[ad_1]
England, Pakistan and Sri Lanka – that’s three former champions defeated by Afghanistan in the ongoing ICC Men’s ODI World Cup. In a tournament that’s had only a handful of exciting contests so far, Hashmatullah Shahidi and Co’s performances have thrilled Indian spectators to such an extent that the team has taken laps of honour each time it’s won.
Before the start of their campaign, Shahidi was quietly confident of his squad’s ability. Afghanistan had only won three of the 11 ODIs they had played since the start of the year, but the skipper was sure it was only a matter of time before things would fall into place.
“Our mindset is different now and as a leader I’m very confident this time,” Shahidi had said in a press conference before Afghanistan’s first game against Bangladesh.
“We’ll achieve a lot and that’s what our aim and target is. We’ll try to not worry about what happened in the past. Again, I’ll say as a leader that I’m very confident. Our team was good earlier but now, it’s better. We’ll try our best to give positive results and make it historic for our country’s people.”
Shahidi’s statement wasn’t mere rhetoric. His team has walked the talk by claiming three comprehensive victories against higher-ranked opponents.
Against England, they posted a formidable total of 284 before bowling-out the defending champions for just 215 in front of adoring fans in Delhi. Then came two clinical chases. They lost just two wickets against Pakistan and three against Sri Lanka to reach targets of 283 and 242 respectively.
For the longest time, the Afghans remained a spin threat for the most part. Having gained plenty of experience playing in leagues across the world, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Mohammad Nabi developed skills that could trouble the best. But the batting department was always playing catchup, struggling to post formidable totals on a consistent basis.
This time, though, that has’t been the case. In Shahidi, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Rahmat Shah, Ibrahim Zadran, Azmatullah Omarzai and Ikram Alikhil, Afghanistan have had a batting unit that’s performed with incredible grit and maturity in this World Cup. Between them, they’ve delivered 10 fifty-plus scores in six games.
“We’ve been working really hard on our batting and doing the basics,” said coach Jonathan Trott after the win against Sri Lanka.
“We’re starting to see the confidence in the players, in their own ability. There’s so much talent. They just need to be given a bit of structure or a game plan, understanding what makes them the best players they can be. Tactics wise but also the way they train and think about themselves. And so, when it comes to match day, it’s not just about leaving it to luck. It’s about saying no, I’m here and I’m in good form and I’m ready to play and I deserve to score runs.”
Afghanistan’s defeats so far have come against Bangladesh, India and New Zealand. It’s the first of these three losses that would disappoint Afghanistan the most, for Shakib Al Hasan and Co have lost six straight games since then to become the first team to get knocked-out of the semi-finals race.
Even so, Afghanistan could be in contention if they beat Netherlands, Australia and South Africa in their last three games of the league stage. They’ll fancy their chances against the Dutch, but will need to pull off another upset of sorts against either Australia or South Africa. Victories in even two of these three matches could give them a chance, with net run-rate and some luck coming into play.
There’s been a remarkable facet to the three wins that Afghanistan have gotten against far more accomplished sides – they didn’t just inch across the line but actually dominated. With their confidence soaring, they’ll be determined to continue this inspiring journey.
[ad_2]
Source link