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Afghanistan were knocked out of the ongoing Asia Cup 2023 after a close defeat against Sri Lanka in their last Group stage match of the tournament, played at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. However, this loss left them in distraught due to major miscalculation. As far as everyone was aware of, the Afghanistan team had to chase the total of 292 set by Sri Lanka in 37.1 overs to seal a Super 4s berth, but the team was in shock after they made a blunder in understanding the qualification scenario for Super Fours.
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As part of this misunderstanding, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has reportedly reached out to Asian Cricket Council (ACC) to lodge a complaint with them. The Afghanistan board wants to interrogate whose fault it has been for the miscalculation. However, the board or even the ACC hasn’t made a confirmation on this, but several media houses have reported of the same with the Council set to look into it in an elaborate manner.
Talking about the match, Sri Lanka put up 292-run target at the loss of eight wickets in the 50 overs after opting to bat first. At one point of time, Afghanistan needed three runs off one ball to qualify for the Super 4s, but the side lost their ninth wicket in Mujeeb Ur Rahman. With the target missed, Afghanistan took things lightly as Fazalhaq Farooqi playing two dot balls and then getting out on the next.
It is still being speculated that the management wasn’t aware of that Afghanistan could have bettered the Net Run Rate of Sri Lanka if they had reached 293 after 37.2 overs, 294 after 37.3, 295 after 37.5 overs and 296 after 38 overs. It was further communicated by Jonathan Trott as he said, “We were never communicated those calculations. All we were communicated was we needed to win in 37.1 overs.”
“We were not told what the overs in which we could get 295 or 297. That we could win in 38.1 overs was never communicated to us,” Trott was further quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.
