On Monday (Oct 23), Afghanistan stunned Pakistan by eight wickets, in pursuit of 283, to register their first-ever ODI win during match 22 of the CWC 2023 edition. Opting to bat first, Pakistan rode on Abdullah Shafique’s 58, captain Babar Azam’s 74 and 40 each from Shadab Khan and Iftikhar Ahmed to post 282 for 7. In reply, the Afghans rode on Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s 65, Ibrahim Zadran’s 87, Rahmat Shah’s 77* and Hashmatullah Shahidi’s unbeaten 48 to chase down 283 in 49 overs, without dropping much sweat.

Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!

After the match, opener Zadran was awarded the Player-of-the-Match for his impressive 87 (113), laced with 10 fours. At the post-match presentation, the opener made heads turn as he dedicated his award to the people of the country as well as the Afghans who are being deported from Pakistan. He said, “First of all, I am very thankful to the almighty that I performed well in this kind of big tournament. I wanted to go there and bat longer to score runs for my side. I feel very glad for myself and for my country.”

“Many times I and Gurbaz added big partnerships. We have a good understanding between us. We have played together since the Under-16 stages. He is a good motivator,” Zadran stated.

ALSO READ | World Cup 2023: Formidable Afghanistan stun Pakistan by 8 wickets, secure second win of campaign

He added, “I want to dedicate this player of the match award to those people whom Pakistan have sent back to Afghanistan,” said Zadran.

Zadran’s comments went viral in no time. This comes in the backdrop of Pakistan asking all undocumented refugees to leave the country by Nov 1, which has impacted 1.7 million Afghans living in Pakistan. Moreover, the decision has met with severe criticism from Taliban-ruled Afghans with Kabul calling it “unacceptable”.

Talking about Shahidi-led Afghans, they secured their second win in five games of the ongoing World Cup in India. Pakistan remain in the fifth spot, with three successive wins, whereas Afghanistan are right behind them (at sixth) after two big wins – beating defending champions England and Pakistan.

You can now write for Baazigarnews.com and be a part of the Baazigar family. Share your stories and opinions with us here.