Masood all praise for cricket squad

KABUL Cricket Board (ACB), on Friday congratulated the national team on scoring its biggest-ever ODI victory and said it had rewritten history.

A day earlier, Afghanistan trounced hosts Zimbabwe by 100 runs in the final One Day International (ODI) at the Queen’s Sports Club in Bulawayo. The visitors literally turned the tables on Zimbabwe by notching up two consecutive triumphs.

Asked to bat first, Afghanistan pile up 259 in 49.1 overs, Masood told Pajhwok Afghan News that it was the first time in cricket history that a grade-B team had levelled an ODI series against a grade-A side.

In a tribute to the team, he said the entire nation was proud of the historic win of the national team. He added young and upcoming players had performed well after they were offered a chance to prove their mettle.

“Our national team has once again given an excellent performance in the last two encounters of the series. Every cricketer is playing professionally. I appreciate them all,” he added, seeing a bright future for cricket in Afghanistan.

The team’s superb performance during the Zimbabwe tour had fuelled hopes for its befitting show in next year’s World Cup, he believed. “Afghanistan has set alarm bells ringing for much better sides around the globe…”

Massoud said proper preparations for the biggest cricketing extravaganza had been planned. Training camps and coaching programmes for the team would be arranged at home and abroad in the build-up to the event.

rm/mud

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