Asghar Afghan announced a sudden retirement today and his team bid him farewell with a huge win over Namibia. Batting first, Afghanistan racked up 160 runs and Namibia could manage only a measly 98 runs. However, more than the win, the departure of the long-standing gutsy Afghan would leave many Afghanistan fans teary-eyed.
Afghan finishes career on a stellar note
Zazai and Shahzad gave a terrific start, making 53 runs in 6.4 overs. A struggling Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Shahzad fell in a short space, leaving Afghanis at 89 for 3. However, Asghar Afghan and Mohammad Nabi ensured a terrific finish as Afghanistan notched 50 runs or so in the last five overs. Afghan made 31 runs in 23 balls to finish his brilliant career. Afghan also received a guard of honor after his dismissal. For Namibia, Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton had an impressive two wickets for 21 runs spell.
Namibia had no chance
Naveen-ul Haq, Hamid Hassan, and Gulbadin Naib finished the Namibia batting order. The often talked about spin attack got overshadowed by the seamers as the trio showed the depth Afghanistan possesses, sharing eight wickets among each other. Only David Wiese could go past 20 but even he struggled for timing in his 30-ball 26 runs knock. Without Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Afghani bowling restricted Namibia to 98, which means they are more than a spin-reliant unit.