Windies bracing for Afghani spin attack

LUCKNOW, India (CMC):

Captain Kieron Pollard says that he was under no illusions about the potent threat posed by Afghanistan’s spinners and that West Indies will have to adopt a strategic approach in order to negate their effectiveness.

The tourists opened their limited-overs tour yesterday with a four-wicket defeat in a warm-up fixture against an invitational team here and will clash with Afghanistan in the first Twenty20 (T20) International of the three-match series tomorrow.

“Rashid Khan is a world-class bowler. It was seen by all of us and all around the world,” Pollard told media here.

“Again there is no secret about it. (Mohammed) Nabi himself has been doing well, he is a classical off-spinner. Mujeeb (ur-Rahman) has done well for himself.”

Playing with structure

He continued: “We, as a team, we have to plan how we are going to structure our 50 overs of batting and then our 50 overs of bowling. Each and every one of us is a good player [in our] own right, and we have to show what we have to offer.”

Khan, 21, is Afghanistan’s captain in all three formats and has emerged as one of the most penetrative leg-spinners in international cricket, with 131 wickets in 68 One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and 81 scalps in 42 T20 Internationals.His best figures in ODIs of seven for 18 came in Afghanistan’s shock win over the Windies two years ago in St Lucia.

Nabi has, meanwhile, taken 128 wickets from 121 ODIs and 69 wickets from 72 T20Is, while Mujeeb, an 18-year-old off-spinner, has already picked up 58 ODI wickets from 37 matches.

Pollard, appointed captain of the white-ball sides in an attempt to halt a disastrous run in both formats, said the Windies would be looking to make big strides in the series.

“It is an important series, as the coach has mentioned. All cricket for us, is important,” he stressed.

“As a team, we have made some changes, and are looking forward to doing well in the series.”

West Indies will take on Afghanistan in three ODIs following the T20 series before facing the hosts in a one-off Test beginning November 27.

WEST INDIES

E Lewis c wkp Ikram Alikhil b Karim Janat 24

S Hope c wkp Ikram Alikhil b Yamin Ahmadzai 1

S Hetmyer c Gulbadin Naib b Naveen-ul-Haq 0

B King lbw b Naveen-ul-Haq 0

+N Pooran c Yamin Ahmadzai b Gulbadin Naib 20

R Chase b Naveen-ul-Haq 41

*K Pollard c Rahmat Shah b Gulbadin Naib 3

J Holder c Najibullah Zadran b Sharafuddin Ashraf 31

K Paul lbw b Sharafuddin Ashraf 3

A Joseph not out 9

H Walsh b Sharafuddin Ashraf 17

Extras (lb1, w6) 7

TOTAL (all out, 38.5 overs) 156

Did not bat: R Shepherd, S Cottrell, K Pierre, S Ambris.

Fall of wickets: 1-7, 2-12, 3-12, 4-36, 5-58, 6-64, 7-111, 8-126, 9-129, 10-156.

Bowling: Yamin Ahmadzai 6-2-16-1, Naveen-ul-Haq 7-1-22-3, Karim Janat 8-0-37-1, Javed Ahmadi 2-0-12-0, Gulbadin Naib 7-0-34-2, Sharafuddin Ashraf 8.5-1-34-3.

AFGHANISTAN XI

Hazratullah Zazai c Hope b Shepherd 1

Javed Ahmadi b Shepherd 9

Rahmat Shah c wkp Pooran b Joseph 47

+Ikram Alikhil c Pollard b Cottrell 1

Najibullah Zadran b Walsh 40

Asghar Afghan not out 33

Mohammad Nabi c wkp Pooran b Shepherd 18

Gulbadin Naib not out 8

Extras (w1, nb2) 3

TOTAL (4 wkts, 34.5 overs) 160

Did not bat: Karim Janat, *Rashid Khan, Yamin Ahmadzai, Naveen-ul-Haq, Afsar Zazai, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Ibrahim Zadran, Mujeeb Ur Rahman

Fall of wickets: 1-5, 2-12, 3-23, 4-78, 5-113, 6-147.

Bowling: Cottrell 4-0-16-1, Shepherd 6-2-16-3, Paul 7-0-23-0, Joseph 6-0-33-1, Chase 5-0-30-0, Walsh 5.5-0-41-1, King 1-0-1-0.

Result: Afghanistan won by four wickets.

Players-per-side: 15 (11 batting)

Toss: West Indies.

Umpires: Bismillah Jan Shinwari, Ahmed Shah Durrani.