Azmatullah Omarzai's 97 lifts Afghanistan to 244 against SA in WC
Ahmedabad, Nov 10: Young all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai left a lasting impression with an unbeaten 97-run knock, lifting Afghanistan to 244 after a batting collapse in their World Cup match against South Africa here on Friday.
Continuing his good run in the tournament, Omarzai faced 107 balls while hitting seven fours and three sixes. However, he could not record his maiden ODI hundred after failing to score off the last three balls of the final over bowled by Kagiso Rabada.
Gerald Coetzee was the most successful bowler for South Africa, finishing with figures of 4/44 in 10 overs.
Afghanistan were off to a steady start after their skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi opted to bat first, but South Africa meant business as they snared three wickets for four runs to leave their opponents in a spot of bother at 45 for three in the 11th over.
At that point, it seemed like the decision to bat first was backfiring even as Temba Bavuma marshalled his resources well to keep South Africa ahead in the game at the Narendra Modi Stadium.
But even before the Proteas could celebrate the first breakthrough they faced an anxious moment when pacer Lungi Ngidi went off the field after suffering what looked like an ankle or achilles issue.
Ngidi, however, returned to pick the wickets of Rahmat Shah and Mohammad Nabi, who nicked one to Quinton de Kock after facing just three balls, leaving his team at 116 for six in the 28th over.
Having smoked lead pacer Rabada's length ball outside off for a six over long-on, Rahmanullah Gurbaz found the fence again when he produced a lovely cover driver against the same bowler.
Coetzee was welcomed to the attack with two authoritative boundaries by Gurbaz, who raced to 25 off 21 balls.
Desperately looking for a breakthrough, Bavuma introduced Keshav Maharaj into the attack and the left-arm spinner straightaway responded with the big wicket of Gurbaz, who edged a turning delivery to Heinrich Klaasen at the first slip.
Not only did Maharaj strike with his first ball he also enjoyed a wicket-maiden, giving South Africa a bit of a momentum which they used to their advantage by quickly grabbing two more wickets.
Much was expected of Ibrahim Zadran, who scored a brilliant hundred against Australia in their last game, but the opener was done in by a short ball from Coetzee, the batter giving a catch to De Kock after edging his attempted pull shot. De Kock finished with a record six catches behind the stumps.
Having started his spell on a fine note, Maharaj struck again, this time removing opposition captain Shahidi, the extra bounce putting the batter in a tricky position as he shaped himself up to play the cut shot.
Omarzai and Rashid Khan kept the scoreboard ticking during a 44-run stand for the sixth wicket, helping their team cross 150 before the latter fell to a soft dismissal.
Omarzai, then, found another able ally in Noor Ahmad who contributed an useful 26 in a 44-run partnership.
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NGT halts Karnataka govt plan to divert ₹400 crore from KSPCB
Bengaluru: The Karnataka government’s move to divert over ₹400 crore from the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) for non-environmental works has hit a legal hurdle, after the National Green Tribunal (NGT) took suo motu cognisance of the issue.
According to a report published by Deccan Herald, the state government had sought ₹100 crore as a grant, a ₹126 crore interest-free loan, and an additional ₹200 crore loan at an interest rate of 7.5% from the KSPCB. The funds were proposed to be used for projects related to preventing man-animal conflict and for coastal resilience works.
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The principal bench of the NGT, while issuing notices to Karnataka and other states, observed that pollution control boards are already facing severe staff shortages and increasing responsibilities. It noted that while boards are not allowed to fill vacancies to carry out their statutory duties, their funds are being sought for activities not covered under the Air Act or Water Act, which govern their functioning.
Of the total ₹426 crore sought by the state, ₹300 crore was proposed for constructing railway barricades to prevent man-elephant conflict, while ₹126 crore was earmarked for coastal protection works under a climate change mitigation programme.
The report also pointed out that diverting KSPCB funds lacks legal backing under the Water and Air Acts. It referred to a 2023 NGT order that questioned a similar attempt by the Punjab government to divert ₹250 crore, following which Punjab withdrew its proposal.
Officials within the KSPCB have raised concerns over the move, stating that the board requires greater autonomy and urgent reforms. They also flagged acute staff shortages, which have affected the board’s ability to effectively carry out environmental monitoring and regulatory functions.
