ICC Awards: 5 best knocks of Mohammad Shahzad in 2016

#4 84 vs Scotland, Edinburgh

He was at it again against the Scots

In a rain-curtailed match, Mohammad Shahzad and Afghanistan dismantled Scotland by 78 runs (Duckworth-Lewis method) and clinched the series by 1-0. Afghanistan won the toss and elected to have a crack at the Scottish bowlers.

The pitch wasn’t a belter, but Shahzad made it look like one with some scorching strokes. Though he was sedate by his standards, he churned out boundaries to keep the bowlers at bay. In most partnerships, he outscored his partners comprehensively. With eight 4’s and two 6’s, the swashbuckling batsman was right on top of his game.

Guided by Shahzad’s knock, Afghanistan crept their way up to 178/6 in 37.2 overs when rain halted play. The downpour was heavy enough to call-off Afghanistan’s innings and Scotland was set a target of 210 in 36 overs.

Scotland batsmen never attained the ascendancy during the chase as they were stiffened by some nagging piece of bowling by both the pacers and the spinners. After an impressive start, Scotland lost wickets in heaps and never recovered from the slump.