Teenage spinner AM Ghazanfar took a career best six-wicket haul to dismantle Bangladesh in the first one-day international in Sharjah as Afghanistan claimed a convincing 92-run win on Wednesday.
The 18-year-old grabbed 6-26 in 6.3 overs as Bangladesh crumbled from 132-3 to 143 all out after being set a modest 236-run target.
The young spinner’s skill and precision proved too much for Bangladesh, who struggled to counter his relentless attack.
Mohammad Nabi hit 84 off 79 balls after captain Hashmatullah Shahidi made a sedate 52 for Afghanistan, who were dismissed for 235 in 49.4 overs having won the toss and batted first.
Ghazanfar, playing in his sixth ODI, triggered a Bangladesh collapse after skipper Najmul Hossain (47) and Mehidy Hasan (28) had put Bangladesh on track for a successful chase.
Opener Soumya Sarkar also made 33 before the wheels came off for Bangladesh.
Once Nabi dismissed Najmul, Ghazanfar came into his own in his fifth over by removing Mehidy, and then claimed three more wickets in his next over.
He had Mushfiqur Rahim stumped and trapped Rishad Hossain lbw, both for one, before bowling Taskin Ahmed for a first-ball duck.
Ghazanfar wrapped up the match with the wicket of Shoriful Islam, registering the best figures in all Bangladesh-Afghanistan ODIs, bettering Shakib Al Hasan’s 5-29 at Southampton in 2019.
“He is a passionate youngster who always wants to do well,” said Shahidi. “When I was batting with Nabi we thought a 230-plus total would be enough with our bowling.”
Najmul rued Bangladesh’s batting slump and placed part of the blame on himself.
“I think my wicket turned the match,” said Najmul. “I was the set batsman so when I got out we needed to bat longer but credit to Afghanistan spinners for the way they bowled.”
Afghanistan were themselves in trouble at 35-4 before Nabi and Shahidi put on an innings-repairing 104 runs for the sixth wicket to lift the team to a fighting total.
Bangladesh’s pace duo of Taskin and Mustafizur Rahman both took four wickets each.
The remaining matches are on November 9 and 11, also in Sharjah.
Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has appointed Mohammad Salahuddin as the senior assistant coach of the Bangladesh men’s cricket team.
Salahuddin’s contract will extend until March 15, 2025, aligning with the tenure of head coach Phil Simmons.
His first assignment in this role will likely be during Bangladesh’s upcoming tour of the West Indies, which kicks off with a four-day warm-up match in Antigua.
Salahuddin is no stranger to the Bangladesh cricket scene, having previously served as both an assistant and fielding coach under prominent figures such as Dav Whatmore and Jamie Siddons. His coaching journey began in earnest when he took on the role of specialist coach at the BCB’s national cricket academy from 2010 to 2011.
Salahuddin later took his talents abroad as the head coach of Singapore in 2014, further enhancing his credentials. He holds an ACC-Cricket Australia Level 3 accreditation.
“When I took over as BCB President, I made a commitment to provide opportunities for deserving candidates to contribute to the national team set-up and Salahuddin brings with him a wealth of experience, pedigree, and knowledge, making him the ideal candidate for this role. I firmly believe it is time to integrate more capable Bangladeshi coaches into the system,” Faruque said in a statement on Tuesday.
Agencies
Afghanistan players celebrate after winning their ODI match against Bangladesh at the Sharjah Stadium on Wednesday.
Courtesy: Afghanistan Cricket Board