Rashid links loss to change in wicket behaviour

KABUL Cup Qualifier opener.

Afghanistan, batting first, were bowled out for 255 in Sunday’s match at Bulawayo. But the opposition raced to the target for the loss of three wickets, thanks to Macleod’s unbeaten 157 off 146 balls.

Speaking to reporters in Bulawayo, the 19-year-old -- the youngest skipper in international cricket – said: “The wicket was difficult to bat on.”

AFP quoted the Afghan captain as saying that after the sun came out, the wicket’s behavior totally changed in favour of batsmen. He added the toss played a crucial role in the game.

“The wicket was difficult to bat on; the ball wasn’t coming good onto the bat. Later on when the sun came out, it was totally different … that’s not in our hands, there’s nothing we can do about that.”

The spin sensation, who gave away 68 runs in nine overs, said: “We needed some wickets in the middle and we didn’t do that. They (Scots) played really well and that took the game away from us.”

The 10 teams in Zimbabwe are eyeing two places alongside the world's top eight ODI teams at next year's World Cup in England and Wales.

Afghanistan and West Indies are seen as favourites to qualify for the mega event, but the national team’s task has become more onerous as a result of the loss to Scotland.

PAN Monitor/mud