Afghanistan
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From Kabul with Love: Afghanistan’s cricketing rise

Mustafa Ismail·
One Day International (ODI)
·1 Comment·

Afghanistan won every cricket lover’s heart during the Asia Cup. Their exciting brand of cricket caused problems to the biggest teams in the region…

Over the last couple of years, we have noticed some outrageous talents emerge from Afghanistan. Whether it’s the young sensation Rashid Khan or the well-oiled Mohammed Nabi, these players have caught the attention of the international cricket audience. After qualifying for the 2019 World Cup in England, Afghanistan’s next big challenge was the Asia Cup, where they would have to compete against the best. Not a lot of people gave Afghanistan a chance – but the nation’s spin attack was enough to make their opposition fear them. Some even argued a case for them as the tournament’s dark-horses.

In turned out that there was more to Afghanistan than their bowling as their batsmen managed to perform remarkably well. In fact, they were in touching distance of securing a spot in the final. Yes, a couple of last over losses against Bangladesh and Pakistan meant that Afghanistan were knocked out of the Asia Cup. However, it wasn’t without proving their mettle on the big stage and winning the hearts of millions around the world.

Mohammed Shahzad, Hashmatullah Shahidi, and Asghar Afghan starred with the bat as Afghanistan managed 250+ runs in almost every game. When the top and middle order struggled, it was the lower order of Mohammed Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, and Rashid Khan who took responsibility. The late entrants scored crucial runs to ensure their team posted a competitive total. Before the tournament, there was a lot of praise for the Afghan spinners – but everyone looked at their batting as the side’s weakness. Despite the criticism, these players managed to silence the critics with consistent performances.

Spin wizardry

In any case, the spinners were marvellous. Mujeeb took the new ball and had immense control over it to trap the opening batsmen. If he didn’t pick up a wicket, he kept things tight enough that pressure would build on the opposition. Mohammed Nabi bowled magnificently as well – as the all-rounder’s skills with the ball continue to improve drastically. He picked up a few wickets in the middle overs and wasn’t easy to punish for the batsmen. Rashid Khan, without a doubt, is currently the best spinner in the world. The 20 year-old’s talent was on display in matches against the Asian stalwarts of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka.

Each opposition found it impossible to pick Rashid Khan as he notched up wickets in every game to finish as the joint leading wicket-taker of the tournament. The most impressive aspect of Rashid’s performance in this tournament was that he was introduced late in the innings. He became Afghanistan’s main bowler at the death, when batsmen are looking to smash the leather off the ball. During the India game, for example, he bowled the last over superbly and managed to dismiss Jadeja, forcing a tie instead of an Indian win.

Let’s not forget that Afghanistan began the tournament by beating Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. The two nations boast strong teams and overcoming them is a huge achievement on its own for this young Afghanistan team. Undoubtedly, this group has a long way to go. But if they continue to progress in this fashion, they have a chance to establish themselves as one of the top international sides in the next ten years or so.