Naveen ul Haq's game-changing 13-ball over leads to Afghanistan's loss against Zimbabwe

Naveen's over, the 15th of the innings, ended up being an eventful one with seven extra deliveries, resulting in a total of 19 runs being scored. This brought the required run rate down from 9.5 to 7.6, making the task much more achievable for the hosts with just 38 runs needed off 30 balls.

In an at-times comical over, Naveen began with a wide, before bowling the first legal delivery of the over. He followed this up with a waist-high no-ball that Sikandar Raza hit for four. With a free-hit coming up, Naveen bowled four consecutive wide balls outside the off-stump, in an attempt to not give Raza anything to hit. Finally, the legal free-hit itself was hit for a boundary as well. On just one delivery, Naveen had essentially conceded 13 runs, having run in to bowl six times.

However, Naveen would find some success in this over, managing to dismiss Raza on the third ball of the over. Things wouldn’t get worse for Afghanistan, thankfully, as the rest of the over went for just three singles and another bonus wide.

Afghanistan would wrestle back some momentum, as the following over produced 10 runs and the over after that saw Rashid Khan give away just three runs, as well as taking two wickets including the set batter in Brian Bennett on 49. Mujeeb-Ur-Rahman bowled the following over, conceding only 4 runs and putting his team in the driver’s seat.

Naveen would then return for the 19th over, with Zimbabwe needing 21 runs in the final two overs. However, pace-on would provide more joy for the Zimbabwe batters: despite dismissing Wessly Madhevere, the Zimbabwe batters were able to score 10 runs off Naveen, although the Afghan pacer didn’t deliver any extras on this occasion.

Azmatullah Omarzai was left to defend 11 off the final over, but Tashinga Musekiwa was the hero, steering his team home in a tense final over.