ICC World Cup 2019 | Thought Sri Lanka would get to 300 at one point, claims Gulbadin Naib

The Afghanistan national team slumped to their second loss from two games in the ongoing ICC World Cup 2019 as they fell to a 34-run loss (DLS method). Afghanistan looked to be in a tough spot early on in the first innings and looked on par to get a 300-run score before all-rounder Mohammad Nabi stepped up for his team.

Nabi, who ended with figures of 4/30, was influential in last night’s game as he picked up three quick wickets to dismiss the Sri Lankan middle order and reduce the overall score. Afghanistan skipper Gulbadin Naib admitted that he was scared of Sri Lanka getting a big target on the board before Nabi stepped in.

"(Where things went wrong) Start of the day, we didn't bowl in good areas and lost momentum from there. They got to 100 in no time. At one point, I thought they would get to 300 but Nabi bowled really well. Wicket wasn't easy for the batters, so I was telling the bowlers to hit the right spots, hit the deck. In the middle overs, Dawlat and Hamid found their lines. Credit goes to them and the other bowlers," Naib said at the post-match interview reports Cricbuzz.

Naib added that the Afghanistan national team's batting order will need to improve if they want to get the results they desire at the ongoing ICC World Cup 2019.

"Target wasn't that tough, especially considering how we have been preparing recently as a chasing side. We need improvement in the batting department, need to learn to stitch small partnerships, especially against such quality bowling. At the start of the day, it was cloudy and I expected it to be the same throughout. We could have batted better, played straighter and watched the ball better," Naib added.