It’s been a World Cup for the bowlers, but Nicholas Pooran set the tone early for a dominant batting display from West Indies as they thrashed Afghanistan to finish the group stage with a perfect record. He tore into Azmatullah Omarzai in the powerplay, who leaked a world record 36 runs in an over. And that was a blow Afghanistan never quite recovered from. Nicholas Pooran‘s 98 off just 53 balls helped West Indies to 218 for 5, which was 104 too many for Afghanistan in the last group match of the T20 World Cup 2024.
The result had little bearing on the Super Eight seedings that were pre-decided with both teams already cementing their spots. Afghanistan were blown away in the chase to be dismissed for 114, with all the five bowlers the hosts used sharing the spoils. It was the highest total for West Indies in men’s T20 World Cups, and Nicholas Pooran, who hit eight sixes in his stay, surpassed Chris Gayle to become the leading six-hitter for them in T20Is.
Pitch and Toss
High of 31 degrees today and also a small chance of rain, and the wind is blowing at more than 20kmph today. The square boundaries are 63m to one side and 72m to the other side and the wind is blowing towards the longer square boundary. Looks like a fantastic wicket, the two previous games have been high-scoring. There’s a nice even covering of grass, there are a few cracks but they are not moving that much. There’s going to be good bounce on this wicket, mention Matthew Hayden and Natalie Germanos in their pitch report
Afghanistan skipper Rashid Khan won the toss and chose to field with no changes in the squad. West Indies skipper Rovman Powell batting first made two changes in the squad with Shai Hope and Obed Mccoy replacing Romario Shepherd and Roston Chase.
Hosts go hell for leather in powerplay as Pooran and Charles goes berserk
He has a stand named after him at the Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium, and Johnson Charles did not disappoint. He had two ducks and a 44 heading into the game, and understandably, was tentative at the start of his innings. Yet he started with a flurry of fours, mostly via outside edges – beating short third to either side in the second over and then getting one over point in the third.
Anything with pace, he confidently dealt with. However, Naveen-ul-Haq’s change of pace was too much to contend with, and he chipped one to cover after a duel that saw a dropped chance.
Nearly half the deliveries in the opening phase of this innings were hit for either a four or six as the hosts woke up and chose to go hell for leather. The onslaught began on the first ball when Brandon King flicked a full ball from Fazalhaq Farooqi through midwicket for a four. Azmatullah Omarzai cleaned him up in the second over, but was in for a beating in his next as Nicholas Pooran carted him around in a 36-run over that included three sixes, three fours, five wides and a dismissal that didn’t count because it came on a free-hit ball.
Thanks to this manic over, West Indies went well past 50 in just the fourth. Pooran and Johnson Charles just kept hitting through the line in pristine batting conditions. Naveen Ul Haq bowled the quietest over of the PowerPlay in the sixth, giving away 7 runs off it. WI still ended with the highest PowerPlay score in T20 World Cups, beating the previous best of 91/1 by Netherlands against Ireland in Sylhet in 2014.
Powerful Nicholas Pooran raises decibels
Two balls were all Nicholas Pooran needed to get his eyes in on a belter of a pitch in Gros Islet. Nicholas Pooran signaled his arrival with a record 36-run over against Azmatullah Omarzai, in which he hit three sixes and two fours, including one off a no-ball. Afghanistan generally turn to Mujeeb Ur Rahman for control in the powerplay.
But with him out injured, Rashid Khan had to bring himself on in the powerplay for the first time this T20 World Cup. He was welcomed with a couple of fours as West Indies finished the powerplay on 92 for 1, the highest score in the first six overs in men’s T20 World Cups.
Afghanistan rein West Indies in in the middle overs
At 85 for 1 in five overs, West Indies looked set to bring back a template we were so used to in IPL 2024 – scores around and over 250. But Rashid and his spin-twin Noor Ahmad used the slight purchase from the surface to tie the batters down. Both varied the leg break and googly, and also the lengths to keep the batters guessing.
The bounce from the surface also came to their aid. As a result, only one four and three sixes – two of them by Shai Hope against Mohammad Nabi – came in the middle phase (overs 7 to 16), where West Indies scored only 66 and lost two wickets.
Naveen brough some more respite for Afghanistan as he ended Charles’s assault in the eighth over with a slower one. The opener was early on his shot and ended up chipping the ball towards Gulbadin Naib who completed a sharp catch at cover. Afghanistan clawed their way back after the wicket with quiet overs from Rashid Khan and Noor Ahmed, conceding just 21 in four overs after the PowerPlay.
Rashid introduced Mohammad Nabi with a view to slow West Indies down further but Shai Hope took on his favorable match-up (off-spinner) by tonking him for two sixes over deep mid-wicket. Rashid replaced him right away with Gulbadin Naib, who started with a cutter and lured Hope into a false shot – another slog sweep that was very well caught by Najibullah Zadran at deep midwicket.
Deserving Pooran misses out on ton as West Indies reach 218 for 5 in 20 overs
The 17th over almost woke up the sleeping giant Nicholas Pooran, who got his first four since the powerplay when Gulbadin Naib misfielded one at sweeper cover. He then tore into Rashid, who had figures of 0 for 21 heading into his last over, in the 18th. Nicholas Pooran stayed deep in the crease and often cleared his front leg in a bid to convert the good length deliveries that Rashid generally bowls.
Nicholas Pooran’s leg side was the longer boundary, and Rashid bowling full only helped his cause. He struck three sixes and a four in the over to take 24 off it, decisively turning the tide in the hosts’ favour. He couldn’t do much damage to Naib, who bowled a couple of superb overs for two wickets, using the slower ones to trick the batters. When Nicholas Pooran clobbered back-to-back sixes in the last over off Naveen, he looked primed to get to a century, only to be denied by a direct throw from Omarzai from deep cover.
Nicholas Pooran was starved off the strike in the middle overs when Afghanistan fought back but the left-hander restored West Indies’ strong position in the death overs. Nicholas Pooran turbocharged West Indies’ essay when he went after Rashid in the 18th over, hitting him for three sixes and a four. West Indies went past the 200-run mark in the 19th over before Pooran set himself up for a three-figure score in the 20th.
Nicholas Pooran saw through Naveen’s change of pace to hit a six down the ground on the first ball and followed it up with another big hit over deep midwicket. An exceptional direct him by Azmatullah Omarzai from deep cover then caught Pooran short of his ground despite putting in a dive to complete two runs, leaving him agonizingly short of a century. He walked back for a 53-ball 98 and West Indies finished with 218 for 5.
Early exit for Gurbaz; Ibrahim pushes the chase ahead
Afghanistan were dented early in their big chase as their best batter Rahmanullah Gurbaz mistimed a shot straight to Andre Russell at mid-on in the first over from Akeal Hossein. The wicket and the subsequent slow goings in the PowerPlay were given a late push by Ibrahim Zadran, who took risks against Hossein to hit two fours off him in the fifth over and targeted the leg side fence against Alzarri Joseph in the sixth. Zadran hit five of the six fours that Afghanistan got in the first six overs, and also tonked the only six.
Coming into the match, Afghanistan’s middle order (Nos. 3 to 6) averaged a mere 19.71 with the openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran doing the heavy-lifting in the big wins against New Zealand and Uganda. Gurbaz fell early trying to take on powerplay enforcer Akeal Hossein, exposing the Afghanistan middle order in a tall chase.
Ibrahim managed to punish an erring Alzarri Joseph, hitting him for one four and two sixes in the first six overs. He also managed to get a few away from Hossein but could not keep down a languid flick off Obed McCoy – brought in for Romario Shepherd, who was home for the birth of his second child – to deep backward square leg.
The wheels come off for Afghanistan
Obed McCoy came in for his first game of the World Cup and made an instant impact. Replacing Romario Shepherd, who went home for the birth of his second child, McCoy derailed the chase through the middle-overs with three wickets. Before the left-arm pacer rattled Afghanistan, Gudakesh Motie dug in, trapping Gulbadin Naib leg before on the first ball of the seventh over.
The Afghan batter took a review back with him. McCoy then started out with a wicket off a hit-me ball – bowled full and on the pads that Zadran flicked but only as far as Johnson Charles at deep square leg. Najibullah Zadran fell next, trying to back away and slap a short ball over deep point. He too found Charles in the deep.
In his next over, McCoy cleaned up Mohammad Nabi to leave Afghanistan five down by the halfway stage. Karim Janat went after Motie in the first over after the drinks break, hitting him for two sixes but the derailment of the chase continued in Hossein’s over in the 13th. The ball flew off the leading edge of Omarzai’s bat to Powell at cover and then Janat dashed out for a non-existent run and got run out. Motie then dismissed Noor to leave Afghanistan eight down.
WI wrap up big win to go confidently in Super 8s
It took just eight balls at the death to wrap up the win as Alzarri Joseph bowled a bouncer that was too good for Naveen and Andre Russell got Rashid to hole out to long-off.
Playing his first match in this T20 World Cup, McCoy then dismissed Najibullah Zadran a couple of balls later before knocking Nabi over to reduce Afghanistan to 63 for 5 inside the tenth over. Omarzai managed to strike a few lusty blows but Hossein, Gudakesh Motie and Andre Russell never let them get away.
As a result, West Indies registered their second-biggest win in T20 World Cups (by runs) and head into the Super Eight stage with a clean slate, as if to say, “talk now!”
Presentations and Road Ahead
Rovman Powell the winning skipper said : It feels good (to win 8 games in a row). It shows the hard work we have put in in the last year or so. The guys were excited to come here, we knew it would be one of the better batting wickets. It is on the back of hard work, Nicholas has had a good 12 months not only in franchise cricket but for West Indies as well.
It is a good headache to have (McCoy picking 3 wickets). We started the tournament with a little advantage as we are playing at home and know the conditions. When I started my journey we were ranked 8 or 9 and now we are 3 in the world. The support has been incredible where ever we have gone and would hope the people would come and support us on Wednesday. I would like to thank Sammy and he has been a driving force in my journey as a leader.
Rashid Khan the loosing skipper said : They were incredible with the way they started in the powerplay but we pulled it back in the middle overs and it was a good effort to restrict them to under 220. It is good that happened in this game and take away the learnings into the next round. There was a strong breeze blowing and bowling into the wicket was the way to go.
As a bowler you need to come up with plans to keep the scoring to below under 10. The morale is still pretty high and this loss does not affect us. We have achieved our first goal of reaching the Super 8s and now it is about taking the next step.
Nicholas Pooran Player of the Match for his 98 runs said: You don’t want to be on 97 and get run-out but it was all about reaching a respectable total. I assessed the conditions early on, we had a good start in the powerplay, I had to take the responsibility in the middle overs with the Afghanistan spinners bowling.
I just felt that it’s my night and I could get on with it. It’s difficult to strike the ball when it’s a little slow and spinning, but when you get a good wicket like this, you got to capitalize, got to appreciate the conditions. It’s just not today, it started 12-14 months ago we have been consistent as a team, we went to No. 3 in the rankings. In the last game, Rutherford took the opportunity and played wonderfully, he inspired us.
The chase never really took off for Afghanistan. They lost Gurbaz in the first over and that almost sealed the game in West Indies’ favour. He was their in-form batter and losing him for a duck set them back. Ibrahim kept the scoreboard ticking without really threatening to take the game. Motie and McCoy struck thrice in two overs and put the game well out of Afghanistan’s reach.
The wickets kept tumbling thereafter as the batters perished trying to clear the rope. All the West Indian bowlers were among the wickets but McCoy’s 3/14 in the middle phase stands and the two spinners picked up a couple each. It was a comprehensive win from the hosts to close out the group stage.
This was a dead-rubber but not for West Indies and their fans who thronged the stadium tonight to witness their team put up a dominating performance. The hosts have given a timely reminder to the other teams as to why they are considered a powerhouse in this format.
Afghanistan blew teams away in their opening three games, bowling them out for below 100, but today they conceded the highest total in the tournament. But as Rashid said they now know how to bowl on such wickets and that is the positive they take away. That brings an end to the group stage. The Super 8s start from tomorrow with South Africa taking on the USA. Afghanistan travel to Barbados for their first Super-8 game, against India, on June 20. West Indies stay back in St. Lucia where they face England in the Super-8s on June 19.