Austria cricket team in Belgium in 2021
 
  Belgium Austria
Dates 24 – 25 July 2021
Captains Sheraz Sheikh Razmal Shigiwal
Twenty20 International series
Results Belgium won the 3-match series 2–1
Most runs Saber Zakhil (135) Razmal Shigiwal (98)
Most wickets Shagharai Sefat (4) Aqib Iqbal (8)

The Austria cricket team toured Belgium in July 2021 to play three Twenty20 International (T20I) matches at the Royal Brussels Cricket Club in Waterloo.[1][2] The series was originally due to be held in May 2021,[3] but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[4]

Belgium head coach Corey Rutgers resigned shortly before the series after a selection dispute resulted in ten of the players who toured Malta earlier in July either being dropped or later withdrawing from the squad to face Austria.[5]

Belgium won the series 2–1.[6]

Squads

 Belgium  Austria
  • Sheraz Sheikh (c)
  • Maqsood Ahmad
  • Saqlain Ali
  • Murid Ekrami
  • Mamoon Latif
  • Faisal Mehmood
  • Sherul Mehta
  • Aziz Mohammad
  • Muhammad Muneeb
  • Burhan Niaz
  • Abdul Rashid
  • Ali Raza (wk)
  • Adnan Razzaq
  • Shagharai Sefat
  • Saber Zakhil

T20I series

1st T20I

24 July 2021
10:00
Scorecard
Austria 
195/7 (20 overs)
v
 Belgium
196/3 (18 overs)
Shahil Momin 61 (41)
Shagharai Sefat 3/33 (4 overs)
Muhammad Muneeb 70* (53)
Sahel Zadran 2/28 (3 overs)
Belgium won by 7 wickets
Royal Brussels Cricket Club, Waterloo
Umpires: Rehman Hussain (Bel) and Jahan Gir Jhan (Bel)
  • Belgium won the toss and elected to field.
  • Maqsood Ahmad, Faisal Mehmood, Ali Raza, Shagharai Sefat (Bel), Iqbal Hossain, Shahil Momin and Waqar Zalmai (Aut) all made their T20I debuts.

2nd T20I

24 July 2021
15:00
Scorecard
Belgium 
146/8 (20 overs)
v
 Austria
37/3 (6.1 overs)
Saber Zakhil 100* (47)
Aqib Iqbal 5/5 (4 overs)
Razmal Shigiwal 17* (14)
Murid Ekrami 2/18 (3 overs)
Belgium won by 12 runs (DLS method)
Royal Brussels Cricket Club, Waterloo
Umpires: Shashidhar Gunna (Bel) and Steve Tripp (Bel)
  • Austria won the toss and elected to field.
  • No further play was possible due to rain.
  • Aqib Iqbal became the first bowler for Austria to take a five-wicket haul in T20Is.[7]
  • Saber Zakhil (Bel) scored his first century in T20Is.[8]
  • Saber Zakhil (Bel) also became the first cricketer batting at number 8 to score a century in T20Is.[9]
  • The 132-run partnership between Saber Zakhil and Saqlain Ali in the Belgium innings was a record for the ninth wicket in T20Is.[6]

3rd T20I

25 July 2021
10:00
Scorecard
Belgium 
103/9 (20 overs)
v
 Austria
104/4 (17.2 overs)
Ali Raza 31* (23)
Aqib Iqbal 3/25 (4 overs)
Abrar Bilal 27* (20)
Aziz Mohammad 1/13 (3 overs)
Austria won by 6 wickets
Royal Brussels Cricket Club, Waterloo
Umpires: Steve Tripp (Bel) and Jahan Gir Jhan (Bel)
  • Belgium won the toss and elected to bat.
  • Adnan Razzaq (Bel) made his T20I debut.

References

  1. ^ "More T20Is on the horizon in Europe". Cricket Europe. Archived from the original on 24 June 2021. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  2. ^ @CricketBelgium (16 June 2021). "Media Announcement from the BCF Management" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  3. ^ "Belgium announces three T20I series". Emerging Cricket. 22 February 2021. Retrieved 23 February 2021.
  4. ^ ""Belgium on the Global and European Cricket Map" by Corey Rutgers". Czarsportz (via YouTube). Retrieved 16 April 2021.
  5. ^ "Rutgers resigns Belgium role amidst selection turmoil ahead of Austria T20I series". Emerging Cricket. 24 July 2021. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
  6. ^ a b "Remarkable comeback seals series for Belgium". Cricket Europe. Archived from the original on 25 July 2021. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
  7. ^ "Global Game: Belgium trump continental rivals Austria with 2-1 T20I series win". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 28 July 2021.
  8. ^ "From 14/8 to 146/8: Belgium cricket team makes an epic comeback with a heroic century by Saber Zakhil". News Track. 26 July 2021. Retrieved 28 July 2021.
  9. ^ "Hosts Belgium Make a Comeback For The Ages After Saber Zakhil's Stunning Century In The 2nd T20I". CricFit. 25 July 2021. Retrieved 28 July 2021.

External links

International cricket in 2021
Categories