Mujeeb Ur Rahman dedicates his Player of the Match award to earthquake-affected people in Afghanistan after brilliant 69-run victory against England

Mujeeb Ur Rahman, the star bowler of the Afghan cricket team, showed a heartfelt gesture of solidarity by dedicating his ‘Player of the Match’ award to the earthquake-stricken people of Herat. This touching moment occurred after Afghanistan’s impressive victory over England in the 13th match of the ODI World Cup 2023, with a convincing margin of 69 runs in Delhi on Sunday, October 15.

The gesture not only highlights the resilience of the Afghan team but also serves as a reminder of the challenges faced by communities affected by natural disasters, uniting cricket and compassion on a global stage. Earlier, during their encounter against India, the entire Afghanistan team donned a black armband in order to remember the affected people in the earthquake.

“This trophy is for the people back home who were affected by the earthquake in Herat. This whole win is for them.” Mujeeb was translated by Rashid Khan after the match.

We beat such a big team: Mujeeb Ur Rahman

Mujeeb produced a magnificent bowling performance against England and picked up 3 wickets while conceding 51 runs in his 10-over quota. However, he picked up two big wickets which could’ve been very dangerous. First, he dismissed Joe Root in the 7th over and then dismissed Harry Brook who was batting on 66 runs in the 35th over. He talked about his performance in the post-match presentation.

“Very proud moment to be here in the World Cup and beating the champions. It’s a great achievement for the whole team, we worked hard for this day. We beat such a big team. It was a wonderful performance from the bowlers and the batters. As a spinner, it’s pretty hard to bowl in the powerplay, you have only two fielders outside. That’s something I’ve been working on in the nets. Bowling with the new ball and trying to be as consistent as possible. 

That’s something which has made me more effective. I am always trying to bowl stump to stump and keep it simple. We knew that the dew was going to come and play a part in the latter part. That’s why I was telling the captain to bowl me in the powerplay. We were mentally prepared. (On his batting) It’s all about the management, and the players. They give me confidence in the nets. He has always been with me in the nets, my partner. He wants to hit each and every ball, that’s the area I want to contribute as well. Those 20-25 runs mean a lot for the team.” Mujeeb said.