A maiden T20I five-wicket haul by Fazalhaq Farooqi helped Afghanistan outclass Uganda by runs in their T20 World Cup 2024 clash on Tuesday (June 4). The match, Uganda's debut appearance at any Cricket World Cup across formats, was played at the Providence Stadium in Guyana, West Indies. (As It Happened | Scorecard)
Top knocks from openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz (76 off 45 balls) and Ibrahim Zadran (70 off 46) powered Afghanistan to a 183-run total in the first innings. The 154-run opening stand in 14.3 overs made a total of 200 or more appear more likely. But Uganda's bowling, led by skipper Brian Masaba (2-21) and Cosmas Kyewuta (2-25), pulled things back at the death admirably.
But the Afghans exhibited the gulf in class with the ball, as Farooqi picked up wickets off consecutive deliveries in the first over. The 23-year-old left-arm seamer finished with astounding figures of 5-9 off his four overs.
It was an incredible performance, in which he conceded a boundary off his very first ball and just gave away four more runs in the remaining 23, picking up five wickets in the process.
The Uganda innings eventually folded for a lowly 58, handing the Afghans a landslide 125-run victory.
Earlier, Uganda skipper Brian Masaba won the toss and elected to bowl first.
Playing XIs
Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Gulbadin Naib, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Najibullah Zadran, Karim Janat, Rashid Khan (c), Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi.
Uganda: Simon Ssesazi (wk), Roger Mukasa, Ronak Patel, Riazat Ali Shah, Dinesh Nakrani, Robinson Obuya, Alpesh Ramjani, Brian Masaba (c), Bilal Hassan, Cosmas Kyewuta, Henry Ssenyondo.
Afghanistan will next face New Zealand in Tarouba on June 8. Uganda, on the other hand, will take on Papua New Guinea next in Guyana on June 5.
