Pakistan’s Lahore, September 6 (ANI): Jonathan Trott, Afghanistan’s head coach, claimed that his team was unaware of the calculations that would have allowed them to advance to the Super Four stage even if they had failed to reach the 292-run target against the defending champions in the allotted 37.1 overs following a close two-run loss to Sri Lanka in their Asia Cup match.
In the encounter on Tuesday at the Gaddafi Stadium, Kasun Rajitha’s four-wicket haul and Dhananjaya de Silva’s two wickets in the critical 38th over allowed Sri Lanka beat Afghanistan by two runs and secure a Super 4 berth in the Asia Cup 2023.
For Afghanistan to advance to the Super Four stage, 292 runs have to be chased down in 37.1 overs. Afghanistan had 289/8 at the conclusion of the 37th over and was still playing. Rashid Khan, a non-striker, fell to his knees when Mujeeb ur Rahman was caught at long-on, feeling as if Afghanistan had blown their opportunity.
Yet they were still alive. If they had achieved 293 after 37.2 overs, 294 after 37.3 overs, 295 after 37.5 overs, 296 after 38 overs, or 297 after 38.1 overs, they may have exceeded Sri Lanka’s net-run-rate. They might have won the game with only a tremendous hit by the following hitter, Fazalhaq Farooqi, or by giving Rashid the strike.
Fazalhaq, though, chose to block the next two deliveries before being caught attempting to defend leg-before-wicket. Afghanistan lost by two runs after giving up for 289 in 37.4 overs. Despite Rashid being a fierce ball-striker at the other end, Afghanistan lost due to ignorance of the net-run-rate calculation. Afghanistan exits the competition having lost both of its games during the group round.
Trott claimed that his side was not made aware of the NRR criteria after the game.
“Those computations were never revealed to us. All that was said to us was that we had to win in 37.1 overs. We were never informed that we could win in 38.1 overs, according to Trott, who was reported by ESPNCricinfo. “We weren’t told what the overs were in which we could achieve 295 or 297.
While teams do depend on match officials to a certain degree for NRR information, their own staff of analysts provide the team with the majority of it.
Trott thought his bowlers might have performed better throughout the competition.
“I don’t believe there was a single factor in the game’s outcome. Both the game against Bangladesh and the one we played today had aspects where we might have played the game better. In a few areas, we made some terrible mistakes that cost us. If only we had bowled them out a little bit less expensively. But that was not to be, Trott said.
Coming to the match, solid top-order performances from Pathum Nissanka (41 in 40 balls with six fours), Dimuth Karunaratne (32 in 35 balls with six fours) and Kusal Mendis (92 in 84 balls with six fours and three sixes) provided SL with a great start after electing to bat first.
Later, middle-order, lower-order contributions from Charith Asalanka (36 in 43 balls, with two fours and a six), Dunith Wellalage (33 in 39 balls with three fours and a six) and Maheesh Theekshana (28 in 24 balls with two fours and a six) pushed SL to 291/8 in 50 overs.
Afghans preferred Gulbadin Naib (4/61) and Rashid Khan (2/63) as their bowlers.
Afghani batsmen Gulbadin Naib (22 in 16 balls with four fours), Rahmat Shah (45 in 40 balls with five fours and a six), Hashmatullah Shahidi (59 in 66 balls with three fours and a six), and Mohammed Nabi (65 in 32 balls with six fours and five sixes) helped their team get back into the game in the pursuit of 292 runs.
Rashid Khan (27 in 16 balls, with four boundaries and a six) and Najibullah Zadran (23 in 15 balls, with a four and two sixes) also scored well, but they fell two runs short of victory due to the brilliance of Dhanajaya (2/12), Dunith (2/36) and Kasun Rajitha (4/79) in the final overs.
Sri Lanka advances to Super Four Stage with four points, two wins in two matches along with Bangladesh (two points, one win and a loss in two matches) from their group. India and Pakistan have progressed from another group. (ANI)
