Noor’s Fifer Sends Zimbabwe Crashing as Afghanistan Complete Clean Sweep

Abu Dhabi: Zimbabwe’s middle order did not so much collapse as disintegrate. Noor Ahmad, Afghanistan’s left-arm wrist spinner, delivered a spell of 3.3 overs, 11 dot balls, 13 runs and five wickets, and with it the visitors were bowled out for 79 in the third and final T20I.

Afghanistan, already 2-0 ahead, needed only 8.1 overs to knock off the target and complete a 3-0 series sweep. It was as emphatic a conclusion as the margin suggests.

The Foundation Laid Early

Noor’s heroics did not occur in isolation. Azmatullah Omarzai, Fazalhaq Farooqi and Abdullah Tarakhail had already reduced Zimbabwe to 13 for 3 inside four overs, ensuring the innings never found a platform. Ryan Burl and Wesley Madhevere attempted a rebuild, but Omarzai ended that resistance by dismissing Burl in the 10th over.

Burl’s 30 was the only score of substance. When he departed, the innings had little left to offer.

Noor Takes Over

From 56 for 4, Zimbabwe folded to 79 all out in the space of 4.4 overs. Noor accounted for Madhevere, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Tafadzwa Tsiga, Newman Nyamhuri and Ernest Masuku, the last wicket to fall. His figures of 5 for 13 were the defining contribution of the match, a spell that combined control with wicket-taking threat in equal measure.

Noor Ahmad – Player of the Match! 🏅

Noor Ahmad delivered a sensational performance with the ball tonight and recorded his career-best figures of 5/13 to earn the well-deserved Player of the Match award! 👏

#AfghanAtalan | #AFGvZIM | #GloriousNationVictoriousTeam https://t.co/a0MmChanIj

— Afghanistan Cricket Board (@ACBofficials) November 1, 2026

Zimbabwe did claim a couple of Powerplay wickets in reply, but Afghanistan were never troubled. Opener Ibrahim Zadran made 25 from 17 balls, and Azmatullah finished unbeaten on 18 to see the chase through. The three wickets lost were incidental to a contest already decided by the first innings.

A Sweep Built on Bowling

Afghanistan’s series victory was founded on their bowling attack. The pace trio of Omarzai, Farooqi and Tarakhail created the initial pressure, and Noor exploited the conditions and the scoreboard situation with a spell that left Zimbabwe with no route back into the contest.

For Zimbabwe, the defeat closes a series in which their batting never came to terms with Afghanistan’s varied attack. The 79 all out in the final match was the lowest point of a campaign that ended without a victory.

Brief scores: Zimbabwe 79 in 14.3 overs (Ryan Burl 30; Noor Ahmad 5-13) lost to Afghanistan 80 for 3 in 8.1 overs (Ibrahim Zadran 25*) by seven wickets.

                                               

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