Even as the smog grew thicker in the Delhi afternoon, Azmatullah Omarzai delivered an all-round performance of immense clarity to give Afghanistan their first win of this T20 World Cup. UAE had them on the mat, huffing and puffing, with 52 needed off the last five overs. The required rate, routinely achieved in the age of modern T20s, looked bigger on a pitch that had stayed slow and grippy throughout.

Omarzai eased the nerves of a close contest – Afghanistan had tied three of their previous six T20Is in India, after all – to seal the match with 6, 4, 4 off his final three balls. He finished on a 21-ball 40*, with a strike rate of 190.47 on a day when Darwish Rasooli’s 143 was their next best. Consequently, Afghanistan’s careful approach had dragged them into the final over of their chase. Two balls into it, Omarzai’s four over covers finished it off.

Despite scoring an under-par 160, UAE sensed a close contest brewing when Junaid Siddiaque had Rahmanullah Gurbaz mistiming a lofted drive to backward point on the second ball of the innings. Ibrahim Zadran’s consolidation was back to its best after a quiet start to this World Cup. He brought up a 37-ball fifty to keep them in the contest.

Brief scores:
Afghanistan 162 for 5 in 19.5 overs (Ibrahim Zadran 53, Gulbadin Naib 13, Sediqullah Atal 16, Darwish Rasooli 33, Azmatullah  Omarzai 40*; Junaid  Siddique 2-23, Muhammad Jawadullah 1-39, Muhamad Arfan 2-30) beat UAE 160 for 9 inn20 overs (Muhammad Waseem 10, Sohaib Khan 68, Alishan Sharafu 40, Syed Haider 13, Haider Ali 13;  Azmatullah Omarzai 4-15, Mujeeb Ur Rahman 2-31, Raashid Khan 1-24) by 5 runs

[Cricinfo]

Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated that no one will be allowed to drag the country’s future backward by inciting racism, and emphasized that women must step forward to carry forward the change that has been initiated.

The Prime Minister made these remarks while addressing the Mannar District Women’s Meeting held on Sunday [15 th of February] in the Adampan area of the Mannar District.

Speaking further, the Prime Minister stated:

“You know that our government has brought about a change in women’s representation. According to statistics, about 52% of the population are women. That means women constitute a powerful segment of our country’s population. However, when we consider various sectors and the challenges faced in daily life, the question remains whether this power is reflected in practice.

One of the main problems our country faced was war and violence, which caused us to view one another with distrust. As a result, we truly became a divided nation. Consequently, women were the ones who suffered the most. We know that many women in this country have endured immense suffering after losing their mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, brothers, and sisters. We are aware that many such women live in this region as well. Although the war ended a long time ago, peace has still not taken root in people’s hearts. Even today, there are women who do not know what happened to their family members. There are many women who struggle alone to protect and sustain their families.

Our government is committed to go against racism. We believe that everyone in this country should be able to live safely with equal rights. However, racist groups are still attempting to create divisions among people. They are not interested in stopping corruption, protecting democracy, ensuring the equal application of the law, or strengthening the economy. Their only objective is to gain power, not for the benefit of the people, but for themselves.

We know how much they have destroyed this country’s resources. In 2022, the country faced a massive economic collapse. But by 2025, our government was able to strengthen the economy by putting an end to theft, corruption, and waste. That is why, when Cyclone Ditwah struck, we were able to assist the people without borrowing loans.

Recently, for the first time in 21 years, we were able to distribute profits of the Milco institution among dairy farmers. Within about a year, by increasing revenue streams and minimizing waste in institutions, we were able to share profits.

We are rebuilding institutions which have fallen apart putting an end to fraud and corruption, stopping the waste, and ensuring that the benefits reach the people. Yet, some are attempting to take the country backward by stirring up racism.

Women are among those most affected by racism. Should we allow ourselves to be divided again and let discord rise? No. That is why women’s leadership is essential. To carry forward the change we have begun, women must step forward. There is still much work to be done. We will not allow our forward journey to be reversed.

One of the major challenges we face today is the drug menace. We fear for our children becoming victims of drugs, and as a result, family disputes have increased. People are afraid to go out or leave homes due to drug addicts. The President has made a special commitment to eradicate harmful drugs from the country. Those who were in power previously provided protection to these groups, preventing the police from enforcing the law properly. Today, we have instructed the police to enforce the law correctly. The police can now perform their duties properly, and the judiciary is delivering independent decisions. If a crime is committed, punishment must follow. The law is equal for everyone. We are aware that there are still areas where the law is not properly enforced.

There are still women and children who suffer from violence and abuse. The law must be more effective in ensuring the safety of women and children. We are increasing judicial capacity and taking steps to address such cases more swiftly.

Mothers make great sacrifices with faith in their children’s education. That is why we are working to provide quality education to all children. After five years, we are recruiting graduate teachers this year, and they will definitely be assigned to schools with vacancies. Proper appointments of principals had not been made earlier; we began filling these vacancies last year. Alongside this, we are developing school infrastructure. There is no distinction between big schools and small schools. Every school belongs to our children.

We are developing one school in each division and have informed District Development Committees to nominate those schools. We are also working to establish smart classrooms in every secondary school. In addition, from this year, education for Grade One has commenced under a new curriculum.

We came to power to rebuild this country, and we must do so. Women contribute significantly to the economy, yet they receive the lowest wages. Women have achieved high progress in all sectors. Therefore, when women engage in self-employment from home or participate in the workforce, facilities must be created to ensure the safety and care of their children”

The occasion was attended by the Member of Parliament Jegatheeswaran, along with municipal and divisional council representatives and a large number of women.

[Prime Minister’s Media Division]