The fact that Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Riaz Hassan, Rahmat Shah, and Azmatullah Omarzai scored 270 runs against South Africa's bowlers in the second men's ODI in Sharjah on Friday without a bat sponsor between them is one of the less notable but impressive details of their performance.

A naked, spotless willow steadily encountered more lathered Leather, accounting for about 90% of Afghanistan's final score of 311/4. Gurbaz struck a superb 110 off 105 balls, his strokes as short and sharp as a schoolboy's trousers creases. 

It was his maiden century in an ODI versus South Africa and a record for Afghanistan. With over two-thirds of his runs coming from fours and sixes, Omarzai more robust undefeated 86 off 50 took more attention than deserved.

Only Mohammad Nabi and Rashid Khan had stickers on their bats among the Afghans who stood watch. What could this signify? Is Nabi's name recognition indeed sufficient to attract sponsorship because he has only missed 20 of Afghanistan's 315 internationals across all formats? 

Is Shakib entitled to the same because he is an actual modern-day celebrity who has appeared in some of the most prestigious T20 franchise leagues and others?

Businesses trying to create a big splash with cricketers' assistance don't yet fully trust a squad representing a nation where the government despises anything and anything that could put a smile on people's faces, especially if those people are women and girls.

Of course, it also indicates that this team has far more players than Nabi and Shakib. And that they are self-assured enough to accept and even embrace that reality. In contrast, Bangladesh appears to be tragically caught in Shakib-al-Hasan's spotlight.

Consider what transpired when Rashid faced Lungi Ngidi's delivery of his first ball in the 47th over. Reaching for the comprehensive delivery, Rashid smashed it towards the cover boundary before running. And still another. But he pulled up with a hamstring issue as he returned to the crease from where he had come. 

Before this series, Rashid had missed Afghanistan's six One-Day Internationals due to back surgery. On top of his most recent injury, he turned 26 on Friday. 

He persevered, facing 11 more balls until the innings was out and responding negatively to Jonathan Trott's question about whether he wanted to retire hurt, which was given in a gesture from the dressing room.

Several clubs might have crumbled upon learning of the misfortune of their most notable player. After reaching 200 in 36 overs, the Afghans performed poorly, scoring 40 runs off the final 22 balls of the innings.

Nevertheless, they carried on with their game. Thus, even accounting for the 93 that poured in the last 10, more would have been expected than the 111 they made in the final 14 overs.

However, they destroyed South Africa after that, scoring 134 runs in 34.2 overs, with all 10 wickets falling for 61 in 20.3. Rashid is a champion, and Afghanistan has seen enough of him. 

The South Africans did as well. Thus, there was a feeling of writing being scribbled onto a wall, even though Tony de Zorzi was only the second wicket to fall when he was caught behind in Rashid's opening over, the seventeenth.

In his subsequent two overs, Rashid restricted the damage to five runs, showing no symptoms of a hamstring strain. Then, during three deliveries, Kyle Verreynne was stranded in front, and Tristan Stubbs caught at leg slip, both of which were reviewed.

The dismissal of Stubbs was dubious. Even though the disturbance of the flat line was equal in size to the spike formed as the ball moved past the bat, obviously without touching it, television official Langton Rusere determined that the spike on the graph as the ball passed close to Stubbs' glove was proof enough to give him out.

Bet pro login was a popular choice among cricket fans that day, as they eagerly watched the match unfold and debated the controversial decision.

That is a minor complaint. One poor umpiring call cannot take away from the genius of how the hamstrung hero wheeled in, refusing to give in to the pain he must have been in and taking crucial wickets of Wiaan Mulder and Aiden Markram to finish with a total of 5/19 in nine overs.

Because of this, Rashid is now the only player on the international team, in any format, to take five wickets on their birthday. The fact that Nangeyalia Kharote had taken 4/26 in 6.2 overs in just his second ODI was almost buried in the glare of everything else.

Shaun Pollock stated during commentary, "Whatever money Rashid Khan gets paid should go to the physio." Rashid agreed after winning player-of-the-match, saying, "Good job by the physio to get me ready."

However, Rashid also made a statement suggesting he understood his grandeur. He understood that "my contribution would be the key" when he felt his hamstring strain. His team's most memorable success to date was a series win over South Africa on the first try and a victory by 177 runs. There will undoubtedly be more.