AFGHAN DELICACY: Ibrahim Zadran and Azmatullah Omarzai make a meal of England

Jeez, what a cracker of a contest in the Champions Trophy. Afghanistan came out smoking with bat and ball as two heroes in a team sport ensured the Englishmen would depart from the premier ICC ODI tournament in disgrace. If Ibrahim Zadran was a sheer delight, roasting the English pace and spin attack for 177 runs, the way Azmatullah Omarzai grabbed five wickets made it a wild Wednesday night. For Afghanistan, the underdogs, to steal the thunder was out of the world. This is not the first time they had inflicted pain on England, the last being in 2023.

The ODI format is not an easy one to compete in. At a time when the cricketing world has embraced T20 format with relish, the relevance of ODIs has been questioned. And, in this, one thought the pioneers of ODI cricket, England, would emerge on top. No, England are in steep decline, and if someone say Joe Root scored a ton against the spirited Afghans, he is not even a white-ball regular any longer. As much as Afghanistan’s win was about spirit and how to handle the big stage moments, to see English cricket fare so poorly is a sad sight.

First, on Afghanistan. It is well-known, a nation in political turmoil and criticised by the Western world for being unkind to women, not allowing them education of any sorts, is sad. All that is Afghanistan’s internal problem. Two nations, when the Soviet Union existed, and the United States of American tried to control Afghanistan, meant only more turmoil. Having wasted resources at large and also men at war, it was Afghanistan which had to stand up again on its own. One can say it is a ‘Radical’ state and more, but all that has no bearing on cricket. If anything, despite the political turmoil, their cricketers have performed so professionally.

There are any number of names one can take in one breath with reference to how Afghanistan produces top-class T20 cricketers, notably spinners and all-rounders. The ODI format may appear a bit old-fashioned, yet, it stays relevant. The temptation may have been to think a nation like England and Australia would do well in ODIs. No, England have collapsed, in fact it is an arrogant decline. If they had fared miserably in an ODI series in India due to lack of preparation, there has been no relief for them in Pakistan. To have lost to Australia in a high-scoring match and now to Afghanistan leaves them so vulnerable. The English pomp and pride has been punctured, though all credit to Afghanistan for pulling off a heist.

Nobody could have missed the batting master class which was produced by Zadran. Just 23, the young man showed great match-sense, how to pace his knock and stay at the crease. He has been out with an injury for seven months. Any comeback after an injury is not easy. It was easy batting from Zadran, where he handled the English fast bowlers like club class – Jofra Archer and Mark Wood. To play fearless cricket is Afghanistan’s template, yet to peak in an ODI match is not easy. Zadran stood in the middle as long as possible. His 177 runs will figure as epic as he comes from a nation ravaged by war and not possessing best cricket facilities. They make up for it with a large heart and playing with great energy.

As for medium-fast bowler Omarzai, he churned out effective stuff to claim five wickets. England had launched an attack and were going full throttle. They had batted as hard as they could against the Aussies as well in the previous match, but it did not suffice. The Englishmen should be thankful Joe Root agreed to play the ODIs and crafted a ton as well. Even that was insufficient against the Afghan side which has destroyed England, literally. To win a match like this means so much for a side which is touted as an underdog or minnow.