Afghanistan beat Pakistan by eight wickets: Cricket World Cup 2023 – as it happened

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As the Afghanistan players dance on the outfield, I’ll say goodbye. Never forget, this is a result that has been made possible by Afghanistan being given the opportunity to grow and prosper over the last 20 years. A growing international sport is a healthy sport. When administrators do their best to go in the other direction and make the international game smaller, don’t forget nights like this.

Rashid Khan and Hashmatullah Shahidi of Afghanistan celebrate. Photograph: Matthew Lewis-ICC/ICC/Getty Images

Updated at 13.17 EDT

Ibrahim Zadran is the player of the match

That power play from Zadran and Gurbaz – as close to perfect as it comes. On the back of what we saw with Pakistan, it looked like boundaries would be difficult to come by with the field back so they struck a dozen of them in the first ten overs. Nothing outlandish, just putting away bad balls and backing themselves to do so.

Pakistan’s campaign is in all sorts. After winning their first two games, they’ve lost to India, Australia and Afghanistan. And it gets no easier… next up is South Africa. It’s Afghanistan who care dare to dream a bit now, their next game one week away against Sri Lanka. They are making their way around a lap of honour. Wow.

Hashmat, the captain hits the winning runs. Taken off his hip for four off Shaheen. The unbeaten stand between the pair was 96 by the time the job was done.

AFGHANISTAN BEAT PAKISTAN FOR THE FIRST TIME! THEY WIN BY 8 WICKETS!

What a moment! Afghanistan’s win over England was special but this really is even better, knocking off their biggest rival for the first time. They’ve done it with an over to spare by eight wickets – a clinical chase, brilliantly set it up. Scenes!

49 overs: Afghanistan 286-2 (Rahmat 77, Hashmat 48) Target 283.

Afghanistan’s Rahmat Shah and Hashmatullah Shahidi celebrate after winning the match. Photograph: Samuel Rajkumar/Reuters

Updated at 13.16 EDT

48th over: Afghanistan 279-2 (Rahmat 75, Hashmat 43) Target 283. Rahmat was never going to let this get to the final over! Hasan Ali, who played his part in getting Pakistan back, is LAUNCHED by the Afghanistan No3 over his head for SIX – a crossbat beauty. Four to get in 12 balls. On the cusp of something very special.

“Hi Adam.” G’day, Colum Fordham. “Afghanistan have well and trully shaken off the epithet of “minnows”, having pummelled England and now almost certain to beat Pakistan, playing great cricket. On another note, very sad to hear of Bishan Bedi’s passing. I read about his prowess as a spinner in Christopher Martin Jenkins’ wonderful book on England’s tour to India in 1977. I later got to seem him bowling in a county match for Northants and he was a joy to watch, with his consistent line and subtle variations.”

It’s a sad twist as the ODI format begins to wind down: 50-over cricket has been responsible for growing the game and making nights like this possible. Sigh.

47th over: Afghanistan 272-2 (Rahmat 68, Hashmat 43) Target 283. Edge, four runs! Shaheen around the wicket with Rahmat, brings him forward, would’ve been catchable with two or three in the cordon but they’re not blessed with that configuration at this point. Rahmat follows it with a lovely little drive out to extra cover for two. Nearly into single digits – 11 needed from 18 balls. Nearly there.

46th over: Afghanistan 264-2 (Rahmat 61, Hashmat 42) Target 283. I can’t believe Usama was asked to bowl this over with these two looking so good against spin. Surely it’s Hasan Ali or Haris Rauf bowling out with Shaheen? It’s a costly error from Babar with Hashmat sensing that this is the right time to put another dent in this. Sure, the dance isn’t pretty and the deflection for four is off his glove, but this isn’t a good match-up, in modern cricket speak. With the four runs in the bank, sure enough, a wide follows and they can turn the screws twice breaking up the field to take twos. It’s going to take something staggering from Shaheen now.

“Good afternoon Mr Collins!” Hello Mr Adam Hirst. “Haven’t noticed you gloating yet over the comedy possibility of England being bottom of the whole world?”

Blimey! So they are. Or will be, in about 20 minutes. What a story.

45th over: Afghanistan 253-2 (Rahmat 58, Hashmat 35) Target 283. At last, Shaheen Shah Afridi – he’s the only player on the field for Pakistan who could take two or three in an over to shake things up. But as it has been all night against the left-armer, they’ve never let him work them over, always looked to take their singles off him. And one becomes to here on a misfield here too; Babar hasn’t backed up well enough and the ping at the stumps costs them. Five off is perfectly fine for Afghanistan fro this point – a run-a-ball from five overs is textbook T20 stuff.

44th over: Afghanistan 248-2 (Rahmat 56, Hashmat 32) Target 283. Haris not Shaheen, who is being kept for the very end – big assumption they’ll be a very end knowing the way teams chase in the modern era, trying to avoid the chaos of a 50th over. Anyway, Haris has to hit some stumps. Appeal for a caught behind down the legside… not out from Paul Reiffel. There’s a noise. But they don’t risk burning the final review and Babar is right to ignore Rizwan this time – off thigh pad. It was given as a wide though – a little loophole with tech. Another wide to finish, no doubt about that one – too high on the bumper, the correct call. Throwing in the runs collected with ease throughout off every ball and it moves the score along by nine. Afghanistan have been equal to every challenge tonight – they deserve this.

43rd over: Afghanistan 239-2 (Rahmat 53, Hashmat 28) Target 283. Fantastic batting! I really cannot work out why Shadab bowls that over and not one of the quicks but he does. Hashmat, the captain, sweeps a couple conventionally before reverse-sweeping a boundary! Not far away from the catchers on the circle but it matters not – precious runs. A couple more into the legside with both men charging back to make it so. Then a couple more down the ground to finish. Ten off the over, which means Afghanistan need 44 from 42 balls. Shaheen now… suuuuurely?

42nd over: Afghanistan 229-2 (Rahmat 53, Hashmat 18) Target 283. Usama’s turn. He has a role to play too – has to stand up. Four runs come, all in the smaller coins. But Rahmat is untroubled against the legspinners. To recap, with eight overs left, Babar has Shaheen 3 to come, Hasan 1, Haris 3, Usama 3, Shadab 3, Ifti 5. Almost any combination is possible, I reckon. Shadab to bowl 43. Will they take him down?

Rahmat Shah to 50 in 58 balls

41st over: Afghanistan 225-2 (Rahmat 50, Hashmat 17) Target 283. Does Rahmat try and target Shadab? To begin, he knocks off the milestone – a clutch half-century after the huge opening stand. But that’s Shadab’s best over so far, landing his googly repeatedly to the left-handed Hashmat. Four runs off. 59 from 54 needed.

40th over: Afghanistan 221-2 (Rahmat 49, Hashmat 14) Target 283. Nice insight from Aaron Finch saying that Alex Carey didn’t give him enough information during the DRS process when he was more junior in the team but got very good at it down the track. Back in the middle, Rahmat gets through Shaheen’s over then drives him with power and timing through cover but Saud Shakeel dives at full stretch to stop the boundary and save a couple of runs. 62 needed from 60!

NOT OUT! That’s an awful review. How did Rizwan convince Babar of that? Shaheen can’t be trusted on these matters at the best of times. Not good cricket.

HAS SHAHEEN TRAPPED RAHMAT LBW? It is his first ball back, coming around the wicket and Paul Reiffel has said no. Looked to be sliding way down but up we go!

39th over: Afghanistan 215-2 (Rahmat 46, Hashmat 11) Target 283. Haris starts his seventh. Hasan Ali has one more to go and Shaheen Afridi another four. It doesn’t quite add up – good luck, captain Babar Azam. Four off the over; 68 needed from 66. Whisper it… are we about to have our first final-over finish of the tournament?

38th over: Afghanistan 211-2 (Rahmat 45, Hashmat 8) Target 283. More cramp drama between overs with Rahmat now on the turf between overs. While we wait for Hasan Ali, a good point from Nick Toovey: every chance that we see a non-striker run out if this goes all the way to the end. Hasan backs up a maiden with a series of dots – he’s doing a superb job. OH BUT HOW ABOUT THAT FROM RAHMAT! A straight SIX, perfectly executed at the ideal time. Love to see it.

“Afternoon Adam.” Hello, Kim Thonger. “The Afghans are in danger of losing this game not to Pakistan, but to Fearistan. Now is the time to summon their inner Jack Leach, grit their teeth, look fear in the face, tell it sod off, and power on through.”

On the evidence of what we’ve seen in the last two overs, they will do just that!

37th over: Afghanistan 204-2 (Rahmat 39, Hashmat 7) Target 283. Shadab is back and playing his role – we’re up to 11 dot balls in a row. But Hashmat is equal to this task, coming down the track and clubbing past Shaheen at mid-off to get his first boundary – that’s a top shot. A scampered single follows – that’s the 200 for Afghanistan. Remember, they’ve never beaten Pakistan in an ODI before – this is a huge hour. Now Rahmat, the senior partner, takes the cue from his skipper and sweeps a nice delivery in front of square leg for four as well! Bold batting.

36th over: Afghanistan 195-2 (Rahmat 35, Hashmat 2) Target 283. Hasan has a big heart. With a wicket in his column and knowing how important this spell is, he’s charging in and getting it right. But Hashmat knows the deal here too – he’s happy to defend and deny. A shout for lbw to finish… it’s more of that reverse swing, beats that bat, NOT OUT and they elect against sending it upstairs. Well bowled but they’re right to keep their cool – that’s trending over the top of the stumps. For the first time this evening, the asking rate has now gone above a run-a-ball.

35th over: Afghanistan 195-2 (Rahmat 35, Hashmat 2) Target 283. Four runs off Ifti and a bit of turn too, the last ball finding the outside edge off the new man Hashmat. “It’s amazing what a wicket can do,” says Aaron Finch. The next five overs for Afghanistan are so important – the required rate shouldn’t bother them at 5.9, it’s all about denying Pakistan’s ability to get on a roll before Shaheen returns.

34th over: Afghanistan 191-2 (Rahmat 31, Hashmat 1) Target 283. The skipper is the right man to be walking in for Afghanistan now – gives them a bit of left hand/right hand as well. Still… I sense a late twist. This won’t be easy. A wicket and two runs.

WICKET! Zadran c Rizwan b Hasan Ali 87 off 113 (Afghanistan 190-2)

“They need some inspiration,” says Mike Atherton on TV and next ball Hasan Ali finds the outside edge of Ibrahim Zadran! With just enough bounce and movement off the seam, a thick edge flies into the gloves of Rizwan. A fine innings comes to an end but that’s exactly what Pakistan needed after a few tidier overs after drinks. They’re still going to have to bowl them out but that’s the crucial first step.

Pakistan’s Hasan Ali celebrates after taking the wicket of Afghanistan’s Ibrahim Zadran. Photograph: R Satish Babu/AFP/Getty Images

Updated at 11.43 EDT

33rd over: Afghanistan 189-1 (Ibrahim 87, Rahmat 31) Target 283. Rameez is angry, accusing Imam of being an expert in diving over the ball. Interesting dynamic that, given until very recently he was the grand supremo of Pakistani cricket. Anyway, discussion for another time. Five runs off King Ifti here. But… bring back Shaheen!

32nd over: Afghanistan 184-1 (Ibrahim 85, Rahmat 28) Target 283. Alright – that helps. Hasan, expensive earlier, is back and goes for just one run. Tight overs bring wickets and so it goes. What they can’t do now is give Afghanistan the chance to hit boundaries in the over that follows – the problem all night for Pakistan. A little bit of variable bounce there too. On the back of that, Rameez they should get Shaheen Shah Afridi back on from that end – not a bad shout, can’t leave it too late.

31st over: Afghanistan 183-1 (Ibrahim 85, Rahmat 27) Target 283. From Iftikar they want control – with his finger spin you know exactly what you are going to get. But that works for Rahmat too, who is safe enough getting into position to reverse sweep for the first time and nails it behind point for four! Shot. Eight from the over leaving 100 to win from 19 overs with drinks on the field. Now to stick the landing.

30th over: Afghanistan 175-1 (Ibrahim 82, Rahmat 22) Target 283. Rameez is getting stuck right into the Pakistan players saying they thought defending in the dew it would be a piece of cake – not so. As he rightly identifies, without early wickets – an ongoing problem of late – it’s a tough ask with this bowling attack. Even the good overs, four off Haris here, turn the pressure up on Pakistan – bulk wickets needed.

29th over: Afghanistan 171-1 (Ibrahim 80, Rahmat 21) Target 283. Usama breaks the quiet run for Pakistan, giving Rahmat something to cut for four and he obliges – what a pressure release. And make that two boundaries in a row! Not quite as short but Rahmat backs himself going deep in the crease before playing something of a crosscourt forehand down to long-on – clever! Just when Afghanistan needed a good over to get motoring again they add ten runs. 112 to go in 21 overs.

28th over: Afghanistan 161-1 (Ibrahim 79, Rahmat 12) Target 283. That’s three quiet overs on the trot – Haris this time, three singles off it. With Zadran cramping and Rahmat not going at the same tempo as Gurbaz, this is where this game could turn.

27th over: Afghanistan 158-1 (Ibrahim 77, Rahmat 11) Target 283. Usama, who bowled a good over before he was taken off earlier, returns for a second spell. And he’s picking up from where he left off, landing each of his legbreaks before finishing with one that bounces a little bit more to beat Zadran – one of the only times we’ve seen the outside edge in play for the entirety of the chase. Well bowled; something to build from. And the cramp is back for Zadran – he’s in some real discomfort here.

26th over: Afghanistan 156-1 (Ibrahim 76, Rahmat 10) Target 283. Haris Rauf returns after copping plenty of tap earlier and sets the field to bowl short at Zadran. Four singles from the over, which includes a yorker to finish at the opener – do what they least expect, and all that – dug out for one. There’s almost no way Pakistan restrict Afghanistan from here – they need nine further wickets to do this.

25th over: Afghanistan 152-1 (Ibrahim 74, Rahmat 8) Target 283. At the halfway mark and Afghanistan have 131 to go – that’s a required rate of 5.2; they’re currently going at 6.1. A nice bit of sportsmanship at the end of the over with Zadran going down with some cramp and Rizwan, the Pakistan wicketkeeper – who cramps up all the time himself – immediately coming to his aid to help the Afghanistan opener stretch out the painful leg. Good stuff. Such a horrible sensation.

24th over: Afghanistan 148-1 (Ibrahim 72, Rahmat 6) Target 283. Seven runs from Shaheen’s fifth over – all out to the sweepers but without risk. Perfect outcome for Afghanistan, not allowing the superstar impose himself on this contest.

23rd over: Afghanistan 141-1 (Ibrahim 68, Rahmat 3) Target 283. Yuk. Shadab drops a classic half-tracker to Zadran who is not missing out in this kind of touch – four to cover. It’s difficult to work out where it has gone wrong for Shadab over the last couple of years – he was World XI standard before then. In fairness, 0/22 from four is fine in terms of the overall analysis tonight in context, but he’s got to apply pressure and get himself into the book, multiple times ideally for Pakistan.

22nd over: Afghanistan 135-1 (Ibrahim 62, Rahmat 2) Target 283. We get a look at the Pakistan huddle after the wicket and Imam was speaking passionately. With a breakthrough achieved, Pakistan must win the next ten overs and apply a bit of scoreboard pressure on a side that’s never chased this many to win an ODI before.

WICKET! Gurbaz c Usama b Shaheen Shah Afridi 65 off 53 (Afghanistan 130-1)

Shaheen is back into the attack and straight into the book! How badly Pakistan needed that! He begins back of a length over the wicket and Gurbaz takes the bait, swinging hard in an attempt to pull, but it’s a top edge instead down to the third man and pouched by Usama. That’s a really good catch, doubly so when you consider the nightmares he surely had after putting Warner down the other day.

Pakistan’s Shaheen Afridi (centre) celebrates with teammates after the dismissal of Afghanistan’s Rahmanullah Gurbaz. Photograph: Anupam Nath/AP

Updated at 10.43 EDT