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ICC Men's T20 World Cup Sharjah Afghanistan 190-4 (20 runs): Zadran 59 (34), Gurbaz46 (37) Scotland 60 (10.2 runs): Mujeeb 5, 20 and Rashid 4-9 Afghanistan won with 130 runs Scorecard
In their first Super 12 match at Men's T20 World Cup, Afghanistan scored 130 runs against Scotland.
Scotland's first appearance at this stage was a disaster. They were bowled out by Sharjah for 60 runs in 10.2 overs.
Mujeeb Ur Rahman blunderingly took 5-20 wickets from Scotland, with three more in the fourth over. This effectively ended any hope of a successful chase.
Rashid Khan claimed 4-9, as Afghanistan's electrifying spin attack ran wild.
The bowlers from Scotland were unable to stop Afghanistan scoring 190-4, which was the highest World Cup score.
Afghanistan scored 11 sixes, including some big hits out of the ground. Najibullah Zidran hit 59 from 34 balls, Rahmanullah Gurbaz hit 46 from 37, and Hazratullah Zai hit 44 from 30.
It confirmed the belief that Afghanistan was a dangerous side in the tournament. However, it was a crushing defeat for Scotland, who was the third-heaviest external-link at the T20 World Cup in terms runs.
They will face Namibia in Abu Dhabi Wednesday at 15:00 BST. Then, they will play New Zealand, India, and Pakistan in the remaining fixtures of Group 2.
Scotland is far too strong to take on Afghanistan
After beating Oman and Papua New Guinea to reach the preliminary stage, Scotland's rise to the World Cup has been a story to remember.
They were however completely outclassed Monday, making the jump in standard in the main draw obvious.
Afghanistan, once considered a small country, is now a threat. Their spin attack is world-class, and their batting was impressive.
They scored five of the biggest sixes in the tournament's final innings. One was a 103m run from Zadran, and the other was a Zazai hit that traveled 101m. Even when wickets were lost, the attacking shots did not stop.
Scotland's hard-hitting opener George Munsey was a good start in their reply. They were at 27-0 after three innings. But, when Mujeeb took out captain Kyle Coetzer and Callum MacLeod in five balls, the game was over.
Nine out of the 10 wickets were bowled, or lbw. The spinners targeted the stumps while simultaneously turning the ball in both direction.
To beat Matthew Cross, Mohammad Shahzad was the wicketkeeper and he made a stunning diving catch.
Afghanistan is the Group 2 leader and will face Pakistan on Friday. India beat Pakistan on Sunday.
At least Scotland knows they are not the only ones struggling with their batting. The tournament has seen three of the five lowest T20 World Cup scores ever recorded.
The lowest totals at the Men's T20 World Cup 39 were: Netherlands v Sri Lanka 2014 44: Netherlands v Sri Lanka 2021 55 West Indies v England 2021 60 New Zealand v Sri Lanka 2014 60 Scotland v Afghanistan 2021 Source: Cricinfo external link
"A real sighter in Scotland" - reaction
Mohammad Nabi, Afghanistan captain: "The entire world knows that Rashid (and Mujeeb) are world-class bowlers. We have the best here. It's a great team. It's a great combination.
"Mujeeb was able to play his first World Cup match and won the man-ofthe-match award. It's amazing."
Scotland captain Kyle Coetzer says, "It wasn’t one of our best days. This is an amazing sighter to see that this is the level we will be playing at.
"Afghanistan bowled brilliantly. This will make us better going into the next match.
John Blain, a former Scotland bowler on TMS: "It is about exposure and the tournament has done that." They are intelligent, dedicated and highly skilled - there is still a lot of cricket. It's all about learning, building, and moving forward.
