Zadran 177, Omarzai fifer lead Afghanistan to 8-run win, England knocked out of CT
Lahore: Ibrahim Zadran's majestic 177 and pacer Azmatullah Omarzai's fifer trumped Joe Root's masterful hundred, as the brave Afghanistan registered a thrilling 8-run win to knock a largely-insipid England out of the Champions Trophy here on Wednesday.
England are winless after two matches and in their last league match in Group B they will face South Africa, who already have three points along with Australia.
Afghanistan now have two points and will have to beat the Aussies in their final group match to entertain the hopes of reaching the last eight.
For a long time, England's chase merely rattled along as the dismissal of Phil Salt and Jamie Smith jolted them early. They were 30 for two then, and eventually ended up at 317 all out with a ball to spare as pacer Omarzai (5/58) struck at crucial junctures.
But Root (120, 111b, 11x4, 1x6) brought stability to England's innings through two alliances, adding 68 runs with Ben Duckett (38), who was dropped on 29, for the third wicket and then an 83-run stand with skipper Jos Buttler for the fifth wicket.
They were not really blazing partnerships but kept England afloat, keeping them in the vicinity of the asking rate.
But the jettisoning of Duckett and Buttler prematurely curtailed those blossoming joint ventures, as Root had to shoulder the burden all by himself.
Root's was a clever innings, as he hardly hit any ball in anger but still managed a strike-rate close to 100, and at times above 100.
But there those little flourishes which are so central to a Root innings such as a reverse sweep four off wrist spinner Noor Ahmad or a scooped six behind wicketkeeper off Fazalhaq Farooqi.
He brought up his 17th ODI hundred with a single off Rashid Khan, and looked to stay on. But a rather tired ramp off pacer Omarzai ended in the gloves of keeper Rahmanullah Gurbaz.
But England had another willing soldier in Jamie Overton (32, 28b), who added precious 54 runs for the seventh wicket, but a feeble heave off Omarzai ended his stint.
It also marked the end of England's journey in this tournament.
Earlier, Zadran's remarkable innings helped Afghanistan pile 325 for seven.
Zadran, whose daddy hundred came off 146 balls (12x4, 6x6), had solid support from skipper Hashmathullah Shahidi (40, 67b, 3x4), with whom he raised 103 runs for the fourth wicket, and Azmatullah Omarzai (41, 31b) with whom he milked 72 runs for the fifth wicket.
Later, he plundered 111 runs for the sixth wicket with Mohammed Nabi (40, 24b) to put England through the wringer.
But Afghanistan's start to a must-win game was way off the mark after they elected to bat first. Jofra Archer's (3/64) pace and accuracy put them under considerable strife inside the first 10 overs on an absolute batting beauty.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz dragged an Archer delivery back onto his stumps while attempting a drive, Sediquallah Atal was trapped in front and Rahmat Shah pulled one straight to Adil Rashid at square leg as the Afghans slumped to 37 for three inside the Power Play.
Zadran began the repair work in the company of Shahidi and they were understandably circumspect.
But once he reached 50 off 65 balls, Zadran opened up more and smoked Jamie Overton for a couple of fours to signal the shifting of gears.
However, Shahidi was dismissed when he tried to reverse sweep leg-spinner Rashid, whose front-of-the-arm delivery crashed onto the stumps.
But Zadran flourished in the company of Omarzai as England felt the heat of double-barrel firing.
England also had to deal with a knee injury to pacer Mark Wood, as he bowled only eight overs even after spending some time away from the field during the Afghan innings.
Zadran, who brought up his sixth ODI hundred off 106 balls, soon slipped into overdrive, smashing Overton for 6, 4, 4, in an over.
The departure of Omarzai did not slow down the 23-year-old as he blasted Archer for 6, 4, 4, 4 to reach the 150-run mark for the second time in his career.
Along with a veteran batter Nabi, Zadran added quick runs for the sixth wicket at over 11 runs an over as England fell apart spectacularly in the final 10 overs, conceding 113 runs. Zadran eventually fell to Liam Livingstone in the final over.
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BCI urges CJI to take action against Andhra HC judge for sending young lawyer to 24-hour custody
New Delhi (PTI): The Bar Council of India on Wednesday sought the urgent intervention of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant following a "deeply disturbing" incident where a judge of the Andhra Pradesh High Court reportedly sent a young advocate to
24-hour judicial custody over a procedural lapse.
The Bar Council of India (BCI) Chairperson and senior advocate Manan Kumar Mishra, in a formal representation, termed the conduct of Justice Tarlada Rajasekhar Rao "grossly inappropriate" and "damaging to the confidence of the Bar".
“I most respectfully request your Lordship to kindly take immediate institutional cognizance of the matter and call for the video recording of the proceedings, the order passed, and the surrounding circumstances.
“I further request that appropriate administrative action may kindly be considered, including withdrawal of judicial work from the learned Judge pending review, his immediate transfer to some far off High Court, and his nomination for appropriate judicial training/orientation on court management, judicial temperament, Bar-Bench relations, and proportional exercise of contempt/judicial authority,” Mishra wrote.
This representation is made to preserve the “dignity, moral authority and public confidence of the judiciary”, he said, adding, “Judges command the highest respect not by fear, but by fairness, patience, restraint and constitutional humility”.
The communication urged the CJI to intervene at the earliest to ensure that the faith of Bar, particularly young advocates, in the protective and corrective role of the judiciary is restored.
The controversy stems from proceedings on May 5.
According to the BCI, a video circulating online shows Justice Rao rebuking a young advocate who was unable to produce a specific order copy during a hearing.
The letter said that despite the advocate "repeatedly seeking pardon and mercy" and claiming he was in physical pain, the judge remained "unmoved".
The judge allegedly told the lawyer, "now you will learn," and mocked his experience before directing the Registrar and police personnel to take him into custody for 24 hours.
The BCI chairperson said that the judge’s actions lacked proportionality and fairness.
"The dignity of the court is not enhanced when a lawyer is made to beg for grace in open court and is still sent to custody for a procedural lapse," the letter said.
"A young lawyer... is an officer of the Court, still learning, still growing, and entitled to correction without humiliation," it added.
The bar body said that such actions create a "chilling effect" on the legal fraternity, particularly among junior members, and undermine the mutual respect required between the Bench and the Bar.
