck’s hopes to disintegrate when Mathieu van der Poel, Jasper Philipsen’s chief lead-out rider, suffered a mechanical, while a late crash split up a host of sprint trains — including Mark Cavendish’s Astana Qazaqstan ensemble.
A philosophical Cavendish confirmed he and his teammates were uninjured, but the crash split the peloton and a lead group of around 20 riders went clear to contest the sprint — including Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost) who started the stage tied on time with overall leader Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates).
After starting with two hilly stages, this was the first chance for the sprinters to shine and even the intermediate sprint with well over 100km to go was hotly contested, hinting at the chaos that would ensue. Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) was first over the line there and was the first contender to open his sprint in the finale in the middle of the road with Gaviria and De Lie in tow, but Girmay stole up the right-hand side on the barriers and timed his kick perfectly as Pedersen tired.
Newly crowned Dutch national champion Dylan Groenewegen (Jayco AlUla) followed in his wake but couldn’t find a gap to launch and the Eritrean began his celebration before he crossed the line, hailing his victory as one for “all of Africa”.
Carapaz crossed the line 14 places behind and celebrated his own piece of history, becoming the first Ecuardian to don the yellow jersey thanks to a better aggregate stage finish position, though Pogacar didn’t seem too disappointed to lose the responsibility of leading the race. He remains on the same time as Carapaz, Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-Quick Step) and most importantly his Visma-Lease a Bike rival Jonas Vingegaard as their GC battle will recommence on the Col du Galibier tomorrow.
The frantic finish was a stark contrast to the rest of a sleepy Stage 3, the longest of the Tour de France that gave riders the chance to recover after an energy-sapping opening weekend.
–IANS
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Detroit (USA), July 1 (IANS) Akshay Bhatia three-putted on the 72nd hole and lost by one shot at the Rocket Mortgage Classic. Cam Davis, starting the day one behind overnight leaders Bhatia and Aaron Rai, carded 2-under 70 with a birdie on the 17th and a par on the 18th to set a clubhouse target of 18-under.
At the 18th tee, Bhatia, in the final group with Aaron Rai, was one-under for the day and had a total of 18-under. He needed a birdie to win and a par to get into the play-off. But he three-putted from 32 feet and his par putt failed to drop from six feet for a bogey and he fell to second with 72 in the final round and a total of 17-under.
Rai had four pars in his last four holes for a 72 and at 17-under he was also in a tie for second with the other two behind Davis Thompson (68) and Min Woo Lee (69).
Bhatia said, “It sucks. No other way to put it. I mean, just sucks.”
Bhatia hadn’t made a bogey through 54 holes but broke that run on the par-4 third earlier Sunday in Motown. He got that one back immediately, draining a 32-foot birdie on the very next hole. Bhatia added a birdie on the seventh to move to 18-under and was steady enough for the next 10 holes until the par-4 finishing hole. It was his first three-putt of the week and his first miss inside 6 feet.
Bhatia was looking for his second win of the season after capturing the Valero Texas Open in April. He also won last year’s Barracuda Championship while competing on Special Temporary Membership.
This was Bhatia’s third top-10 finish of the season and second in a row after finishing T5 at the Travelers Championship. He moves from No. 15 to No. 11 on the season-long FedExCup standings.
Bhatia entered the final round as the only player in the field without a bogey through 54 holes and made two bogeys in the final round.
–IANS
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Sports
Wimbledon 2024: Osaka battles past Parry; top 10 seeds Sakkari, Paolini advance, Sun upsets Zheng
London, July 1 (IANS) Returning to Wimbledon after a gap of five years, former World No.1 Naomi Osaka came through a difficult battle before reclaiming her winning ways on the lawns of London as she got the better of the 53rd-ranked Diane Parry of France in the first round of women’s singles here on Monday.
Top 10 players Maria Sakkari and Jasmine Paolini also kicked off their campaigns with first-round straight-sets wins on Monday. But Zheng Qinwen was the first Top 10 player to suffer a defeat this fortnight, losing to qualifier Lulu Sun of New Zealand.
Playing the grass-court major for the first time since 2019, Osaka posted a 6-1, 1-6, 6-4 victory over Parry. Four-time Grand Slam champion Osaka of Japan needed 1 hour and 32 minutes to hold off Parry and book her spot in the second round.
Osaka was down a break on two separate occasions in the third set before squeaking out the victory in her first career meeting with former top-ranked junior Parry. Osaka made her winning return one day before her daughter’s first birthday.
Osaka will have to wait until the end of the day to find out who her second-round opponent will be. She will meet the winner of the clash between No.19 seed Emma Navarro of the United States and former Top 15 player Wang Qiang of China.
Coming into this year, Osaka had only collected four main-draw wins at Wimbledon, her lowest total at any of the four majors. Osaka reached the third round in 2017 and 2018 but lost to Yulia Putintseva in the 2019 first round.
But Osaka, who returned to tour in January after being on maternity leave in 2023, had a solid grass-court showing ahead of this year’s Wimbledon. Osaka made the ‘s-Hertogenbosch quarterfinals three weeks ago before narrowly losing to fellow US Open champion Bianca Andreescu in a third-set tiebreak.
World No.123 Sun collected a 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 victory over No.8 seed Zheng, this year’s Australian Open runner-up. Sun took 1 hour and 57 minutes to fight back from the loss of the first set and clinch a spot in the second round.
It was a breakthrough victory for Sun in many ways. Not only was it the first Top 10 win of her career, it was her first win over a player ranked inside the Top 50. This was also her first Grand Slam main-draw victory, in just her second major main-draw appearance.
Additionally, Sun was nearly eliminated in qualifying last week. She had to save a match point in the second round of qualies before defeating Gabriela Knutson in a final-set 10-point tiebreak. The 23-year-old Sun is the first woman representing New Zealand to reach the second round of a Grand Slam since Marina Erakovic’s run to the Wimbledon third round in 2016.
Earlier, No.9 seed Sakkari of Greece clinched her spot in the second round with a 6-3, 6-1 victory over American qualifier McCartney Kessler. Sakkari needed 1 hour and 11 minutes to oust World No.119 Kessler.
It was an important Grand Slam victory for Sakkari. The Greek has already won 20 matches at the tour level this year, but she had lost in the first round at four of the last five Grand Slam events.
Sakkari is now a win away from making the third round of a Slam for the first time since the 2023 Australian Open. Her next opponent is Arantxa Rus of the Netherlands, who reached the second round of Wimbledon for the first time since 2012 by beating Yuan Yue 6-2, 6-3.
In another match, No.7 seed Paolini of Italy posted her first-ever main-draw victory at Wimbledon by defeating Spain’s Sara Sorribes Tormo 7-5, 6-3.
Roland Garros runner-up Paolini had lost in the first round of Wimbledon the last three years running, but she broke that duck by toppling 55th-ranked Sorribes Tormo in 1 hour and 37 minutes.
Coming into this year, Paolini had never won a main-draw match at any grass-court event on the Hologic WTA Tour. But the Italian carried her Roland Garros momentum into Eastbourne last week, where she won two matches on grass before falling to eventual champion Daria Kasatkina.
In Monday’s match, Paolini ground out a nearly hour-long first set, then built a 4-0 lead in the second set. Sorribes Tormo battled back on serve at 4-3, aiming to deny Paolini a maiden victory in London, but Paolini regrouped to win the next two games and advance.
Paolini’s next grass-court challenger will be Greet Minnen of Belgium after World No.80 Minnen ousted British hope Heather Watson 7-5, 6-4 on Monday. It will be the first meeting between Paolini and Minnen.
–IANS
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Rotkreuz (Switzerland), July 1 (IANS) Tvesa Malik’s stunning finish of 5-under in the last four holes and runner-up finish after losing a play-off at the Swiss Ladies Open, has still raised her confidence, as also her ranking on the Ladies European Tour. She had rounds of 68-68-66 and lost on the first play-off holes to England’s Alice Hewson. Tvesa is now 31st after being way behind earlier and a similar run should see her earn her card back for 2025.
The career-best runner-up finish also earned her a spot on the elite Aramco Series, which she last played in November 2022. Tvesa joins Diksha Dagar and Pranavi Urs, who took a week off. The Indian trio will be in action at the Aramco Series London, where Diksha was part of the winning team a couple of years ago.
This has been a season of resurrection for Tvesa, who at the start of 2024 won an event in South Africa on the Sunshine Tour. On the LET, this was her second Top-10 of the season after T-10 at Dormy Open in Helsingborg.
There are still more than 10 events on the LET and the trio, Tvesa, Diksha, and Pranavi, who share the same sponsor in Hero MotoCorp, are looking at picking some titles.
Tvesa, who got married to pro golfer Ajeetesh Sandhu before the start of the 2024 golfing season, is the third-placed Indian on LET this season after Diksha, who is 14th, and rookie Pranavi, who is 16th.
“I am playing well again, and this was so close to getting my first LET win, but I will take it as a positive that I fought so well at the finish in the final round with three birdies and an eagle in the last four holes. The play-off didn’t go my way, but the win is closer than ever before,” said Tvesa.
–IANS
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