Afghanistan’s Noor Ahmad has opened up about his crucial dismissal of Babar Azam, revealing how a short, wide delivery helped him get the Pakistan captain during their match in Chennai.
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Noor, making his entry into the Afghanistan side for the first time in the World Cup, picked up three wickets in their historic win over Pakistan. It included the prized scalp of Babar, their top run-scorer in the game.
Speaking to reporters after the game, Noor revealed how he out-thought Babar to dismiss him in the 42nd over, denting Pakistan’s quest for a 300-plus score.
Noor said that he thought Babar was expecting a full ball, and ended up bowling a wide, short ball. Babar chased it, hitting it straight to cover.
“That time it was, I think, past 40 overs. 40 or 41st, like that. In my mind, it was like he was waiting for my full delivery. I didn’t want to give him a full delivery. That’s why (bowled a short and wide one)”
Before the delivery, he bowled a length ball, then two short balls on the off stump, followed by a third one which was wider, compelling Babar to have a go.
Babar has been dismissed to the short ball by a spinner in two other games at the World Cup, dragging similar deliveries from Colin Ackermann and Adam Zampa to short mid-wicket, against the Netherlands and Afghanistan.
In fact, Afghanistan packed their lineup with spinners, picking four – Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan and Noor. Together, they bowled 38 out of 50 overs, the joint-second most bowled by spinners in a single innings of an ODI World Cup.
Pakistan ended with 282-7 after 50 overs: Afghanistan chased it down with eight wickets and one over to spare. It was their first ever win over Pakistan in ODIs, and just their third win ever in World Cup history.
