Afghan fast bowler Naveen ul Haq stepped up to bowl with the new ball and made a significant impact. The right-arm pacer has become the centre of attention after his outstanding performance helped Afghanistan secure their first World Cup semifinal by defeating Bangladesh.
Naveen, who had taken a break from ODIs after the last World Cup to focus on T20s, turned the game around for Afghanistan. He dismissed the last two Bangladeshi batters, Taskin Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman, with consecutive deliveries, securing an eight-run victory for his team.
This was not the only moment Naveen influenced the game. He had earlier proved his capabilities with the new ball by removing opener and captain Najmul Hossain and Shakib Al Hasan with back-to-back deliveries in the third over. This effort was crucial in instilling confidence in the Afghan camp after they posted a modest total of 115.
Naveen’s early wickets were a significant relief, especially since he had requested the new ball from captain Rashid Khan before their game against Australia. He validated this trust by taking two wickets – Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh – and later dismissing Aston Agar, playing a key role in their historic win over Australia, despite Gulbadin Naib’s brilliance overshadowing his efforts.
Until this point, Afghanistan had relied on Fazalhaq Farooqi, Mujeeb-Ur-Rahman, Mohammad Nabi, and Azmatullah Omarzai to bowl with the new ball. The absence of Mujeeb, known for his readiness to bowl early, affected the overall balance of their bowling attack.
Cricbuzz revealed that there were discussions within the Afghan team management regarding the new ball pair after Mujeeb’s absence. Naveen, who had taken seven wickets as a first-change bowler (except against the West Indies where he was second change), approached the captain before the Australia game to bowl with the new ball, and the decision paid off.
Naveen confirmed to Cricbuzz that he had indeed asked to bowl with the new ball. West Indian legend Dwayne Bravo, who joined the Afghan team as a bowling consultant ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup, acknowledged this development in a chat with the ICC. Bravo praised Naveen’s courage to take on the responsibility of the new ball and deliver results.
Bravo noted that it was impressive to see Naveen step up. He mentioned that there was some debate about who should bowl the first over and who should take the new ball, but Naveen volunteered for the role and fulfilled his promise. Bravo highlighted that having such talent and self-belief is rare.
The Afghan team management is hopeful that Naveen will continue to excel with the new ball when they face South Africa in the semifinal, aiming to keep their fairytale run alive.