In a historic debut match for Uganda in the T20 World Cup on June 4th, Fazal Farooqi delivered a standout performance, securing a remarkable 5-wicket haul. The Afghan pacer's exceptional spell rattled Uganda's batting order, resulting in a disappointing end to their inaugural appearance in the tournament. Farooqi's stellar figures of 5 for 9 in his allotted 4 overs proved instrumental as Uganda was bundled out for just 58 runs while chasing a target of 184 at the Providence Stadium in Guyana.
Afghanistan had earlier set a formidable total of 183 runs, largely propelled by the impressive opening partnership of Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran, who amassed 154 runs together. Farooqi wasted no time in making an impact, striking with two wickets in the very first over of Uganda's innings. His early breakthroughs set the tone for Uganda's struggles as they continued to lose wickets at regular intervals. Naveen-ul-Haq chipped in with two wickets, while Mujeeb-ur-Rahman claimed one. Farooqi's dominance continued as he returned to claim three more wickets in his third over, putting Uganda under immense pressure once again and even coming close to securing a hat-trick during that remarkable spell.
Farooqi's exceptional figures placed him in the elite company of T20 World Cup history, ranking as the fourth-best bowling performance ever. Topping the list remains Ajantha Mendis' outstanding spell against Zimbabwe in the 2012 edition, where he claimed six wickets for a mere eight runs. On the other end of the spectrum, Uganda's batting collapse led them to record the fourth-lowest total in the history of the tournament, surpassing New Zealand's 60 runs against Sri Lanka in the 2014 edition.
Reflecting on his remarkable performance, Farooqi expressed his regret at missing out on a hat-trick opportunity, a feat he has narrowly missed in the past. However, he remains focused on continual improvement, emphasising his efforts to adapt his bowling strategy to exploit the conditions effectively, aiming to deliver even better performances in the future.
"I have missed a hat-trick 7-8 times in my career. It’s not something in my control but I will try better in the future. (Plans today) I tried to bowl into the wicket and see what happens. It swung from the beginning and later on I tried to bowl slower since it wasn’t coming onto the bat that nicely," said Farooqi.
Afghanistan will next play New Zealand on June 7 in their next game.