Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe: Afghanistan has completed a clean sweep in the three-match T20 series against Zimbabwe. They sealed the sweep by winning the third and final match of the series, held in Sharjah on November 1st.
Afghanistan won the final T20 encounter against Zimbabwe with great ease, a victory in which the son of Mohammad Amir played a major role. (For clarity: Mohammad Amir is the father of Afghan spinner Noor Ahmad.) Noor Ahmad claimed 5 wickets in the third T20, making it difficult for Zimbabwe who batted first to even reach a total of 80 runs.
Noor Ahmad takes 5 wickets in a T20I for the first time
In the final T20I played in Sharjah on November 1, the Zimbabwe team, batting first, could not even complete their full quota of 20 overs. The entire side was bowled out for 79 runs in 14.3 overs. Noor Ahmad was the architect of Zimbabwe's collapse, claiming 5 wickets for just 13 runs in 3.3 overs.
This marks the first time Noor Ahmad has taken 5 wickets in a T20I. Following this stellar bowling performance, Afghanistan successfully chased down the target of 80 runs in 8.1 overs, losing 3 wickets in the process.
How did a 10th-grade school topper become an international cricketer?
Although Noor Ahmad’s father, Mohammad Amir, now enjoys watching every match his son plays never missing a single one his perspective was quite different when Noor Ahmad first took his initial steps toward professional cricket.
Noor Ahmad was in the 10th grade when he chose to pursue professional cricket. He had always been bright academically and was even the topper of his school in the 10th grade. Precisely because of his exceptional performance in his studies, his father did not want him to abandon his education to play cricket.
In an interview with ESPN, Noor Ahmad explained why his father wanted to keep him away from cricket. According to Noor, he was a good student at school; his father was concerned about whether he would truly be able to reach a high level in cricket, which is why he was hesitant to let him pursue the sport.
The pressure to think twice about a career in cricket also came from outside the family. At times, school teachers and even the principal would approach his father, arguing that since he was a bright and promising student, he should focus on his schooling rather than playing cricket.
However, amidst these pressures, his brother played a crucial role in persuading their father to allow him to play cricket. It is his brother who deserves the credit for paving the way for him to become a cricketer.
