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When Sri Lanka won the World Cup in 1996, Afghanistan did not even have a cricket team. So the fact they failed to pull off what would have been a famous first victory in this tournament against a Test-playing nation should be seen in its proper context.
Still, this will feel like an opportunity missed for a country who have defied the odds to rise to the sport’s top table after being formally recognised by the International Cricket Council only in 2001.
Written by Chris Stocks at Cardiff Wales Stadium
This news first appeared on https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/jun/04/sri-lanka-afghanistan-cricket-world-cup-match-report under the title “Sri Lanka earn first Cricket World Cup win as Afghanistan let chance slip away”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.