Uganda made her debut at the T20 World Cup in a high-octane clash at the Kabul International Cricket Stadium with Afghanistan leaving no room for doubt as they outclassed the Pearl of Africa.
The Cricket Cranes’ captain, Brian Masaba won the toss and opted to field first with the Afghan team’s openers setting the tone early, exploiting favorable batting conditions to devastating effect.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz (50) and Ibrahim Zadran (40s) launched an assault on the Ugandan bowling attack. Boundaries flowed freely as they punished loose deliveries. By the 10th over, Afghanistan had already cruised past the 150-run mark. Undisciplined bowling, including wides and no-balls, further boosted their total.
Uganda’s chase turned into a nightmare as Fazalhaq Farooqi wreaked havoc. The Afghan pacer struck with a quickfire double-wicket maiden, dismissing Uganda’s top order. Naveen-ul-Haq joined the party, adding two more wickets in his first over. At 18/5, Uganda was reeling.
A brief fightback from Riazat Ali and Robinson Obuya provided some hope, but Farooqi returned to dismantle the remaining batting line-up. His remarkable figures of 5/9 left Uganda in tatters. Skipper Rashid Khan chipped in with crucial wickets, sealing the deal for Afghanistan.
The Cricket Cranes return to action. On Thursday 6th June when they face Papua New Guinea in a game that starts at 2:30 AM East African Time.
