Afghanistan Faces Reality Check After Heavy Defeat to West Indies

With three wins in the group stage, Afghanistan secured a spot in the Super 8s of the T20 World Cup, continuing their stellar performance over the past year. However, their first significant setback came in a match against the West Indies. Co-hosting the tournament, the West Indies handed Afghanistan a crushing 104-run defeat in St. Lucia, highlighting the tough challenges that lie ahead.

Afghanistan's troubles began during the bowling powerplay, where the West Indies raced to 92 runs and ultimately posted a formidable total of 218. Two particularly expensive overs, which collectively conceded 60 runs, undermined what was otherwise a disciplined bowling effort, as noted by Afghanistan's head coach, Jonathan Trott. 

Trott acknowledged that the team's bowling during the powerplay was less than ideal, but pointed out that they managed to contain the West Indies to around 60 runs in the subsequent ten overs. This indicated that effective bowling could have restrained the opposition's scoring.

Identifying areas for improvement, Trott suggested that the team needs to handle challenging overs better. He emphasised that avoiding the kind of disastrous overs that cost them 60 runs in total could significantly change the outcome of a game.

Nicholas Pooran was the standout performer for the West Indies, smashing 98 runs off just 53 balls and surpassing Chris Gayle's record for the most T20I sixes, for the West Indies. Pooran's tally now stands at 128 sixes compared to Gayle's 124. His aggressive batting was particularly damaging to Azmatullah Omarzai, who conceded 36 runs in one over, tying the record for the most expensive over in T20Is. Rashid Khan also struggled, with a costly over that added to Afghanistan's woes.

Pooran's 8 sixes, combined with strong support from Johnson Charles and captain Rovman Powell, propelled the West Indies to a commanding position. Trott remarked that when a player scores 98 runs off 53 balls, it inevitably becomes a significant factor in the game's outcome.

The West Indies executed their innings strategy effectively, targeting the longer boundaries and using the wind to their advantage. Trott commended their tactical approach, noting that the West Indies players exploited the wind to clear even the larger boundaries, which made it difficult for Afghanistan’s bowlers to force them to hit into the wind.

Afghanistan's batting performance also fell short, starting with the dismissal of the in-form opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz for a duck. This early setback set a difficult tone for the run chase. Afghanistan managed only 45 runs in the Power Play and collapsed to 57-7 in the middle overs, leading to a comprehensive defeat.

Trott observed that chasing a target as high as 220 was always going to be challenging. He highlighted the stark contrast in Power Play performances, with West Indies scoring 92 runs compared to Afghanistan's 45, creating a significant gap early in the innings.

Looking ahead, Afghanistan is set to begin their Super 8 matches against India on June 20 at the Kensington Oval in Barbados.

Summary

• Match: West Indies vs Afghanistan
• Result: West Indies won by 104 runs
• Key Performers: Nicholas Pooran (98 off 53 balls), Johnson Charles, Rovman Powell, Kavisha Dilhari, Vishmi Gunaratne
• Next Fixture: Afghanistan vs India, June 20 at Kensington Oval, Barbados