Online Reporter
Eddie Chikamhi
Zimpapers Sports Hub
ZIMBABWE senior men’s cricket team coach Justin Sammons yesterday showed great concern over the lack of consistency by his team following a seven-wicket defeat to Afghanistan that cost the hosts the T20I series.
The home team returned to Harare Sports Club yesterday with the hopes of winning and keeping the three-match series alive ahead of tomorrow’s final match at the same venue.
But Afghanistan were too strong as they romped to an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series, thanks to a tenacious half-century from opening batsman Ibrahim Zadran and a wicked bowling spell from skipper Rashid Khan.
Zimbabwe lost the opening match on Wednesday by 53 runs, and coach Sammons was disappointed yesterday, especially as he looks to prepare his team for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup set for India and Sri Lanka in three months’ time.
He said the Chevrons appeared to have regressed from their recent performances against the likes of Namibia and Sri Lanka and in the recent T20 World Cup qualifiers.
“I think obviously these two games (against Afghanistan) have been very disappointing, but obviously if you take it back a couple of months, two or three months, I think we played really good T20I cricket against Sri Lanka in that 2-1 series there.
“I think we were positive in our approach and we displayed good skills. We competed in all of the games in that series.
“I also think we played really well in that Namibian series. I thought that was a really good series. Again, the way we went about it was brilliant and pleasing to see.
“And then through the qualifiers, we were good. If we look at that, I think we played really good T20 cricket up until these two games,” said Sammons.
Zimbabwe yesterday won the toss and chose to bat. However, they could not justify the decision with a below par batting performance that saw them getting bowled out for 125 runs inside 19.3 overs.
The top order struggled to settle in the powerplay overs where they lost the wickets of Brian Bennett (16), Dion Myers (6) and Brandon Taylor (3), with 34 runs on the board after 5.4 overs.
Skipper Sikandar Raza was the brightest prospect for Zimbabwe with the highest contribution of 37 runs.
But his progress was curtailed when he popped a return catch to Afghanistan’s star bowler Rashid Khan.
Tony Munyonga was the second highest with 19 runs, while Brian Bennett chipped in with 16 runs.
However, the hosts kept losing wickets at regular intervals before capitulating for a below-par total of 125 runs.
Afghanistan’s spin sensation Khan was virtually unplayable with brilliant figures of 3/9 from three overs. He was ably assisted by Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Abdolla Amadzai, who took two wickets apiece.
Afghanistan’s chase was at a leisurely pace and they coasted to 129/3, with two overs to spare.
Ibrahim Zadran, who finished unbeaten on 57 runs from 51 balls, provided the backbone for Afghanistan’s innings.
Azmatullah Omarzai was also unbeaten with a sizzling 25 runs off 13 deliveries.
Brad Evans took 2-21 but the pressure was too much on Zimbabwe’s bowlers to defend a sub-par target.
The visitors, who have dominated T20I meetings between the two sides in the last 10 years, have now completed seven series wins against the Chevrons.
Ahead of tomorrow’s last match of the series at the same venue, Afghanistan skipper Khan said they were looking beyond the series, as they have already put preparations for the ICC T20 World Cup in top gear.
“Well, definitely always happy to win the series. But still the same, we are having very few games before the World Cup,” he told journalists.
“We don’t have much time, and I think we need to go to the World Cup with a proper mindset and proper team.
“We haven’t done well in the Asia Cup, where we didn’t qualify for the next round. And that’s something which hurt me a lot, to be honest.
“We are not the team where we can disqualify in the first round, and I feel we have those skills and talent.
“And I think as soon as we understand ourselves, the series gives you a kind of positive energy and positive momentum. That’s something which we can take to the World Cup, and it will really help us,” said Khan.
