HARARE, DEC 22: Teenage spinner Allah Ghazanfar took five for 33 as Afghanistan overwhelmed Zimbabwe by eight wickets on Saturday for a 2-0 one-day international series win.
The 18-year-old followed up a six-wicket haul against Bangladesh last month with a man-of-the-match show in Harare as the tourists crushed the hosts for the second time in three days.
The opening ODI in the three-match series was washed out on Tuesday.
Zimbabwe were put in to bat by Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi and, with the exception of veteran Sean Williams, who made 60 from 61 balls, flopped to be all out of 127.
Sediqullah Atal, fresh from a maiden ODI century on Thursday, top-scored with 52 as Afghanistan cruised to 131 for two in just 26.5 overs and completed a white-ball double after a Twenty20 series win.
It was the seventh ODI series triumph for Afghanistan over Zimbabwe with one drawn.
"It is wonderful to see youngsters like Allah coming into the team and making such a big impact," Shahidi told reporters.
"Allah is doing very well for the team and, hopefully, he can maintain this momentum and bowl well going forward."
Wreaking havoc with his off-break deliveries, Ghazanfar continued a memorable year in which he was part of the Kolkata Knight Riders squad that won the Indian Premier League.
Star leg spinner Rashid Khan also tormented the hosts, taking three for 38 as the fragility of the Zimbabwe batters was exposed again. They were all out for 54 two days ago.
Williams, whose 61-ball knock included three sixes and six fours, was among only three Zimbabweans to reach double figures. —AFP
