NEWS
Follow UsAfghanistan got off to an excellent start in the T20 World Cup with a comprehensive win in their first game against Uganda in Guyana. With that win, they have registered a massive net run-rate (+6.25) and it could eventually come down to that at the end of the group stage matches. They take on New Zealand next, who thrashed them by 149 runs the last time they met them in the 50-over World Cup in Chennai in October last year.
Afghanistan head coach Jonathan Trott is hopeful that they can get one over them this time around. "I think we saw in the 50-over World Cup we're able to compete with any side in the world. And that's our philosophy here," Trott said ahead of his side's tie against New Zealand.
"So, every game that we play, we expect to put ourselves in a winning position. Or fight to win every single game. So tomorrow that's no different, New Zealand very good side, very good side in all formats of the game and good match winners at their disposal.
"So, we feel like we have our own match winners as well - we have our plans and the idea of how we're going to go about winning the game it's about going out there and executing tomorrow so I'm looking forward to the game playing against New Zealand is always a tough match and I'm looking forward to the contest - but we played them in the 50-over World Cup where they beat us. So hopefully we can get one back on them and level it up one-all."
Trott also adds that his side will be up to the task when it comes to facing some of the best pacers in the world, especially Trent Boult, who will be quite a handful in the early stages of the innings.
"Our batters are used to facing left-handed bowlers. We've played Pakistan quite a few times with Shaheen [Afridi] and had a reasonable amount of success against him," Trott observed.
"So that's the great thing about World Cups. You get exposed to and play against different nations or people that you haven't played against as regularly. And that's what the battle and challenge is that's the great thing but their bowlers haven't bowled against our batters as much as perhaps some other nations so that's something for them to worry about just as much it is for us to worry because we haven't played them as much.
"So that works both ways. So that's what makes it so fascinating tomorrow and that's what's going to make it exciting and our boys are chomping at the bit to to go out there and prove again against a major Test playing that they could compete and excel."
While Afghanistan have heavily been dependent on their spinners in the past, Trott believes they have enough firepower in the pace department to get the job done as well.
"We saw Fazalhaq [Farooqui] get five wickets last game, didn't we? And bowl really well. So, I think we need to have all bases covered, certainly when you play evening matches." Trott said.
"Sometimes a dew factor might come in here, depending on the weather and the amount of wind. So, we need to be able to adjust, and that's the great thing we have at our disposal. It's not just about the spinners.
"We have some very good seamers as well. Naveen, Fazal, Azmat [Omarzai], Karim Janat, or Gulbuddin [Naib] can be called upon. So, we're very fortunate to have a lot of all-rounders and a lot of options for the skipper. At his disposal. So very, very key that we get those combinations right and bowlers bowling at the right times but Rashid's such an experienced player he knows exactly when to do things and how to go about it."
After the New Zealand battle, Afghanistan will travel to Trinidad where they take on Papuan New Guinea (PNG) on June 13, and then head to St Lucia for their final group stage game against co-hosts West Indies on June 17.
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