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Afghanistan lose ICC Champions Trophy 2025 warm-up match to New Zealand
New Zealand completed a stunning chase to beat Afghanistan by two wickets in their final one-day international (ODI) warm-up before the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz top scored with 110 off 107 deliveries, while Sediqullah Atal hit 52, as Afghanistan posted 305-9, batting first at the National Stadium in Karachi, Pakistan on Sunday evening.
The Kiwis, who open the tournament on Wednesday against hosts Pakistan, looked in trouble when they were reduced to 152-5 in the 30th over as Rashid Khan snared two of the wickets. Dean Conway (66), thereafter, and Glenn Phillips (46), previously, were, however, both able to retire out to offer match practice for those following.
Daryl Mitchell, who ranks seventh on the list of ICC ODI batters, made full use of the opportunity, proving the ever-reliable finisher for the Black Caps as he and Matt Henry saw their team over the line with an unbeaten 74-run partnership for the ninth wicket.
Mitchell’s 36 off 25 balls was heavily complimented by Henry’s 31 off 20.
Both sides used 15-man teams on rotation for the 11-a-side match, which substantially helped to the aggregate total of 613 runs as batter after batter was sent to the middle.
It was still a close call for New Zealand, though, with Henry having to play his part to seal the victory with the highest strike rate of the match by anyone reaching double figures.
Hashmat Shahidi (40) and Ibrahim Zadran (32) helped to top up the Afghan total before their Champions Trophy debut against South Africa on Friday. Zadran shared an opening stand of 96 with Gurbaz, who was eventually removed by a combination of Mitchell with the ball and Henry in the field.
The latter claimed two wickets, as did Jacob Duffy and Mitchell Santner. Afghanistan had reached 234-3 in a dominant start before Mitchell’s intervention to remove Gurbaz slowed matters.
The chase played out in reverse fashion with the slow start from the Kiwis, but cameos from Mark Chapman (47) and Santner (33) ensured there was at least a foundation upon which Mitchell and Henry were able to launch.
The Kiwi victory was achieved with 13 balls to spare and was a considerable marker laid down by a side considered dark horses for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy.
Mitchell Santner’s side already warmed up for their opener by beating hosts – and second favourites – Pakistan by five wickets in their tri-series on Friday. New Zealand will play Pakistan again in the opening match of the Champions Trophy in Karachi on Wednesday.
The Champions Trophy, regarded as second only to the World Cup in the one-day game, runs until March 9 and is the first global cricket tournament hosted by Pakistan in nearly three decades.
[Aljazeera]
As West Indies continue to remain stuck in Kolkata four days after being eliminated from the 2026 T20 World Cup, their head coach Daren Sammy has put out a post on X, saying “I just wanna go home”.
He followed it up with another post a little later, saying, “At least an update, tell us something. Today, tmw, next week. It’s been five days.”
West Indies are one of the teams stranded in India in the wake of the crisis in West Asia. ESPNcricinfo has learned that initially, the ICC had informed West Indies that attempts were being made for the squad to return home to the Caribbean via a charter flight to London. The plan, it is believed, was for West Indies to fly out of India mid-week, though no specific date was given. However, West Indies continue to remain in Kolkata where they lost to India in the final match of the Super Eight on March 1.
With the usual airspace corridors closed owing to the crisis, which began last weekend, the ICC has been confronted with a severe logistical challenge of arranging return flights for teams.
On Wednesday, though, there was good news for Zimbabwe, with the first batch of their squad members leaving for home from Delhi after the ICC reworked their travel arrangements.
Like West Indies, Zimbabwe played their last match at the T20 World Cup on March 1, losing to South Africa in Delhi. Zimbabwe were originally scheduled to depart on March 2, but that plan was cancelled.
There is no official word on the travel plans for the rest of their squad members.
“Zimbabwe Cricket confirms that the Zimbabwe senior men’s team participating in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 are on their way home from India after the International Cricket Council secured alternative travel arrangements following recent transit disruptions,” Zimbabwe Cricket said in a statement on Wednesday. “Due to flight availability and revised routing, the squad will return to Harare in batches.
“Zimbabwe’s original travel route was via Dubai on an Emirates flight but it had to be altered. It has been learnt that Zimbabwe are now travelling to Harare via Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.”
South Africa were eliminated in the semi-final by New Zealand on Wednesday night, and will now wait to know their schedule for getting back home. In case England lose to India in the second semi-final on Thursday, their travel plans back will also have to be worked out.
[Cricinfo]
Nepalis go to the polls today [5 March] to elect a new government.
The general election is the country’s first since deadly youth-led anti-corruption protests toppled the government in September 2025.
The Himalayan republic has since been led by an interim government under former chief justice Sushila Karki, which promised to hold fresh elections and hand over power within six months.
The election commission has promised to release the results of the 165 directly elected seats within 24 hours from when counting starts, but the process of collecting ballot boxes from across the mountainous country and delivering them to count centres typically takes at least a day.
It could take another two to three days to tally the results of the proportional representation vote, officials said.
So if the election commission keeps its word it would be a huge departure from how long it typically takes for results to be released in the country.
Ram Prasad Bhandari, the chief election commissioner, says he is committed to finish counting by 9 March.
During the last election in 2022, it took nearly two weeks for results to be released.
This is because some polling stations are located in difficult, hilly terrain – more than 80% of Nepal is mountainous – which makes the collection of ballot boxes a challenging logistical exercise.
Some need to be carried down by hand, for instance, while others have to be airlifted in and out of polling stations.
Planes and helicopters are also not allowed into some remote areas after dark, which often means collection can begin only the next morning. Bad weather also interferes with the collection process.
[BBC]
[Cricbuzz]
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