Afghanistan sealed the three-match series with its second victory in as many games
Mystery spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman has grabbed a hat-trick as Afghanistan warmed up for next month’s T20 World Cup with a series-clinching 39-run win over the West Indies.
West Indies, who lost the first game by 38 runs, got bowled out for 150 in 18.5 overs on Wednesday, with Mujeeb claiming 4-21 while becoming only the third Afghan bowler after Rashid Khan and Karim Janat to accomplish a hat-trick in T20Is.
Earlier, Darwish Rasooli had followed his half-century in the first game with 68 off 39 balls and Sediqullah Atal made 53 in Afghanistan’s total of 4-189 after the West Indies won the toss and elected to field.
Mujeeb had Evin Lewis trapped lbw with a quicker ball before he clean bowled Johnson Charles with a perfect delivery that drifted into the right-handed batter and the West Indies slumped to 3-38 in eight overs.
Mujeeb then had to wait for his hat-trick chance until he returned for his final over in the death overs — and top-scorer, captain Brandon King (50), immediately holed out at long-on.
After his hat-trick, he then finished with a four-wicket haul by clean bowling Quentin Sampson.
“The plan was to keep it simple and hit the stumps,” Mujeeb said. “Didn’t know I was on a hat-trick and I was just looking to hit the right areas. Good preparation for us before the World Cup. This win will give us more energy.”
The three-match series concludes on Thursday.
Shimron Hetmyer had briefly challenged the tall target with his 46 off 17 balls that featured six sixes, before he holed out to sweeper cover while attempting a big shot against Fazalhaq Farooqi (2-28).
Fast bowler Azmatullah Omarzai claimed 2-20 before Farooqi dismissed No. 11 batter Ramon Simmonds to seal the series for Afghanistan with seven balls to spare.
Afghanistan’s opening pair of Rahmanullah Gurbaz (1) and Ibrahim Zadran (22) exited inside the power play, but Rasooli and Atal combined in a 115-run stand as they dominated both pace and spin.
Atal smacked three sixes and two fours before he holed out to deep square leg in Matthew Forde’s (2-25) return spell and Rasooli fell in the 18th over when he couldn’t clear Alick Athanaze at mid-off.
Omarzai smashed an unbeaten 26 off 13 balls with spinner Gudakesh Motie returning with expensive figures of 0-54 that included 19 runs off the final over.
“Hetty (Hetmyer) played a fantastic innings, but after he got out, I had to be the person finishing it,” King said. “The fielding has been a disappointment but that’s something we keep working on.”
