T20 World Cup 2021: Afghanistan leave off-field turmoil at the boundary rope to steamroll Scotland

In the end, they just went out and played.

It was entirely in character for Mohammad Nabi’s team of course, who are hardly unaccustomed to turbulent off-field circumstances impinging on their cricket, yet Afghanistan’s total demolition of Scotland in their T20 World Cup opener at Sharjah seemed an almost deliberate defiance of the haze of controversy and speculation that had fallen over the team and obscured the simple fact that this is still simply a phenomenally entertaining, absolutely box-office group of cricketers.

It’s doubtful any international cricket team has ever taken the field under quite a metaphorical cloud as Afghanistan did in Sharjah, though their rain-hounded Scottish opponents might have seen some comparable weather in the entirely literal sense. The political situation in the country has had such repercussions for the game in Afghanistan that their very participation in this tournament was in doubt. Question marks over the future of the women’s game, together with rapid administrative administrative changes followed the Taliban takeover of the country. It leads to fellow full memebers shying away from tour commitments, most notably the scheduled Australia Test which looks increasingly likely to be cancelled.

The ICCs interim CEO Geoff Alladrice had reassured Afghan fans that the Blue Tigers would indeed take part in this T20 World Cup. That decision, however, ultimately rests with the ICC, where the full members lead and the rest follow. Cricket Australia’s apparent leeriness bodes ill for the ACB’s future. Add to that the now customary chaos of the Afghan cricket team. The traditional factional infighting at the Board, followed by selection rows and now almost inevitable last-minute change of captain was all very 2019. The ACB swapped out their Chairman some weeks ago, Azizullah Fazli return to replace Farhan Yusufzai, and then their CEO shortly after as Hamid Shinwari was unceremoniously shown the door to be replaced by one Naseebullah Khan Haqqani.

Rashid Khan stepped down as captain on the eve of the squads’ announcement, citing differences over selection. And indeed there were some rather nostalgic names in the long-list when it came out. Dawlat Zadran, Hamid Hasan and Shapoor Zadran, ageing pacers that will be remembered in their pomp by the likes of Argentina or Fiji from the days when Afghanistan were tearing their way through the lower divisions of the World Cricket League, then a side known for their formidable pace battery rather than their world-famous, franchise-trotting, spin stable of today. Neither Shapoor not Dawlat made the final squad in the end, but a controversial recall for the ebullient ‘keeper-opener Mohammad Shahzad added to the 2019-nostalgic feel, while visa issues delayed the team assembling in the UAE, was a genuinely retro touch. Typically contrasting results in warm-up games and then … well. It wasn’t quite the same as 2019 of course. Today was T20I, their first opponents were Scotland, a team the old hands in the Afghan side will know very well, and it was at Sharjah.

Spare a thought for Scotland here, whose reward for a clinical display in the qualifier stage, where they came back to best Bangladesh, before seeing off their Associate rivals to top Group B, was a ticket to the UAE to face Afghanistan in Sharjah. Afghanistan are familiar opponents for Scotland and though they’ve never had the better of them in six T20Is, nor in the couple of non-status T20s they’ve played in global qualifiers. The Scots have had some success against Afghanistan in one-dayers, Calum MacLeod memorably bossing Rashid Khan on his way to a match-winning 157* in Bulawayo at the 50-over World Cup Qualifier back in 2018. There was little reason to think Scotland could not break their losing short-format streak against the Afghans on their day.

Monday was absolutely not their day.

Monday was emphatically Afghanistan’s day.

For an over it looked set to be a contest. Brad Wheal kept a tight back of a length line, keeping Hazratullah Zazai hunched and unable to free his arms. Two off it, just one off the bat. And then the next, some wrong-headed, data-inspired plan, one suspects, Michael Leask’s off-spin for the second over. It went poorly for the Scots, and they were never in the game again. There were some good overs, mostly from left-arm spinner Mark Watt demonstrating his ability to land the yorker even to a bat shuffling back and forth, and himself using the crease to work angles or bowl from well back. Safyaan Sharif, too, stood out for his control and nous, but all told there was too much from the Scottish seamers landing in the slot, and without any real lateral movement on offer little wicket-taking threat.

The Afghans made hay, first waiting on and then manufacturing bad balls to put over the rope, first targetting the short boundary and then simply backing their range-hitting as the Scotland bowlers began to lose their lengths, quickly taking over the top of the tournament's longest sixes table entirely. Three of the four wickets to fall might be attributed to over-exuberance, caught looking to get after the seamers. Though Mark Watt pushing though a yorker as he backed away and cannoned into the stumps off the toes was masterful bowling. It was arguably the best moment the Scots had all day. Hazratullah and Shahzad had dominated the powerplay before Shahzad holed out off Sharif to end their partnership at 54, Rahmanullah Gurbaz took a while to get set but was merciless against the seamers. Najibullah looked entirely uncontainable in his role as clean-hitting finisher — putting even good balls over the rope as Afghanistan posted the highest total of the tournament.

The chase was all but stillborn. George Munsey had a chance to show off a glimpse of his talent before the innings collapse around him, daring Scottish fans to imagine the improbably as he reverse-swept Nabi for four and then six in the first over. Before skipper Kyle Coetzer hit a pair of handsome boundaries off Naveen ul Haq.

But Mujeeb Zadran effectively finished the game in the fourth over. Coetzer walked over a googly that slipped through the gate and into the stumps before MacLeod and Berrington both played down the wrong line and took a wrong-un in the pads, both given LBW, both just clipping leg stump. Scotland would have no luck, but it wouldn’t have mattered. Afghanistan were rampant. Naveen produced a leg-cutter most would have nicked. That 'privilege' fell to Matt Cross, whose edge was in turn honoured by a quite excellent diving one-handed catch from Shahzad behind the stumps. Mujeeb then ended any hope of a fightback by pushing one under Munsey’s bat into the stumps from around the wicket and Scotland were all but out of it before Rashid Khan even entered the attack. When he did, it took him three balls to pin Leank LBW with a trademark googly, the first of his four wickets as the tail capitulated.

It was a clinical display of what the Afghan slow-bowlers can do when conditions suit, much as the first innings had shown just how dangerous their batting can be when the opposition are off their game. Yet in the context of the tournament, bar 2 points and a massive net run rate boost, it doesn’t move the needle much. Afghanistan will not play at Sharjah again in the group phase, and are unlikely to have conditions so far in their favour again. Likewise even if they were to play Scotland four more times it’s unlikely they’d get as many bad balls in one game. Afghanistan’s Windies-inspired dot, dot, six approach to batting works well against a pedestrian Scottish attack bowling badly, but that is no guarantee it will work as well against better bowling. The West Indies themselves have not had the best of starts. By the same token, this drubbing says remarkably little about Scotland's likely fortunes either. That their seam attack is vulnerable will not be news to them, and their batting line-up won’t be matched against the likes of Mujeeb and Khan on a track like that again anytime soon anyway.

Both sides, in fact, will probably do best not to dwell too much on this game.

But others perhaps should. Afghanistan’s remaining opponents will likely have taken note of course, and may look more warily at their upcoming encounters. Nabi’s side have reminded us of the sort of display they can put on, and what stands to be lost to the game, and to Afghanistan, when the clouds draw in again after the tournament.

Bertus de Jong is a freelance writer and journalist based in the Netherlands, covering primarily Associates cricket and sports governance.  He tweets: @BdJcricket