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Follow UsPrior to their opening encounter of the 2024 T20 World Cup against Uganda in Guyana on June 3 (Monday), Afghanistan skipper Rashid Khan made it clear that they are no more the side who rely only on their bowling. The likes of Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Gulbadin Naib are powerful hitters, while Ibrahim Zadran and Azmatullah Omarzai have also proven their worth at the international level. Rashid said Afghanistan wouldn’t even mind chasing 200.
“I think that's something in the past. We were struggling a little bit in the batting area. We got those youngsters, especially from Under-19, the way they came up to the national side and the way they have worked hard. They got the opportunity to play for Afghanistan at a very young age and then start exploring all around the world, playing the leagues where they got better and better. I think we have that kind of batting line where we can say it's fine if there is 200 as well on the wicket,” said Rashid in a pre-match press conference.
“We have that kind of ability and skills and talent where we can express that in the ground and chase that and T20 cricket is all about the mindset. I think as long as you have the right mindset and you have the belief in there that we can do, anything is possible. It's just about making sure we go with the right mindset and back up our skills. I think that's something which I feel is more important. I think we have got enough cricket in the past couple of years or three years where our skills got better and better. And we have been challenging the opposition. So, it's all about like, we believe that, we give 100%.”
The globetrotting nature of Afghanistan’s T20 squad could also benefit the side big time. The Afghanistan players in the T20WC squad have a total of 116 games of experience when it comes to the Caribbean Premier League. Crucially, all their big guns — be it Rashid, Mohammad Nabi, Mujeeb Ur Rahman or Naveen-ul-Haq — have all played plenty of CPL games, that too as recently as 2022. Afghanistan will play all their group games in the West Indies.
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“I think it's a good sign for us as a team. We have those players who played recently here in the CPL and they got that experience. And we share that experience with the boys. But I think in ICC (events), you always expect something different. You never know what's going to be the behaviour of the wicket. And you have to react to that. You shouldn't be someone already having in the mind, this is how it's going to be, this is how it's going to swing, spin, things like that. But for us, it's like we're well prepared,” added Rashid.
Afghanistan are placed in Group C alongside West Indies, New Zealand, Uganda and Papua New Guinea. There are many who are even predicting them to qualify for the semis. “A few people, they have mentioned Afghanistan is going to be there for semis. But we take that as a very positive sign. Now to be (nominated by experts), to be there in the top four. I think it's big for us, but for us, we don't look at those things a lot. It's all about how we're going to be there in the ground, delivering.
“We were very near in the last World Cup (ODI World Cup) as well to be in the semis. We were just one game away from being in the semis and that's where I feel like the belief started that nothing is impossible for us as a team. So yeah, looking forward we are really excited about this World Cup but as I said before as well, we take one game at a time and then see how it goes.”
Talking about how ready Afghanistan are as a team, Rashid said: “I think preparation has been great so far. The way the guys have been prepared and they had that preparation back home in Afghanistan. A couple of weeks back, we had a domestic T20 competition, which really helped them to get that kind of preparation they need as a player and as a team. And then we're here two weeks earlier as well. So, we got that full preparation, what we wanted as a team.
“But I feel like now we're just focusing on one game at a time and making sure we do the right things and take the right decisions at the right time. That's something I think is going to help us. And don't think about the next round a lot. That's something which is an extra pressure I feel like to be as a player. It's more about focusing on one game at a time.”
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