HARARE – Ibrahim Zadran (pictured) smashed an unbeaten century while Fareed Ahmad took three wickets as Afghanistan thrashed Zimbabwe by eight wickets on Monday to clinch the three-match one-day international series.
Afghanistan restricted the host to 228 runs in 50 overs with poor shot selection being the African side’s biggest letdown.
Only Innocent Kaia (63), Ryan Burl (51 not out), and Sikandar Raza (40) were able consolidate and defy Afghanistan’s bowling attack, led by left-arm fast bowler Fareed Ahmad.
In pursuit, man-of-the-match Zadran dominated Zimbabwe’s thin bowling attack, cracking 16 boundaries from 141 balls.
Rahmat Shah provided support in response to Zimbabwe’s score, hitting nine fours for his 88 after facing 112 deliveries as the tourists cruised home comfortably with 33 balls to spare.
The matches are part of the ICC World Super League, which doubles as qualifiers for the World Cup in India next year.
The Zimbabweans are on 35 points, just above bottom-placed Netherlands, an in real danger of missing out of the World Cup for the second time in a row.
Until the 2019 edition, Zimbabwe had played in every World Cup tournament since 1983, but the team has been on a slide over for years with the game in the African country in danger of sinking into oblivion.
