Hey there, cricket lovers! Imagine stepping onto a sun-kissed field in the Caribbean, where the air hums with excitement and every ball could change the game. That’s exactly what happened on June 13, 2024, at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba, Trinidad and Tobago. The Papua New Guinea National Cricket Team, affectionately known as the Barramundas, locked horns with the Afghanistan National Cricket Team in Match 29 of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024. It was a Group C showdown that wasn’t just about runs and wickets—it was about dreams, resilience, and a bit of heartbreak.
If you’re new to cricket or just tuning in, don’t worry. I’ll walk you through this match like we’re chatting over a cup of tea. We’ll dive into the teams, the drama-filled scorecard (with a full table to make it crystal clear), key moments that had everyone cheering, and what it all meant for these underdog nations. By the end, you’ll feel like you were right there in the stands, waving your flag. Let’s get into it—because cricket isn’t just a sport; it’s a story of passion and perseverance.
Meet the Teams: Warriors from Distant Lands
First off, let’s talk about the players on the pitch. Cricket has a way of bringing together folks from all corners of the globe, and this match was no exception. Papua New Guinea, a beautiful island nation in the South Pacific, treats cricket like a national treasure. Their team, the Barramundas, draws inspiration from the mythical bird of paradise on their flag. Led by the steady hand of captain Assad Vala, PNG’s squad blends raw talent with sheer grit. Players like opener Tony Ura and all-rounder Charles Amini bring that Pacific flair—think powerful swings and unyielding spirit. They’ve been making waves in international cricket, proving that size doesn’t matter when you’ve got heart.
On the flip side, Afghanistan’s team is like a desert storm—fierce, unpredictable, and impossible to ignore. Nicknamed the Lions of Panjshir, they’ve risen from the ashes of conflict to become T20 powerhouses. Captain Rashid Khan, the leg-spin wizard who’s just 25 but bowls like he’s got decades of wisdom, leads a lineup stacked with stars. Openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran set the tone, while veterans like Mohammad Nabi add that cool-headed experience. Afghanistan’s journey to the World Cup is inspiring: from refugee camps to global stages, their cricket mirrors their nation’s unbreakable resolve.
This wasn’t their first rodeo. PNG and Afghanistan had clashed before, but nothing quite like this high-stakes T20 encounter. With New Zealand lurking in Group C, a win here could catapult Afghanistan into the Super 8s and send shockwaves through the tournament. PNG, meanwhile, dreamed of an upset to keep their campaign alive. The toss? Afghanistan won it and chose to bowl first—smart move on a pitch that looked tricky, with its dry surface promising to grip the ball just right for the seamers.
The Pitch and the Build-Up: Setting the Stage for Drama
Tarouba’s Brian Lara Stadium isn’t your typical flat T20 paradise. Named after the legendary West Indian batsman, it has a reputation for favoring bowlers early on, especially those who can swing the new ball or spin it wickedly. On this day, the sun beat down, but clouds loomed, hinting at possible interruptions. The outfield was lush, but the pitch? It was a two-faced friend—slow and low, rewarding patience over power.
Leading up to the match, buzz was electric. Afghanistan had stunned everyone with back-to-back wins: a seven-wicket thrashing of Uganda and a historic 84-run demolition of New Zealand. PNG, though, had struggled, losing their opener to West Indies and then to Uganda. But hey, in T20 cricket, one good day can flip the script. Fans from both sides flooded social media with memes and predictions—would PNG’s run-outs haunt them again, or could Afghanistan’s spinners unravel on this surface?
As the anthems played, you could feel the tension. Little did we know, this game would deliver four run-outs, a heroic knock, and a qualification party for one team. Strap in—here’s how it all went down.
Innings Breakdown: PNG’s Batting Woes and a Fighting Spirit
Afghanistan’s decision to bowl first paid dividends almost immediately. PNG openers Tony Ura and Assad Vala walked out to a smattering of cheers, but the Afghan seam attack, led by Fazalhaq Farooqi and Naveen-ul-Haq, was locked and loaded.
PNG’s Rocky Start: From Hope to Heartbreak
Ura, PNG’s explosive opener, looked solid at first, nudging singles and even cracking a boundary. But on the 18th ball of the innings, Naveen-ul-Haq struck gold. A full delivery nipped back in, beating Ura’s defensive prod and crashing into the stumps. PNG: 11/1 in 3.4 overs. Oof—that set the tone.
Enter captain Vala, who needed to steady the ship. But disaster struck in the very next over. Vala pushed a quick single from Fazalhaq Farooqi, then went for a risky second… and a third! Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s lightning throw from the deep found Vala short, run out for just 3 off 2 balls. PNG: 12/2 in 4.1 overs. The crowd gasped—talk about a captain going down with the ship early!
Lega Siaka joined Ura’s replacement, Charles Amini, but the Afghans smelled blood. Fazalhaq was on fire, clean-bowling Amini with a peach that seamed away just enough. Then, in a blur of three balls, PNG lost Hiri Hiri (run out for 0) and Semo Kamea (caught behind off Naveen for 0). From 12/2, they slumped to 12/3… then 12/4… and finally 17/5 in under five overs. It was carnage—PNG’s batters were like deer in headlights against the moving ball.
The Middle-Order Mess: Run-Outs and Resilience
Here’s where PNG’s infamous run-out curse kicked in. Four of them in one innings! Imagine calling for a quick single, only for your partner to send you back—pure chaos. Kiplin Doriga, the wicketkeeper-batter, walked in at 50/7 after more mix-ups felled Norman Vanua and Chad Soper. But Doriga? What a fighter. He hung in there, playing shots with soft hands and rotating the strike. Partnered with Alei Nao lower down, they added a gritty 38-run stand for the eighth wicket—the highest of the innings.
Doriga top-scored with 27 off 26 balls, including a couple of cheeky boundaries that got the PNG bench roaring. Nao chipped in with 18, but it wasn’t enough. John Kariko fell to Rashid Khan’s guile, stumped for 1, and finally, Doriga holed out to long-on off Noor Ahmad, bowled for a valiant effort. PNG all out for 95 in 19.5 overs. Run rate? A measly 4.87. Extras added 13, mostly wides and leg-byes—small mercies.
Afghanistan’s bowlers were clinical: Fazalhaq Farooqi (3/16), Naveen-ul-Haq (2/4—yes, just four runs off his four overs!), and spinners Rashid and Noor chipping in. It was a masterclass in death bowling, but PNG’s self-inflicted wounds hurt the most.
Full Scorecard Table: PNG Batting in Detail
To make sense of the collapse, here’s the complete batting scorecard for Papua New Guinea. I’ve laid it out simply so you can see who shone (or struggled) at a glance.
| Batsman | Dismissal | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | Strike Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tony Ura | b Naveen-ul-Haq | 11 | 18 | 1 | 0 | 61.11 |
| Assad Vala (c) | run out (Fazalhaq Farooqi/Gurbaz) | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 150.00 |
| Charles Amini | b Fazalhaq Farooqi | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Hiri Hiri | run out (Gurbaz) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Semo Kamea | c †Gurbaz b Naveen-ul-Haq | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Lega Siaka | c Ibrahim Zadran b Azmatullah Omarzai | 12 | 21 | 1 | 0 | 57.14 |
| Norman Vanua | run out (Rashid Khan/†Gurbaz) | 4 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 50.00 |
| Kiplin Doriga (wk) | c Gulbadin Naib b Noor Ahmad | 27 | 26 | 2 | 0 | 103.85 |
| Alei Nao | not out | 18 | 26 | 1 | 0 | 69.23 |
| John Kariko | st †Gurbaz b Rashid Khan | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 25.00 |
| Kwena Maha | b Fazalhaq Farooqi | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 50.00 |
| Extras | (lb 2, w 10, nb 1) | 13 | – | – | – | – |
| Total | (all out, 19.5 overs) | 95 | (RR: 4.87) |
Fall of Wickets: 11-1 (Ura, 3.4 ov), 12-2 (Vala, 4.1 ov), 12-3 (Amini, 4.3 ov), 12-4 (Kamea, 4.5 ov), 17-5 (Hiri, 5.2 ov), 27-6 (Vanua, 7.4 ov), 50-7 (Siaka, 13.1 ov), 88-8 (Doriga, 18.6 ov), 89-9 (Kariko, 19.1 ov), 95-10 (Maha, 19.5 ov).
PNG’s bowlers had a mountain to climb now. Could they defend 96? In T20, anything’s possible, but Afghanistan’s batting firepower loomed large.
Afghanistan’s Chase: Steady Nerves and a Hero Emerges
Chasing 96 should be a stroll in the park, right? Not on this pitch. It slowed down further under the lights, gripping like velcro for the spinners. PNG’s openers, Alei Nao and Kwena Maha, with support from Charles Amini’s left-arm spin, gave it everything.
Early Jitters: Losing the Top Order
Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Afghanistan’s dasher, started aggressively, smashing a four off the first ball from Maha. But Nao struck back in the third over, bowling Gurbaz for 8 as he played across the line. AFG: 17/1 in 2.4 overs.
Ibrahim Zadran joined Gulbadin Naib, but PNG smelled upset. Amini tempted Zadran into a lofted drive, caught at mid-off by Siaka for 0. AFG: 22/2 in 4.2 overs. The crowd erupted—PNG were into the middle order early!
Enter Azmatullah Omarzai, the all-rounder with a cool head. He and Naib rebuilt patiently, picking singles and waiting for the loose ball. Naib, playing his natural game, flicked a boundary off Vanua and even launched a six over midwicket. By the 10-over mark, AFG were 59/2, cruising but not flying.
The Turning Point: Naib’s Masterclass
PNG fought back valiantly. Maha bowled a tight over, and then Amini got Omarzai—caught brilliantly at slip by Vala for 10. AFG: 70/3 in 13.3 overs. Now, it was down to Naib and the veteran Mohammad Nabi. Nabi, 39 and wiser than most, played second fiddle, content to nudge and rotate.
But Naib? He was the star. Unbeaten on 49 off 36 balls (4×4, 2×6), he took on PNG’s attack with flair. A cover drive off Nao was pure silk, and that match-winning six over long-on off Kariko sealed the deal. In the 15.1 over, with 29 balls to spare, Afghanistan reached 101/3. Victory by 7 wickets. Naib’s knock wasn’t flashy, but it was flawless—turning potential pressure into a procession.
PNG’s bowlers deserve props: Nao (1/23), Maha (1/25), and Amini (1/18) kept it tight, conceding just 10 extras. But 95 was always going to be tough to defend.
Full Scorecard Table: Afghanistan Batting in Detail
Here’s Afghanistan’s chase laid out. Notice how Naib carried the load—classic T20 heroism.
| Batsman | Dismissal | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | Strike Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk) | b Nao | 8 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 160.00 |
| Ibrahim Zadran | c Siaka b Amini | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Gulbadin Naib | not out | 49 | 36 | 4 | 2 | 136.11 |
| Azmatullah Omarzai | c Vala b Amini | 10 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 50.00 |
| Mohammad Nabi | not out | 25 | 23 | 2 | 0 | 108.70 |
| Najibullah Zadran | did not bat | – | – | – | – | – |
| Karim Janat | did not bat | – | – | – | – | – |
| Rashid Khan (c) | did not bat | – | – | – | – | – |
| Noor Ahmad | did not bat | – | – | – | – | – |
| Naveen-ul-Haq | did not bat | – | – | – | – | – |
| Fazalhaq Farooqi | did not bat | – | – | – | – | – |
| Extras | (b 1, lb 5, w 10, nb 3) | 19 | – | – | – | – |
| Total | (3 wkts, 15.1 overs) | 101 | (RR: 6.68) |
Fall of Wickets: 17-1 (Gurbaz, 2.4 ov), 22-2 (Ibrahim Zadran, 4.2 ov), 70-3 (Omarzai, 13.3 ov).
Bowling Breakdowns: The Heroes with the Ball
No full scorecard is complete without the bowlers. PNG’s attack showed promise but leaked runs in patches. Afghanistan’s, though, was a demolition crew.
PNG Bowling Table
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | Economy | Extras |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kwena Maha | 4 | 0 | 25 | 1 | 6.25 | – |
| Alei Nao | 4 | 0 | 23 | 1 | 5.75 | – |
| Charles Amini | 4 | 0 | 18 | 1 | 4.50 | – |
| Semo Kamea | 1 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 10.00 | – |
| Norman Vanua | 1 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 13.00 | – |
| John Kariko | 1.1 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 7.00 | – |
Afghanistan Bowling Table
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | Economy | Extras |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fazalhaq Farooqi | 4 | 0 | 16 | 3 | 4.00 | – |
| Naveen-ul-Haq | 4 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 1.00 | – |
| Azmatullah Omarzai | 2 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 3.50 | – |
| Rashid Khan | 4 | 0 | 16 | 1 | 4.00 | – |
| Noor Ahmad | 3.5 | 0 | 23 | 1 | 6.08 | – |
| Karim Janat | 2 | 0 | 21 | 0 | 10.50 | – |
Fazalhaq’s figures were match-winning gold, earning him Player of the Match honors.
Key Moments and Player Spotlights: The Stuff of Legends
What makes cricket magical? Those nail-biting instants. Vala’s run-out? A comedy of errors that swung momentum. Doriga’s 27? A lone warrior’s tale, keeping PNG’s total respectable. Naib’s six to finish? Pure elation—arms raised, teammates mobbing him.
Spotlight on Fazalhaq Farooqi: The 24-year-old pacer from Nangarhar bowled with fire, his three wickets coming in clusters. “I came here to perform,” he said post-match, dedicating it to his fans back home. For PNG, Doriga was the unsung hero—his strike rate of over 100 showed class under pressure.
Umpiring calls added spice too: Two DRS reviews for PNG (both turned down), keeping the drama alive. And those four run-outs? PNG’s fielding coach probably had a long night!
The Aftermath: Super 8s Glory and Lessons Learned
Afghanistan’s win sealed their Super 8s spot, topping Group C with a net run rate of +1.481. It knocked out New Zealand—Kane Williamson’s side out before the semis for the first time since 2014. Rashid Khan beamed: “We’ve played good cricket as a unit.” Up next? West Indies in St Lucia, where franchise experience would help.
For PNG, it was a tough pill. Vala admitted, “Giving away four wickets through run-outs put us under pressure.” But kudos—their fight inspired. They’re building, and who knows? The next World Cup could be theirs.
This match wasn’t just stats; it was a reminder that cricket levels the field. From PNG’s islands to Afghanistan’s mountains, these teams showed heart trumps all.
Wrapping Up: Why This Papua New Guinea National Cricket Team vs Afghanistan National Cricket Team Match Scorecard Matters
As the players shook hands under the floodlights, you couldn’t help but smile. Papua New Guinea National Cricket Team vs Afghanistan National Cricket Team Match Scorecard reflected, and fans worldwide tuned in for more. In a world of giants like India and Australia, matches like this keep cricket’s soul alive—underdogs dreaming big.
