Naib Admits Opportunity Lost For Afghanistan

Afghanistan captain Gulbadin Naib paid tribute to the Sri Lanka bowlers as his side were beaten by 34 runs in Cardiff. Looking for their first victory in the World Cup, Afghanistan were given hope following a dramatic batting collapse by Sri Lanka, that meant they needed a rain-revised target of just 187 from 41 overs.

However they slipped to 57-5, before a partnership of 64 by Najibullah Zadran and captain Naib gave them hope that the victory could still be on. Nuwan Pradeep returned and took two quick wickets for Sri Lanka to effectively put the match to bed, and Naib admitted it was an opportunity missed.

“We lost the momentum because they scored 100 runs early on,” Naib said. “In the middle overs, we thought they would score 300-plus, so credit to Nabi for his spell there. “Credit though should also go to the Sri Lanka bowlers for how well they bowled. The target was not too much – we prepared for that in the last few months – but we were missing something.”