Shahidi blames poor run rate for Afghanistan’s loss

It was Afghanistan’s first-ever international game in Pakistan, but they couldn't put up a performance that would have ended their debut with a bang. Instead, they concluded the game with a whimper as their batting crumbled under the incessant pressure of the required run rate. 

Despite scoring only 37 runs in the first 10 overs, Afghanistan were still in the game largely due to Ibrahim Zadran and Hasmatullah Shahidi’s fifty, which came at just below run a ball. However, after Ibrahim, Najibullah and Shahidi fell within a span of 10 overs (27-37) trying to accelerate the run rate, the chase totally went off the radar. 

Shahidi rued this missed opportunity while talking in the post-match presentation as he didn’t hold his criticism back.  

“I thought the target was chaseable. The outfield was quick and the target was chaseable, but we lost wickets. Their bowlers were good in the beginning, and our run rate was really low, that's why we couldn't win,” Shahidi said in the post-match presentation. 

Despite this disappointing performance in their debut international game in Pakistan, Hashmatullah was buoyant after receiving generous support from the sizeable Afghan audience in the stands. He said, “Lahore is near our country, so the fans were waiting for this game. Hopefully, they will come and support us again in the next game.”

Afghanistan play Sri Lanka next in Lahore on the 5th of September.