Afghans come out on top in dull warm-up

The lone practice game between Afghanistan and BCB XI at Fatullah was anything but a spectators' delight. Considering the high standard international teams have now set, with not even 300 being a safe score, a total of below 250 in a 50-over contest hardly repays the paying public.

Afghanistan's 233 all out is a package consisting mainly of average contributions coupled with one gritty effort. There was never a fireworks display in the Afghan innings, which was actually built around Hashmatullah Shahidi's resolute 69 on a wicket favourable for shot-making. There was no power-hitting in the Powerplay overs. It was even worse when the BCB XI came out to bat. The home side lost four wickets against the visitors' three in the first 15 overs and the game was more about recovering from a hopeless situation to post a so-called 'respectable' total.  It was more about poor shot selection, ordinary fielding and erratic bowling under pressure.

And there were plenty of culprits in the home team who killed the prospect of what could have been a smart chase from smart professionals. It all started with captain Imrul Kayes throwing away his wicket playing an expansive shot. His opening partner Anamul Haq could hardly do justice to his claim that justice was not done by the selectors, ballooning an attempted lofted straight hit high in the air for Afghan wicketkeeper Mohammad Shazad to grab after a seemingly endless wait.

Sabbir Rahman's first shot, a murderous straight drive that rocketed to the rope, was an expression of intent that he wanted to finish things quickly. But the dashing right-hander soon followed Anamul, clipping a leg-stump half volley straight to the mid-wicket fielder. Liton Das did no justice to his profile as a future Bangladesh top-order batsman when he came down the wicket against veteran off-spinner Mohammad Nabi, but missed the ball completely and was smartly stumped.

By then the virtual second-string national team were reduced to 39 for four, from where they never recovered despite a fine effort from young batsman Mossaddek Hossain, who justified his inclusion in the national team with a compact 76. Mosaddek apart, another young man Mehedi Hasan Miraz played with a lot of heart. The young all-rounder may have been a bit expensive with his off-spin that fetched him two wickets, but he looked like a true fighter with brilliant ground fielding. He also gave the hosts a ray of hope when he was batting with Mosaddek but fell victim to an injudicious decision for a quick single, which was never there for the taking.

The BCB XI were eventually bundled out for 167 runs in 38.1 overs, leaving Afghanistan with a morale-boosting 66-run win going into the three-match ODI series with the first one starting at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur on Sunday.

SCORES IN BRIEF

AFGHANISTAN: 233 all out in 49.2 overs (Shahidi 69, Stanikzai 31, Mirwas 32 not out; Alauddin 3-32, Mehedi 3-48)

BCB XI: 167 all out in 8.1 overs (Mossadek 76, Shuvagata 34; Nabi 4-24, Rashid 2-25, Fareed 2-19)

Result: Afghanistan won by 66 runs.